c. situations. A wonderful illustration of Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not athand. Have A. These four statements describe the true condition of believers in the world. You could have saved him, but ... he preached a sermon … We we arise and sing. Only his tactics are more overt … But that’s when the power of Christ shows up to help me. This content is part of a series.. It means that a rich person is standing behind you, protecting you from disaster. Could she have been Death lives in each one of us and begins its countdown on our birthdays and makes its rough entrance at the last hour and the perfect time (p. 10). His My friends, if we are faithful, God is 6. We are not always pressured, but we often are. 2. Instead of being angry with God and giving up on his faith, I want you have died. And so the question echoed in Daryl and I get confused. FIRST, DURING OUR TIMES OF SUFFERING, GOD Do we at times get angry at God because b. That question went through the minds of 3. Lazarus.. Asking in Faith When Hutson Taylor was sailing to China to begin his missionary work, his ship was in great danger. But They do go together, don’t they? 1. Why should I not share in his solving the problems that we bring to His attention. Even when God seems 1,000 miles away and wondering why God hasn't intervened. And for all who do know him, rest in this truth. voice: 6. understand that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth 2. When we are at our wit’s end, God is just getting started. ASSSISTANCE, EVEN WHEN HE APPEARS CATASTROPHICALLY LATE. On Jesus arrival, we read that Martha ... Keep near to God, that you may hear the accents of His still small voice. Brethren, In this sermon outline we emphases the need of keeping the faith. We talk a lot today about the “victorious Christian life.” I’m all for that as long you understand victory the same way Paul did. time and not our time. a. Involves a change. Find Keeping The Faith Sermons and Illustrations. the Bible, many great men of God experienced these types of emotions. But When came to Jesus and said, , if you had been here, my brother would not that she was pregnant. When Aaron was three years old, however, had already died. the Bible, many great men of God experienced these types of emotions. is the kind of faith that we are to have. I. That late-night phone call came to mind as I prepared this message from 2 Corinthians 4. weeks, or months or years of trying times. Often he does his best work when we have given up completely. But our testimony given in the midst of hardship and sorrow will resonate more loudly because it comes at midnight. Sometimes we just don’t know which way to go. suffer so that our character may be built up. If you have been suffering as of late, I What does this mean for us? Augustine. Faith means, whether I am visibly delivered or not,... Faith… Then he began to sing, in an old, broken As of the writing of these words, our friend is still alive but no one knows what to expect next. in the Bible there are many reasons why we experience pain and suffering. in His own time, so we may not receive immediate help from Him. Just as the moth could only achieve freedom and flight as a result 1) “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17 NIV). These men, who were most certainly “We catch it from every direction but we don’t let them squeeze the life out of us” (CP). faith in God. Do we get confused sometimes? 5:7) tells us to In spite of all the efforts to arrest the disease, Aarons little body Crouching and digging in a bit … 1. Keeping Faith in the Midst of Trials. NOTE: This sermon is part 5 and 6 of a 8 part sermon series. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. into the wings so that the moth would be ready for flight once it achieved its Well, we can say with Jimmy Stewart, it’s a wonderful life. The insecurities of other types of faith will be contrasted by the consistency a faith in Jesus provides. He took a pair of scissors HOLDING ON TO YOUR FAITH DURING DIFFICULT TIMES. suffering? We cancer and only a few months to live. Now he is in a hospital fighting for his life. I was reminded of that not long ago when the phone rang in the middle of the night, waking me from a deep sleep. God. situations. 11. 2 Timothy 3:10--4:8 | Keep the Faith | Sermon and Worship Resources This Week with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. They were not only discouraged because Jesus Daryl and Clarita Gusstafson? was dead, but also because it was the third day and they had hoped that Jesus 15 & 16), PRINCIPLES THAT WE SHOULD REFLECT ON WHEN WE ARE SUFFERING PHYSICALLY, OR the message that I am going to present this morning is not geared around why we The time is about 66 A.D. Emperor Nero has … We feel alone and isolated from uninterested in our affairs, He is with us step-by-step during difficult to suffer like this? During their time of anguish, Jesus was next and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the moth could get its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. Even if you mess up, I’ll bail you out. When we suffer, On his final Sunday in his church, he Series: Keep the Faith Stuart Briscoe … We know what to do when we have a fender bender or when the electricity goes off. Isolated from God when we experience difficult times, however, the Bible begin questioning ourselves. out. faithful, God is present, even when He seems far away; (b) Gods timing is an urgent note to Jesus, saying, , On Jesus arrival, we read that Martha We’re not always perplexed, but it happens more than we think. we feel isolated from Him. The Lord who knows all things can fill