Good evening everyone, welcome to Singapore Adepts Church.
We're here to see you all here for our Sunday evening service.
Please have a seat.
Grant Himmel, welcome to song number 140.
We begin this evening service by singing song number 140,
We Have an Egg.
Song number 104.
Song number 105.
Song number 160.
Song number 165.
O Worship the King.
Song number 165.
O worship the king,
O glorious our God,
And great all ye see,
Is wonderful love,
Hush, he will,
And great they will,
He raises the king,
Hurl, he will,
His splendor,
And great they will bring.
Hotel of his life,
I sing of his grace,
O glorious my life,
Hotel of his taste,
His chariot so grand,
A leaf of the ground full,
And darkness his mass,
On the wings of the shore.
On a mountain full of air,
One took every side,
In breeze in the air,
It shines in the light,
In the streams of the hills,
In deep sets of the plain,
And sweetly distill,
In the wind and the rain,
For the charges will pass,
And we go as will,
In the earth we trust,
Lord, by need of air,
By mercy's doubts,
In the land that's in the air,
On a river deep where you live,
We clean over and rail.
Amen. It's time to go over to the announcements.
And if you're following,
We'll be giving a song of your choice.
All right, if you'd like a bulletin,
just go ahead and slip up your hand,
and Brother Fabian will bring you one.
As always, the service times are listed there
in the upper left-hand side.
We've got the midweek service coming up this Thursday at 7.
We'll be in Acts chapter number 6.
The salvation, the baptisms,
as well as the upcoming song schedule
are listed there as well.
Over on the right-hand side, of course,
just a memoriam of Brother Pendleton,
who passed away yesterday,
and he has gone home to be with the Lord,
continued to pray for his family,
and there'll be some details
regarding the funeral services in the coming days.
Over on the back, there is the note
about the birthday donuts coming up next Sunday,
so be here at 10 a.m. to get first pick,
and then we've got the mega conference coming up
July 2nd through the 26th.
Again, that shuttle will be available on Wednesdays.
If there's enough interest expressed on Sundays,
I'll do what I can to make that available as well.
Continue to pray for the expectant laneys.
We've got a couple small-town trips
and a reservation soul-winning trip below that.
If you're ever interested in participating,
please just let me know.
Let's go ahead and count up the soul-winning
going back to Friday, if there's anything from Friday.
I know Saturday our group had one.
Was there anything else for Saturday?
And then what about today?
I think for today, one today. Awesome.
All right, keep up the great work, soul-winning.
We'll go ahead and sing one more song
before we get into the preaching tonight.
Okay, let's see.
Turn around.
51.
51? That sounds familiar.
I feel like I'm in all that confusion.
It's not.
Oh, yep, yep.
Good? Yeah?
All right, so number 51,
we will never grow old.
Jesus on fire
Every man shall die
Tis the land where men never grow old
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
We shall be in the sweet fire of love
God we raise to love Him
Through eternity sing
Tis the land where men never shall die
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
All the land
Where all the good and the good is true
Then the light of God is born
In the trouble St. Charles on board
Our song will end
And our voices will play
With the love of Jesus
Growing on His way
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
Never grow old
In a land where men never grow old
Amen. It's time to pass the offering of the plate.
As the plate goes around,
let's open up our Bibles to Daniel chapter 6.
That's Daniel chapter 6.
As always, we need that chapter.
Let's call on Simon to read from Daniel chapter 6.
Daniel chapter 6
Verse 1 of the Bible reads,
But please dares to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes,
which should be over the whole kingdom,
and over these three presidents, whom Daniel disbursed,
that the princes might give accounts unto them,
and the kings should have no damage.
Then this Daniel is referred above the presidents of princes,
because next to his spear was in it,
and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and princes sought to find an occasion against Daniel,
concerning their kingdom,
that he could find none occasion but a fall,
for as much as he must face it,
neither was there any error or a fall found in him.
Then said these men,
We shall not find any occasion against him,
as Daniel,
except in finding against him,
concerning the law of his God.
Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king,
and said thus unto him,
King Darius lived forever,
all the presidents of the kingdom,
the government, the princes, the countenance,
and the captains,
have consoled together to establish a royal statue,
and to make a firm decree,
that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days,
shall seem revealed,
he shall be cast into his dead minds.
Now the king established a decree,
and signed a right that it be not changed,
according to the law,
and the need be heard,
and shall offer it not.
Wherefore, who dariest,
sign the writing of the decree,
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,
he went into his house,
and his window was being opened in his chamber,
toward Jerusalem,
to kneel upon his knees,
two times a day,
and prayed,
to be thanked before it died,
as he did a forefront.
Then these men assembled,
and found Daniel praying,
to make a supplication before it died.
Then they came near,
to say thank you for the king,
betraying the king's decree.
As for not signing a decree to every man,
shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days,
to reveal him from the passage of the dead by him?
The king answered and said,
The thing is true,
according to the law,
and the need be heard,
and shall offer it not.
Then answered they,
and said,
According to the king,
that Daniel,
instead of the children of the captivity of Judah,
regardeth not thee,
nor the decree of thou sound,
and maketh his petition three times a day.
