This morning beloved I declare that Jesus Christ has risen! This morning I am urged in truth to preach a sermon that I pray will stir you and challenge you to grow not only in faith of the gospel of Jesus Christ but also in heart for souls. This morning I want to express to you how I am sorrowed in my spirit and troubled in my soul as I see how Christians as what they have become today. Throughout history we have understood that trials and tribulations have been involved with human living. Trials and tribulations have been recorded throughout history, many have overcame but many have decided to give up and as we are here this morning I want to ask you how would you have stood if someone were to start a history report on you? Many times than not history will only record the victory of the one who withstood the trial that has stood on the faith in which they believed and the one who was not victorious they ignore and do not mention or if they do they mention very slightly because of their lack of perseverance, their lack of tenacity and their lack of character.
This morning beloved as we sit here in the house of God many have or are still in the state of trial and tribulation and need the hand of God to move on their behalf. If you are saved here this morning we are a living testimony and are being recorded as the book of Acts has no ending. As we are living out our last chapter of the book of Acts I want to declare to you that the only way we will be victorious is by faith in our Savior. If you are not saved this morning you have the opportunity to be part of history and receive the greatest gift and that is salvation. Beloved Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh is in to His people.
Romans 5:1-5 (New International Version, ©2010)
Peace and Hope
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Beloved as we read our scripture we have many attributes that come with our Christian life and this beloved is what I want to minister on this morning. Beloved this morning it is sin that quarrels between us and God. Many try to justify their sin thus ironing their guilt that gives them a false peace not allowing them to understand conviction thus not knowing who God really is or who God can be in a life worth dying for. Many people have a hard time finding and/or obtaining peace. This beloved is a struggle for many, maybe even someone here this morning; peace has never been a part of your life even as a Christian. Lack of peace can enhance trials and magnify situations in your life thus making you issues bigger than God.
Gaining access by faith into God’s saving grace. This beloved is a privilege, having access to God almighty, this beloved is a saint’s happy state, it is the state of grace, God’s loving kindness to us and our conformity to God. We have not been born in this state but by the blood and the power and grace of our Jesus Christ we were and can be brought into this state of grace. Being brought to this state has a lot to do with your heart toward God and the reflection of your life as a saint and the repentance needed as a sinner, yes God accepts you the way you are but won’t accept your sinful state. God loves the sinner but hate’s the sin, and sin cannot and will not be accepted in God’s sight, for God is holy. This is hard for us to understand and can also be a struggle for many this morning, which is troublesome.
Trials take away our happiness. As non-believers I could see this as truth but not as a Christian, it bothers me to see a situation take away the joy God has given to us as Christians. The world makes a mockery out of how Christians portray Christian living as boring, dull, and joyless. Beloved before salvation I never wanted to become a Christian after seeing how some Christians have lived. I was told to be a Christian you must be poor; I beg to differ, if I’m going to walk on streets of Gold how can I be poor? My bible says that whatever I loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, and I’m not poor, I’m rich in and by faith. Trails reminds me that I still live on earth, and that my bible is accurate when it says it rains on the just and the unjust. Your trial was tailor made for you to grow closer to God and grow larger in faith and will produce a character pleasing to God.
Matthew 5:44-46 (New King James Version)
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
Some of our trials will come from those that hate you this beloved will either have you grow in your prayer life or lessen it. Everyone reads the book of Job when in trial and tribulation to start what we call a pity party, but what they sometimes fail to realize that Job prayed and kept his integrity toward God. When we go through trials we question God’s holiness. Why am I going through this? If you are so real why?
“The Worlds View on Life”
Don’t worry, be happy. To the world happiness is everything but Jesus. Money is 90% of the time the first thing to come out of someone’s mouth; if I had more money I’d be happy.
Billy won the lottery. A cool $25 million! He appeared to be a good man with a good character. Of the many types of people who might have won, his friends were happy it was Billy. But two years later he was arrested for drunk driving, resisting arrest, soliciting a prostitute, and having drugs in his car. The arrests continued over the next few years. The excitement of winning did not grow into a lifelong happiness.
Sex, drugs, alcohol, dancing, sports, shopping, eating; you name it there will be something people will think of rather than Jesus. Beloved this morning I want to ask you, could we be the reason this morning people have over looked Jesus and looked toward the temporary things to bring them joy? The world looks at the stars on television and strives for that life of false hope and die trying, should they not strive for a Christian life and die doing. It seems to me that you cannot tell the sinner from the Saint any longer because the church has allowed to world to infect the house of God and teach us how to be happy within a trial. People have cleaved on to idols and not Jesus, and right now even Christians are wrestling with God concerning faithfulness in trials.
“Through trials, you break, God blesses”
Genesis 32:24-31 (New King James Version)
24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said,
“Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.
Many of us this morning can be Jacob, walking in the wilderness trying to escape our problems and running away from them yet still looking for God. Even as God has allowed certain things to take place in our lives because of His grace and mercy God will show himself to us. Beloved it is at that moment when we are struggling with God and we are wrestling with His Majesty that He shows us how much He loves us, because after we are broken is when He will use us. Beloved even in our trials and after we are broken we need to cling on to Jesus and not let go.
God can only use a man when He breaks a man. Maybe your trial is meant to break you this morning, maybe you depended on the things of this world too long and God is saying I want to be your only desire. As Jesus so wants to use you it is only when He breaks you and leaves that mark on your life that He can use you.
Israel might have walked with a limp but God’s glory has descended all over him and he was used of God to do tremendous works that are written in history, are we going to join in this great commission this morning? Beloved God so wants to use your life. As I have mentioned before you were worth dying for to Jesus, let this be a life changing day for you in Jesus name.
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him