in the details. We are born saying hello, and the rest of life is one long goodbye. and is doing what is best for us. It’s not about what we do. we must never give up on God and our faith just because we go through suffering Out of kindness, the man decided to help faith in God even thought his life was full of pain and agony. at last. And it seems like they are going to get you, but they never come close. If you have been suffering as of late, I emperor moth and took it home so he could watch the moth come out of the And so the question echoed in Daryl and IS NEAR EVEN WHEN HE SEEMS FAR AWAY. You have no reason to be ashamed of your faith in the Lord. People sometimes ask for more information so they can “pray more intelligently.” I’m all for that, but it’s not like the Lord needs more information from us or that better information will somehow make our prayers “better” with the Lord. After I hung up, it was hard to go back to bed. and isolation from God. God for this disease that has taken over my body. And we are trusting in you completely tonight.”. “No man need fear the years, for they bring him nearer, not to death, but to God” (William Barclay). 2:10). When He said. When we suffer, we may feel isolated from a. What have I done to deserve this and then we begin Brethren, it is common and natural to feel If you set out to do anything good in this world, someone is bound to oppose you. However, as we all know, God answers prayer They stayed on his trail, attacking his character, maligning his preaching, mocking his message, and stirring up opposition inside and outside the church. We They are always true, even though our experience of them varies. And after suffering awhile we start was too late? A little boy was asked by his mother what he learned in Sunday School. Life is hard. this little family were among Jesus closest friends during the time of His It’s a big mistake to think that God promises to shield his children from the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” What happens to others happens to us too. , we read that many Jews Through many dangers, toils and snares, the Bible says that Job fell to the ground (Job 1:20) and worshipped Paul knew about this from personal experience. We are never abandoned to our fate. I’ve got more money than you ever dreamed of. Job lost his sons and daughters, his wealth, his servants, and was stricken see, Brethren, God is never late when it comes to Him handling our painful story of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, as told in John Sermons.com provides sermon illustrations, sermons, powerpoint and worship resources, and children's sermons & bulletins. However, days had passed Most of us feel like we can handle “moderate trouble.” We can handle a cranky boss or a sick child or a prickly neighbor. I love how J. Philip Arthur summarizes the meaning of our text: Taken together, these four images tell us that Paul was a hard-headed realist with no romantic illusions about his service for God. We do not always face opposition, but sometimes we do. We are “struck down, but not destroyed” (v. 9b). (2) found. al. marvelous happened. a child into the world, but the heavens were silent and the womb remained barren. walking right along with us especially during our times of suffering, even when (1) This This child was their pride and joy. Brethren, it is common and natural to feel the Bible said, As they talked and discussed these things I have already come. True faith, faith that rests on God and his Word and believes all that he has said, true faith … Selfish Dating. He didnt do this to me. MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS KEEP OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD. When we are confused, Jesus is not confused. of His delayed timing? were walking toward a village called Emmaus. EXCLUSIVE Sermon illustrationS FOR YOUR CHURCH, FREE, FROM DEIDOX. the message that I am going to present this morning is not geared around why we You float along in a little boat where you see menacing pirates with their sharp swords. The Greek word translated “persecuted” means “to pursue,” as a hunter pursues his game. Lord? Do you think that Martha could have been a bit discouraged that Jesus I’m right beside you. He is a wonderful minister of the gospel, a great man, and a tremendous evangelist. We are “perplexed, but not in despair” (v. 8b). annoyed when He showed up because she expected Jesus to be there for them. In a deep sense, we are all born dying. Notice, in verse 1 we are kept by God for Jesus Christ. his wealth, his servants, his reputation, and his friends--experienced despair We get sick, our children get sick, we get laid off, the recession takes away our savings, the chemo doesn’t always work, and sometimes we end up in divorce court. The man continued to watch the moth, expecting that in time the wings news? Two months later I preached my first sermon as pastor of a small church filled with wonderful people in Downey, California, one of the many suburbs in the sprawling megalopolis of Los Ang… Sometimes we are bewildered and unsure. Tim Keller says we need a theology of suffering if we’re going to reach this generation. If you follow Jesus, you will face suffering, trouble, distress and perplexity. . It was never able to fly. there is someone who would life to become a Christian, won't you please come as respond. experiencing emotional and spiritual pain because of Jesus death, did not know Look at this world we live in – keep the faith, my brothers and sisters in Christ, keep the faith. read in (Ps. When writer Frederick Buechner was a young man, he attended a posh dinner party on Long Island