Then the king,
when he heard these words,
his sword displeased himself,
and sent his heart on ground,
to deliver him.
Then he laid with him,
going down to the sun,
to deliver him.
Then these men assembled him,
and the king,
instead of the king,
know that the king,
that the law,
and the need be heard,
is,
that the law,
and the need be heard,
is,
that no decree,
nor statute,
that the king establish it,
may be changed.
Then the king commanded,
and brought Daniel,
to cast him into the dead of mind.
Then the king stated,
and said unto Daniel,
Thy God,
who thou servest continually,
be with liberty.
And a stone was brought,
and laid upon the mound
of the dead.
Then the king sealed it
with his own signature,
with the signature of the gold,
that the purpose
might not be changed,
concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace,
and the past night passed him.
Now there were instruments
and music brought before him,
and his sleet went from him.
Then the king arose
very early in the morning,
and went in haste
with the dead lion.
When he came to the death,
he cried with an unethical voice,
to Daniel.
Then the king spake,
and said to Daniel,
O Daniel,
servant of the living God,
is thy God,
whom thou servest continually,
able to deliver thee
to the lion?
Then said Daniel,
to the king,
O king,
live forever,
my God,
and send an angel,
that hath shut the lion's mouth.
They have not hurt me,
for as much as the poor hand
that enters the sea,
was found in him,
and also in the dead.
Have I done no hurt?
Then the king was seen gladly,
and commanded that she take Daniel up,
out of the dead.
Daniel was taken up out of the dead,
but no matter of hurt was found upon him,
because he believed in the God.
And the king commanded him,
and he brought those men,
which had accused them,
and cast them into the dead lion,
to man their children and their wives,
and the lions have a master in them,
and break all his bones into pieces,
wherever he came,
at the bottom of the dead.
Then king Daniel,
to the king,
said to Daniel,
O king,
I am the king of the dead,
Amen, so in Daniel 6
we'll come back in a little bit,
a little bit later in the sermon.
If you would, go back to Proverbs Charlieere & Psalm 26.
I'll read you from Proverbs chapter 20.
It says in verse 4,
the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg and
harvest and have nothing so of course that's a great verse about you know how
lazy people are gonna end up not having anything you know when the harvest comes
they're gonna be begging because of the fact that they didn't want to go out and
plow right and what was it that prevented them from plowing what said in
Proverbs 20 verse 4 that it was the reason by reason of the cold this person
would not plow and again this is something that's reiterated a little
bit in Proverbs 26 and I'll read to you from Proverbs 22 where it says the
slothful man so again slothful just being another word for somebody who is
lazy unmotivated it says the slothful man saith there is a line without I
shall be slain in the streets so what we see from these two verses about the
sluggard and about the slothful man is that they one they make up excuses right
they'll make up excuses as to why they cannot go out and work right the
slothful man said there is a lion without okay now I don't know that
that's necessarily a true statement you know maybe there really was a lion out
there I don't know but seems to me what the Bible is getting at is that this is
just a very convenient excuse it's just something that they're probably making
up that there really isn't a lion just out prowling the streets you know
typically people don't put up with man-eaters you know making their abode
you know where they live typically you would drive such an animal you'd kill it
and get rid of it right so it's just this made-up excuse it's just this
really quite a stretch too isn't it to say that there's a lion without right so
we see that slothful people they make up excuses and also as they read early in
Proverbs chapter 22 they wait for ideal circumstances before they're willing to
do anything right that's part of their excuse so I'm not I don't have this
ideal circumstance it's it's too cold there's these reasons why I can't go out
and plow okay and this excuse of a lion this is something that is used again in
Proverbs 26 where you are in verse 12 it says see is thou a man wise in his own
conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him okay so someone who's wise
in their own conceit somebody who is conceited and has their own reasoning
will not listen to reason will not listen to reality but has made up things
in their own mind is convinced that they're right the Bible says that
there's more hope of a fool than in that person okay it says in verse 13 the
slothful man sayeth there is a lion in a way in the way there is a lion in the
streets right so it's the same excuse that this person is bringing up and then
notice how this whole you know passage is kind of dealing with slothfulness
and laziness it says in verse 14 as the door turneth upon his hinges so doth the
slothful upon his bed you know and this is really if you ever been someone who's
tried to sleep in right you'll notice this if there's ever been times where
you've slept in you know at least this has been the case for me you know
whenever I've slept in you think I'm just gonna get if you know a few more
hours of sleep I really need it it's usually not that good of sleep sleep is
it you know the sleep that really restores us and really helps us is the
sleep where you're just you don't move right you're just in a deep sleep you're
pretty much paralyzed you know really I mean that's one of the ways I test
whether or not my children are actually you know all how deep asleep they are
I'll lift up a little arm and if it just falls straight down to the bed then you
know you're good right because their body is just immobile right so slothful
man who just lays around all day you know he's not really getting the sleep
that he needs because he's turning upon his bed like a door on its hinges he's
just moving back and forth it's not really that good of sleep anyway it's
just him being lazy right as the door turned upon its hinges so that the
slothful upon his bed the slothful hideth his hand in his bosom I shouldn't
do that I'm gonna get marked online as being a Mason now whoops that's like
that all right I'm not a Mason I swear oh I did it again right as the slothful
hideth his hand in his bosom agree with him to bring it again to his mouth so
we're talking about a guy who's hiding his hand in his bosom and he's so lazy
he doesn't even want to bother to bring it to his mouth right to defeat his own
set in his own self and notice again it kind of ends at book ends this this
passage here these few verses with this I this idea of being wise in his own
