Sermon Central
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Testing Time
Contributed by Pepe Gonzales on Mar 25, 2025 (message contributor)
Summary: God is always testing our Character , Faith, Obedience, Love, Integrity and loyalty and words like trial, temptation, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in the bible.
Life is a Test It is only a test God is always testing our Character , Faith, Obedience, Love, Integrity and loyalty and words like trial, temptation, refining, and testing occur more than 200 times in the bible.
We are always being tested by how we respond to people, problems, success, conflict, Illness and disappointment even how we react to waiters and cashiers.
A very important Test is how we react when we can’t feel The Presence of God..
2 Chron.32:31 speaking of Hezekiah, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
God withdrew from Hezekiah to TEST him that he might know all that was in his heart ; So what will you do when you can’t FEEL God? Will you still serve Him when it seems like He is not around, when the thrill is gone when it’s all work and no play, when you get no recognition when you feel unnoticed and unappreciated, when there is no joy in the morning… when it seems like you’re not even noticed or needed
When We realize that life is a test even the smallest things have significance,The good news is that God wants us to pass all the tests and 1Cor 10:13 Promises that “God will not allow us to be tested with more than we can bare and will always make a way of escape and give us strength to endure every test”.
James 1:12 ; Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Another reason why God will not remove some obstacles and trials is to teach us to battle in the Spirit to Grow Us
Judges 3:1-2... These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
God wanted His people to be warriors, and the presence of these dangerous neighbors would make it necessary for future generations to know war.He doesn’t want us to die in the Battles, We are to Grow Thru our Battles
Rom 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
1 Peter 4:13-19…13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator
Job 7:18 God examines us every morning and tests us Every Moment!
We are always being tested by how we respond to people do we love people, do we use People do we blame our weaknesses on people; we are tested by problems, Our success',failures, conflict, Illness and disappointments
We are Tested by Disillusionment
Disillusionment is the state of being disenchanted or disappointed by unfulfilled expectations.
Prov 13:12 "Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life." Our spouse hasn’t changed yet our kids haven’t got saved yet
A very important Test is how we react when we can’t feel the presence of God..
2 Chron. 32:31b speaking of Hezekiah “God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart”… Tests reveal what is in our Hearts...
Will you still serve Him( God) when it seems like He is not around, when the thrill is gone when it’s all work and no play……. Will we Still serve Him when we get no recognition when we feel unnoticed and unappreciated, when there is no joy in the morning!
The Test of Obscurity...The "Test of Obscurity" refers to a period of being hidden, unknown, or inconspicuous and Un-Noticed,This is where faith and obedience are tested.