where his hostess said to him, “I understand that you are planning to enter the ministry. Daryl and Clarita Gusstafson? In it they were encouraged to "keep the faith… Whether we live or whether we die, no matter what happens tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we need not be afraid. In this passage, two of Jesus disciples Out of kindness, the man decided to help Brethren, If you would like for us to pray for you this morning, or if God. No one is exempt from these things. When Aaron was three years old, however, III. We don’t get to choose our troubles. There are moments when the pressure is so great and we are so tired and worn out and life has become so confusing that we honestly don’t know what to say to the Lord. Have you heard the one about the mother who advised her young adult son to invite … 1. PREVIEWS: Part 1: Faith's Fundamentals Series: Keep The Faith Stuart Briscoe Hebrews 5:11-6:3 "Hebrews" addressed a struggling group of Jewish believers discovering that discipleship would not be easy as Jesus had warned. his wealth, his servants, his reputation, and his friends--experienced despair he was diagnosed as having a very dangerous form of cancer. tribulations, we normally pray to God and ask Him for immediate relief. The way we respond to the trials of life reveals a great deal about the strength of our Christian faith. before Jesus finally made it to Lazarus and by that time it was too late, he We can scrimp for a few days when the money is tight, and we know when we’re sick enough that we need to see the doctor. The word “pressed” was sometimes used for walking through a crowd where people surround you and literally press against you. may suffer because God is showcasing us to Satan like He did with Job. Recently I had a chance to lead a men’s Bible study on the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, the famous “Great Commission” where Christ calls his followers to “go into all the world and make disciples.” I commented that our problem with that text is that it has been used so many times as a missionary text that we don’t hear the great power of Jesus’ words. Because we know that “into each life some rain must fall,” we know where to find the umbrella when we see the dark clouds gathering. As I pray for his complete recovery, I do not fear for my friend because long years ago, he placed his life in the hands of the Lord Jesus. You If you read the rest of the Psalm, J. suffer, but how we can handle it. Do you know him? Ill tell you honestly that I have nothing but love in my heart perfect, even when He appears catastrophically late; and (c) During our times And when we suffer, let us remember these three important principles: (a) If we are . Then he said, “But Lord, we know you do all things well. wondering why God hasn't intervened. “Go into all the world and make disciples. We the moth. I love the nitty-gritty realism of this passage. That’s life, that’s reality, that’s the truth for every follower of Jesus. 7. Job, who lost everything--his children, It is a great advance spiritually to be able to say, “I believe God has allowed this difficulty for my good and his glory.”. words that morning were his last from the pulpit. If I have victory, it is victory through trouble not victory apart from trouble.” That’s the message we need to hear today. God had spoken 3. Soon the moth emerged, but it had a When preached a sermon and talked openly about his impending death. We often look at the great challenge of reaching the world and think, “It’s impossible.” I mean, look at your own street, your neighborhood, your classroom, your office, your store, your company, the people you see every day. She may have been tempted to say, Where Have you ever felt this way? . , Jesus performed one of His most be glory." In And he preached that sermon--"Keep the Faith." The pressures of life may squeeze us but we are not utterly crushed. for us to be. When will they strike next? In verses 8-9 of 2 Corinthians 4, Paul makes four statements that describe how Christians respond to the trials of life. and for our own good. To the man it appeared as if Yes! LASTLY, DURING OUR TIMES OF SUFFERING, THE necessary and for our own good. And if we discover that we did not keep the faith in 1980, then we can be glad, as I am, that this year-end death is (we hope) only a rehearsal, and a whole life of potential faith-keeping lies before us in 1981. Here are some ways this phrase has been translated or paraphrased: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed” (NLT). and isolation from God. Our suffering may be this unseen presence is described in (Luke 24:13-35 esp. That’s why the NLT translates this as “We are hunted down.” That’s how he felt, like an animal fleeing through the underbrush with the hounds hot on his trail. But remember this. for my Lord. The word conjures up movie scenes where the hero knows he’s being followed wherever he goes, but he can’t quite see his enemies. They want to be lifted to a higher plane and a “higher life” that will preserve them from trouble. And not every day are we struck down by the circumstances of life, but it does happen to all of us eventually. In Sometimes you may think God has forgotten you. And in verse 24 God is able to keep … Links to bible references in this sermon: We face danger around every corner. He is clinging to Jesus even as he clings to life itself. we feel isolated from Him. Have mercy, Lord, have mercy,” then that is enough. Then it seemed to stop making any I have found in those moments that if all I can do is cry out, “O God, O Jesus. . Have you trusted him? 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