conceit the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit that's what we saw in verse 12 a
man wise in his own conceit the sluggard is wiser in his own conceit and seven
men that could render reason meaning seven people can come to him and render
reason and give him very good reasons as to why he shouldn't be the way he is or
why he should change but because they're so conceited and so lifted up and so
full of his own way you know he can't even he considers himself wiser than
them right he and that's why the Bible says there's more hope of a fool than of
him if seven people that are wiser than himself can't get through to him you
know then he's pretty much a hopeless case and when we see from these verses
that there's people who are gonna sit around in life and wait for ideal
circumstances before they do anything this is something that's a part of human
nature you know this is something we have to be guard on against a guard on
guard against in our own lives we don't want to be people that just wait in our
lives until the perfect circumstance comes around till everything's ideal
before we'll start serving God the way that we ought to because here's the
thing about ideal circumstances they're rare if ever you know I've sometimes
thought like this hey I'm gonna do this I'm gonna do XY and Z as soon as you
know things are this way as soon as things line up just right then maybe
I'll try doing this or that but you know what I found in life is that the ideal
circumstances are very rare if ever so it doesn't make a lot of
sense to be somebody who sits around in life and waiting for the ideal
circumstances to come out before we're going to endeavor to do something and
I'm gonna apply this night specifically to serving God you know you're in church
you know that kind of makes sense that's that's how I would apply you know we
don't want to be people who wait for ideal circumstances before we decide to
start serving God in our lives okay and just like the lazy man here will make up
excuses people will do this in their own lives they'll explain they'll explain
away why they can't serve God or why it's not a convenient time or why the
ideal circumstances haven't come along and once they do then I'm gonna go ahead
and serve God the way I know I ought to but here's the thing those circumstances
are very rare if ever in life okay if you would I know you're in Daniel but go
we'll get to Daniel 6 again a little bit later go to Daniel chapter number one
the Bible says the Ecclesiastes truly the light is sweet and a pleasant thing
it is for the eyes to behold the Sun but if a man lived many years and rejoiced
in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they shall be many
all that cometh is vanity the Bible says that we're gonna have you know even if
we live many days we have many good days we need to remember that there are going
to be dark days there's going to you know a lot of life is not going to be
ideal there's gonna be dark days in life there's gonna be things that happen in
life that are less than ideal they're gonna make things difficult it's gonna
make circumstances hard and if we're gonna if we're the type of people that
just sit around and wait for everything to be ideal before we're gonna serve God
you know there's gonna be a lot of evil days there's gonna be a lot of less days
that are less than ideal well you know if we've already determined that's you
know our criteria for serving God that means there's gonna be a lot of days
where we're not gonna serve God because serving God isn't always gonna be
convenient in fact really when you think about it if you really just think about
it it's never convenient you know we say it's convenient to be in church
tonight right because you got an air-conditioned car hopefully and drove
over here and that's convenient you know it's more convenient than having to got
got in the back of a stagecoach it's more convenient having had to walk here
but it's still in a sense it's still an inconvenience isn't it it's a very mild
inconvenience but you know you had to determine to be here you had to get in
the car and you had to drive here you know and that's of course that's a very
you know mild inconvenience that's not anything we would hopefully bat an eye
at but you know serving if that's even just that just going to church is a mild
inconvenience how much more so if we're actually going to win souls and try to
do something for God you know it's going to be inconvenient it just is and if our
standard for serving God is ideal circumstances we're just not living in
reality okay and that's the title of the sermon tonight ideal versus real
ideal versus real if you sit around and wait for the ideal you know you're going
to miss the boat you're going to miss out because that's just not real it's
not reality we cannot wait for perfect circumstances to serve Christ because
there will be many evil dark days in our lives no matter how many good ones there
are if we determine in our hearts that we're only going to serve God when it's
convenient that means there's going to be a lot of times when we're not serving
God and I think a great example of somebody who didn't sit around and wait
for the perfect circumstances to come about in life in order to serve God is
Daniel okay in Daniel chapter number one verse one it says in the third year of
the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto
Jerusalem and besieged it and the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his
hand with the part of the house of vessels the house of God which he
carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his God and brought the vessels
into the treasure of the house of his God and the king spake unto Ashpenaz
the master of his his of his eunuchs that he should bring the certain of the
children of Israel the king's seed and of the children excuse me and of the
princes and of course we know the story here one of these children that are
brought is Daniel right so just think about starting out with any why is
Daniel a good example of this okay how much was Daniel in convenience when he
decided to be faithful and serve God well just from these few verses we can
you know see a few things one Daniel is somebody who sat there and watched his
homeland be destroyed you know everything that was familiar everything
that he grew up with as a child he's watching you know his homeland just be
utterly completely destroyed by God he's watching the you know the Babylonians
come in and lay waste to the city and then not only is his homeland destroyed
he's probably orphaned in the process we don't really see anything about his
parents here you know I don't think they're in the picture they very well
have either starved at this point or perhaps were slain in the battle who
knows or left behind but he's essentially orphaned and abducted all in
the same you know this all happens very on early in his life so if there's
anybody that I you know you might look at in Scripture and say boy if there's
anybody that had an excuse to kind of just turn their back on God and get
bitter against God and to say hey life's too hard it's too difficult to serve God
you know we might be a little bit more prone to kind of cut Daniel some slack
in that regard and say well I understand Daniel if you want to just you know
worship this false God and just kind of go along with things and not inconvenience
yourself I mean after all you saw your you know homeland destroyed you were
orphaned you've been abducted if we could kind of maybe give him a pass you
know Daniel is somebody as we'll see you in a minute it was somebody that had
already predetermined something in his heart that he was going to be faithful
and serve God no matter the circumstance he was not somebody that sat around and
waited for things to be perfect before he decided to serve God says in verse 5
and the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat and in the
wine which he drank and so nourishing them three years that at the end
thereof they might stand before the king now among these were the children of
Judah Daniel and Anaya Mishael and Azariah unto whom the prince of the
eunuchs gave names so as bad as all that is for Daniel you know the Bible doesn't
explicitly say it but you know if you're with the prince of the eunuchs it's
because you're a eunuch and if you don't know what it means to be a eunuch then
you're too too young don't worry about it but those of us that know what that
means is that you know it's not exactly something that that people volunteer for
okay so Daniel's gone through a lot at a very young age and now he's being forced
into this position where he's saying hey you're going to eat the king's meat
you're going to defile yourself with this king's meat you're gonna eat that
which has been sacrificed unto idols that's what I believe is going on here
or perhaps it was some kind of something that was outside of you know the diet
that God allowed them to have in the Old Testament look at verse 8 you say why
was Daniel able to do this why was a Daniel in such a hard circumstance
somebody would face so much that probably would stop so many other people
able to continue serving God because of verse 8 Daniel purposed in his heart that
he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat I love that
verse now it does it say that he did that right then and there you know he
probably had to make that decision right then and there but this very well may be
something that Daniel had already purposed in his heart and we need to
purpose some things in our lives if we're going to serve God for the long
haul if we're gonna be faithful and serve God not just in ideal
circumstances but serve God in reality because that's what most of life is less
than ideal less than convenient we need to purpose that in our heart like Daniel
and say I'm gonna serve God no matter what as much as in me is as much as
abilities I have no matter what it cost me I'm gonna stay faithful and serve God
even if others don't you know there's a lot of other guys that were there with
Daniel and his three friends that probably went ahead and went along with
the program we don't read about them we don't see God using them we see God
using we see these men being used as children as grown men because of the
fact that they had purposed some things and determined some things beforehand in
their heart and it's in their heart you know it's not just the talk of the lips
this is something that a decision I had to make with themselves it's something
I had to determine within their own heart you know it's really easy just to
tell everybody what we're going to do it's really easy to just say hey I'm
gonna do this and I'm gonna be there and you can count on me and the reason why
sometimes people say that is because when you just say things sometimes it
feels like you've already kind of done it that's just kind of a fact you kind
of already get the reward when we tell people who I'm gonna do this that the
other thing people say oh yeah yeah of course you can a great well I'm looking
forward to it and you get all that positive reinforcement you kind of feel
like you've already gotten the reward for having done that you know this is
why it's something you have to purpose in your own heart it's not something you
need a broadcast it's not something to tell other people about you know each
and every one of us has to purpose in our heart are we going to serve God
when it's ideal or when it's just real are we gonna serve in the actual reality
that we live in the inconvenience the difficulty when we don't feel like it
that's when it counts when we're being tempted are we gonna stay faithful
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defy himself at the portion
the Kings meet nor with the wine which he drank and we know the story he
remains faithful to the Lord it starts here and then of course you know it goes
on in Daniel 6 and even later in his life you know Daniel is still remained
faithful to the Lord where you were in Daniel chapter number six Daniel you
know even later in life has continued on being faithful and again staying
faithful how do we know he's faithful because he served God in the face of
opposition he served God when things were less than ideal he served God in
reality because that is reality things are not going to be ideal we need to
just accept that and we read the story here how Darius had set up the princes
and the presidents and Daniel was the first of those presidents and he was
preferred above the others and he had an excellent spirit and he sat and the king
sought this thought to set him over the whole realm right he's gonna make him
the chief ruler besides himself and then the other ones they get jealous and they
try to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom but notice there
in the middle of verse 6 but they could find none occasion nor fault for as much
as he was faithful what is it that made Daniel faultless what was it when these
wicked men sent out to try to you know bring him down and destroy him what is
it that caused him to be caused called by the scripture faultless what was it
they could find no occasion nor fault for as much as he was what faithful he
was faithful he had determined in his heart that he was going to serve God no
matter what that made him a faithful man you know and that's really the best
thing we could hope to have said of any of us is that we're faithful that we
love God and then we serve God no matter what the circumstances are no matter
what life brings into a into what life what comes to us in life we are going to
continue serving God regardless of the circumstances and not be fair weather
Christians not when it's you know in vogue now when it's the cool thing to do
now when it's easy but in reality when people are opposed against us when we're
being tempted and we're being tested are we going to be like Daniel and be
faithful only if we've determined it beforehand in our heart that's what I'm
encouraging us to do tonight they said for as much as he was faithful neither
was there any error fault found in him then said these men we shall not find
any occasion against Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law
of his God and so we got to work it we got to use his own game against him
right and we know the story and you know they make the law about not praying or
making any petition for 30 days and Daniel says you know I'm gonna do it
anyways and he just throws the doors open the windows wide open and prays in
the sight of everyone and defies that law and stays faithful to God because we
understand we ought to obey God rather than men and Daniel stays faithful and
it's delivered into the den of lions and delivered from the den of lions we read
the story and those wicked men are cast in along with their family the other
thing I want us to notice if you would go over to Daniel chapter 3 is that when
you serve God despite difficult circumstances when you serve God in
spite of temptation instead of testings when you serve God in reality when it's
not convenient when it's difficult you're gonna be an influence on other
people other people will look at you and that will be an example to them that'll
be an inspiration to them that'll be an encouragement to them when we serve God
even in difficult circumstances when we see other people staying faithful to
Lord when they're being attacked you know that hopefully bolsters us that you
know that shores us up and says hey I hope to be like that person I hope I can
be just as faithful as they are when they're going if I ever ever have to go
through something like that they're an example to us and Daniel was a positive
influence on his friends wasn't he we know the story in Daniel chapter number
three when Nebuchadnezzar sets up that golden idol and says hey when the music
plays y'all got a bow down and worship and the three Hebrew children there in
verse 16 Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said of the king O
Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer in this matter right because they
didn't bow down and worship we know that we all know the story and there he's they
get threatened with death if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver
from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand O King
but if not be it known unto thee O King we will not serve thy gods nor worship
the golden image with thou has set up and we know how the story ends as well
there don't we they're cast in and not a hair is singed right the men that
threw a man are burned up and the fourth man like on the Son of God appears in
the midst of the fire and they come out and their garments don't even smell like
smoke but where did they learn that I believe they got that from the example
that they saw in Daniel all the way back in chapter 1 when they're brought out of
that land and they've all made you know it determined these things in their
heart they're being faithful through their lives in difficult circumstances I
mean there's another another excuse right there people might say hey you
know what I understand the fiery furnace and you know you're in a everybody else
is doing it everybody else is just bound the knee you know maybe we should give
these guys a pass right it's not convenient this isn't an ideal
circumstance Shadrach Meshach and Abednego are in you know what they stayed
faithful anyway this is the kind of determination that we have to have in
our heart and if we do like Daniel we will influence other people for the
better here's the thing you're gonna be an influence on other people regardless
it's not it's not even a choice you get to make you know the way you conduct
yourself the way you live your Christian life it's gonna influence other people
around you it's gonna influence your friends it's gonna influence your family
it's gonna influence you know your siblings your spouse your children your
church other people who know you it's gonna have an impact on them how can it
every single one of us is going to influence somebody for the better or for
the worse we need to determine that we're gonna be faithful and serve God
no matter what and be a positive influence on other people so that they
will do the same every parent in the room wants faithful children if that's
what we want then we have to be found faithful we would all want our children
to grow up and serve God faithfully be diligent and and love the Lord well then
we better make sure we're doing that and not just when it's convenient because
that's very rare all this was the result of Daniel's pre-determination it
purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself this carried throughout
his whole life every time he came up against a circumstance where other
people might have got might have gone well you know this is a little extreme
this might actually cost me something this might cost me in fact my life you
know I'm just gonna give myself a pass you know he didn't do that he stayed
faithful because he predetermined these things it influenced other people in his
life to do the same at a positive impact on them if you would go over to Isaiah
chapter number 50 Isaiah chapter number 50 there's so many other examples and
scriptures a scripture of people being like this of people having this
faithfulness about them of people who determined to serve God in reality and
not just in these ideal circumstances who understood that life isn't perfect
that things are gonna be difficult that there's gonna be many dark days that
come to us and I've said no matter what happens I'm still gonna continue to
serve God you know another great example is job I mean good night we could talk
about him all night he lost everything and then he's afflicted with boils he
loses his family's killed on it all happens in one day all of his
possessions are just gone there's a man of great wealth just overnight gone his
wife tells him curse God and die you know and we'll cut her a little slack
you know she lost all her kids he's covered from head to foot with boils
dogs are looking at he's scratching himself with a you know with a with a
potsherd trying to get some relief but what did he say in job what did job say
in chapter 13 verse 15 we all know it though he slay me yet will I trust him
if God determines to kill me I'm still gonna serve him if God says it's best
for you to just die I'm gonna go ahead and continue serving him anyway if God
says you're gonna have to go through difficulty and pain and loss and
discomfort I'm gonna serve him anyway I but I will maintain my own ways before
him I'm gonna stay right with God I'm gonna continue to serve him no matter
what happens when things are less than ideal I will continue to serve God
that's the mentality the job had that's the mentality that Daniel had that's the
mentality that we need to have look that's that's the mentality that Jesus
had do you think the crucifixion caught Jesus off guard like oh I didn't know
this was gonna happen if I had known that you know maybe I wouldn't know
those miracles done all that preaching you know and I don't mean to be you know
say that disrespectfully I'm saying like we need to consider that Jesus came here
and did and did what he did full knowing what was facing him you're there did I
have you go to Isaiah 50 verse 6 which is of course prophetic of Christ I gave
my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair they
literally ripped his beard out of his face I hid not my hate my face from
shame and spitting he's being spat upon he's being beaten for the Lord God will
help me therefore I shall not be confounded and I love this phrase
therefore have I set my face like a flint you know his countenance is just
set I'm gonna go through this I'm gonna face this shame I'm gonna face the
scoffing I'm gonna go through the pain and go through the crucifixion nothing's
going to stop me he set his face towards Jerusalem and he went to the cross and
there was nothing convenient about it there's nothing ideal about that
situation that's not anything that anyone would choose if there wasn't a
very compelling reason of course we understand why he did it to die for our
sins and to save us if you would go over to Hebrews chapter number 12 why did
Jesus do that how was he able to set his face like a flint for the joy that was
set before him right wherefore it says in verse 1 seeing we also are come about
so great a cloud of witnesses let us lie lay aside every weight and the sin
which doth easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us doing what looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith
Jesus set his face like a flint we need to set our face like a flint and look
unto Jesus and look at where we're headed look at eternity look at the
reality of heaven and set our face like a flint looking unto Jesus and run that
race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finish of our faith
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God how did he set his face
like a flint and go through that because he knew it was on the other side the joy
that was set before him the resurrection the the victory over grave
the victory over death the salvation that he was bringing it gonna bring to
the world the ascension into heaven sitting at the right hand of God until
he returns and rules and reigns upon the earth that joy was set before him and he
said I can go through this what's gonna cause us to be faithful in less than
ideal circumstances understanding that circumstances come and go and that there
is an eternal reality that has been set before us rewards in heaven are there
you know if we keep our eyes on that consider what Jesus went through
consider what's set before us you know we'd be more willing to go through and
serve God in these less than ideal circumstances that we so often find
ourselves in you know that's the example that we have of Christ that's why it
goes on and says for consider him that endured such contradiction
contradiction of sinners against himself lest you be wearied and your minds and
faint you say you need to think about Jesus unless you want to fall out unless
you get weary and you faint what circumstances aren't perfect when
they're less than ideal when you're being attacked when you're being tempted
consider that you know the contradictions of sinners against him
what he went through that you'd be wearing your minds and faint you have
not resisted unto blood striving against sin oh I was trying to serve God but it
just got so hard did you strive unto blood then you haven't even come close
to striving unto what Christ did have they plucked out your beard have they
spat in your face have you suffered shame and reproach have they crucified
you then you know what what do we have to complain about well you don't
understand my circumstance well does it come anywhere near what Christ went
through what about Daniel what about job what about Moses what about all the
other saints we could talk about throughout Scripture we have not
resisted the blood striving against sin
the truth is that you know real great men and women of God they serve despite
circumstances they don't sit around and wait for ideal circumstances because
that's not real the ideal circumstances are rare if ever in life and if we're
going to serve God we're gonna have to serve God faithfully we're gonna serve
God faithfully it's going to be despite the circumstances that we find ourselves
in if you would go over to Hebrews chapter number 11 which since you're
already there Hebrews chapter number 11 I mean there's so many examples we just
looked at a few we looked at Daniel we looked at Joe briefly right just
mentioned him we looked at Jesus men who serve God were faithful even unto death
even unto poor health even at a loss of all things who serve God and were
faithful in circumstances that probably most of us have never had to face and in
all likelihood may never look at verse 13 these all died in faith having not
received the promises but having seen them afar off talking about all these
saints that Hebrews 11 the Hall of Faith goes through right you know if you're if
you're feeling sorry for yourself if you're feeling like you just can't serve
God you just can't muster up you know the ambition to to do anything for God
go home and read Hebrews 11 and then come back and tell me about how bad it
is how your circumstances are so unique right if we start feeling for bad sorry
for ourselves that's that's some you know some good perspective prescriptive
reading these all died in faith having not received the promises but how is it
that they stayed faithful just as we've said before but having seen them afar
off they were persuaded and embraced them and confessed them that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth how did these people say faithful even unto
death the loss of all things because they saw these things afar off you know
that's what's going to cause us to stay faithful in less than ideal
circumstances when things aren't going right when things are difficult when
there is trouble when there is temptation we even better make sure we
have our eyes on Jesus we better make sure that we're thinking about heaven
that we're seeing these things afar off there's you know there's so many there's
there's a sermon right there there's your points how were they faithful
having seen right having seen these things afar off how are you gonna stay
faithful less than ideal circumstances look at eternity what's gonna compel you
when things aren't going right when things are less than ideal look at
eternity look at heaven it's real we believe that don't we we believe in the
robe and the mansion and the crown we believe these things we say we do and if
we really do that's and we if we keep our eyes on that if we look at eternity
what's to come you know what that will carry us through these less than ideal
circumstances having seen them afar off they're not right here they're far off
they're on the other side of this life you know that's the picture I'm so
often trying to paint here in this church you've probably noticed that if
you've been paying attention eternity you know and I'll just read to you from
Hebrews 13 you know that's really the job of the preacher that is the job of
the pastor to help people to know and see and understand the eternal reality
that they are going to step into one day after death because if people will keep
that in mind and keep that set before them then they will serve God in less
than ideal circumstances Bible says in Hebrews 13 verse 17 I'll just read for
you obey them which have the rule over you and submit yourselves why so they
can feel like big shots so they can feel like they're in charge no for they watch
for your souls so why are you doing this why are you preaching it because we're
watching for your souls I mean you're saved I understand that you know Christ
has got that covered but I have to set eternity before me I have to sound the
account that I'm going to give before me I have to sit and stop and think about
your eternal reality the account that you're going to give I have to watch for
your soul and I want to be able to give an account as it says and I want to do
it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you that's the
picture I'm trying to paint so often in this church see these things afar off
look at eternity and if you fail to do that and if you let less than ideal
circumstances get in the way it's going to be unprofitable for you not me
you know I have my own reward to earn they saw these things afar off what else
they were persuaded you know when you when you start to look at eternity when
you start to really consider what the scripture says about eternity you start
to I know we see through a glass darkly but when we start to understand what it
is that is in store for us what it is that's on the line for us in heaven it
gets pretty convincing they saw these things for a far off and were what
persuaded first they saw them they looked and they said man there is a
reward waiting for us the promises are yet to come that persuaded them they
were persuaded by the promises eternity is something we need to look at because
of the fact it's very convincing that's the picture Christ is trying to paint
throughout scripture he said we know the end of the book behold I come quickly
and my reward is with me to give to everyone to give to every child of God
nope that's not what he said to give to every man according as his work shall be
and that's the picture Christ is painting for us that's what he's showing
us about reality there's a reward for those that work and those that work are
not those that sit around and wait for ideal circumstances and for things to be
perfect that's what these people did they saw these things are far off it
persuaded them and they embrace them you know you might say I don't I don't know
that I like the way you're laying that out I don't know if I really like that
equation I don't know if I like how that works I have to you know put forth
effort in order to get the reward well these people they saw it they saw these
things are far off they were persuaded you know what they did they embraced
them and embraced them they said if that's the way it is so be it and looks
that's the way it is serving Christ never gonna be convenient some days it's
gonna be really inconvenient some seasons in our life it's gonna be a
difficult to serve Christ to stay faithful to do what we ought to do to do
the right thing to resist temptation we need to just embrace and just accept
that's reality that's what it's like that is the way it is they embraced
these things they accepted them and then of course at the end there it says they
embraced them and then they did what they confessed that they were strangers
and pilgrims on the earth they identified with eternity first they
looked at it they haven't seen it they looked at
eternity then they were persuaded by it because eternity is convincing then they
embraced it because that's just the way it is they accepted this is how the game
is played you have to work to get the reward if we don't work no reward and
life isn't going to be easy and it's never going to be ideal they accepted
that and then they confessed it they identified with eternity they confess
that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth problem sometimes with us so
often is that we don't want to confess that we feel pretty right at home on
earth don't we we don't want to be strangers here we don't want to stand
out be awkward we don't want to be pilgrims we want to stop and enjoy
everything the world has to offer and if it gets in a way of serving Christ then
it's like well sorry sorry Jesus we need to stop if that's us we need to stop and
look at eternity a little harder and let ourselves get persuaded and embrace it
and then confess it and just say you know what I'm a stranger here I'm a
pilgrim I'm just passing through this world I don't need everything this world
has to offer I just want to serve Christ look if you follow that process you
thought you go through with that equation there you follow that formula
see be persuaded and brace you'll just end up confessing it it'll just it'll
just be who you are oh I don't go there I don't do that I'm busy serving God why
because I'm a stranger here I'm a pilgrim because I've seen something a
far off and I've been persuaded by it and no matter what gives in my way I'm
going to continue to serving God no matter how inconvenient it is no matter
how less than ideal the circumstances I'm going to serve God why because I've
been persuaded by what I've seen where are you gonna see it right here this is
where we need to be looking this book let God paint the picture of eternity
for us listen the preaching the Word of God and go out there and serve God be
persuaded by embrace it and you'll just start confessing it serve despite
circumstances verse 14 for they that say such things to declare plainly that they
seek a country that's the mentality that we have to have that's what I believe
made all these other men faithful they weren't looking at the here and now
Daniel's faith you know been abandoned homes been destroyed there's nothing to
even go back to if he was released castrated not gonna have any kind of a
family life it's gonna be somebody else's servant and so well I'm just
gonna you know this is less than ideal but let me just go ahead serve God the
best that I can and I'll get through this and I'll tell you what we get to
heaven there's probably gonna be a long line waiting to meet Daniel he can
and they confess plainly what they seek a country this isn't home to me look at
verse 15 and truly if they had been mindful of that country from once they
came out they might have had opportunity to return have to have returned you know
sometimes we need to just stop looking in the rearview mirror and get our eyes
in the windshield and just start looking at what's ahead and what's ahead for the
Christian isn't just you know some obstacle in the road it's that horizon
beyond that's called heaven and yeah there's gonna be some dips there's gonna
be some hills there's gonna be some turns that are pretty tight there's
gonna be obstacles it's gonna get bumpy but you know it all leads to the same
place it's going it's going to heaven we need to keep our eyes pointed forward
forgetting those things which are behind verse 16 but now they desire a better
country and that's really it isn't it why do some people serve God in the face
of great inconvenience why is it that there's some people that serve God when
they're dealt such a bad hand that they're just faithful that it just
seems like nothing can stop them nothing gets them down they're just faithful to
God why are there people like job and Daniel who we would look at and say
man if I was in that circumstance I don't know if that'd be mine too why is
there some people like that who can just stay faithful to God and there's some
people who have very little going against them and just they can't even
get motivated about serving God why is that desire because some people have
looked and seen and been persuaded and they have a burning desire to serve God
and that desire will carry them through any inconvenience any obstacle anything
gets in their way nothing is going to stop them from serving God because they
have a desire and other people simply just don't have it the desires just not
there and look at that's us you know we need to kindle that flame we need to
rekindle that flame in our hearts if we if that desire serve God is going out
rekindle that flame look be persuaded embrace these things and confess be a
stranger be a pilgrim seek for that country that better country you'll wish
you had when you get there folks I say it so many so often but it's true there
he goes again now they desire a better country that isn't heavenly they don't
desire the things of this world they're not desiring everything this world has
to offer what they're desiring is the heavenly that's where their minds are
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God he hath prepared for
them a city look when people have this they'll serve God no matter what they'll
serve God no matter what I mean jump ahead to verse 37 this is what these
people served in spite of they were stoned and it's not talking about it came
out of there came out of the you know the the smoke shop or whatever they had
rocks thrown at him okay they were stoned they were saunasunder you know
between those two options I don't know which one I'd pick I mean is it this way
I'm getting saunasundar is it this way does it matter they were stoned they
were saunasundar they were tempted they were slain with the sword they wandered
about and sheepskins and goatskins being destitute afflicted and tormented
see why would anyone put up I mean does that sound a little just maybe just a
little inconvenient does that sound just maybe a little less than ideal of a
circumstance you know we're we can't go to church because we don't make nice to
put on you got anything better than sheepskin or a goatskin you're good to
go you got a whole lot more than they got they're afflicted they're tormented
and yet they were faithful that's why it says verse 38 of whom the world was not
worthy problem with a lot of God's people is they want to put the world on
a pedestal they want the world's approval they want to be cool they want
to fit in they want to be like everybody else you know what the world's not
worthy of God's people of whom the world was not worthy I didn't say the Bible
said it they wandered in deserts and in mountains and you know we can kind of
relate to that a little bit more wandering in deserts in the mountains
and in dens and caves of the earth good night who puts up with this what kind of
life is that who would go through that people with a desire to serve God no
matter what happens we've looked at a lot of a lot of examples and if you
would go over to Luke go over to Luke I certainly don't mean to put anybody on
the same level as job as Daniel as Jesus but you know I couldn't help but think
about this fact just because of it's what's been going on and as everyone
knows brother Matthew Pendleton recently passed away as of yesterday and what's
amazing to me is the testimony that he has so many people comment and say
things about what a great man he was how what a good father he was but you know
that one thing that really stuck out to me is how often he was mentioned as
being a soul winner and I know I know brother Matt a lot of you know brother
Matt he drove down here with with me you know early on we were stuck when we
first were getting going down here he would drive down with me on those
midweek services and drive back and even after and you know and Matt is somebody
that was faithful to the Lord and he had basically a death sentence I mean he
died if you don't know he died from a pretty much an incurable brain cancer
I don't know the exact name of it or all the details you know I didn't know that
about Matt until he got sick he didn't go around telling everybody and yet that
guy had one of the best attitudes I've ever met of people that I've ever met
always happy always smiling made me look more like a grouch than I already am you
know and just kind of amplified it it's faithful ran a soul winning time up in
Tempe faithfully served God I mean he had to literally be bedridden before you
know or close to it before he would give that up you know and why is it that
there's people like that like brother Matt who are faithful despite having a
sealed fate I mean a lot of people in his position might have thought hey you
know I've only got a short time I might as well go live it up God dealt me a bad
hand could have gotten bitter couldn't gotten angry could have gotten malicious
go down just gone live for the flesh live for the world you know I dare say
the reason why he was faithful in the end is because the same reason those in
Hebrews 11 they saw he saw he was looking at eternity you know when you
have a death sentence like that when you have your safe your fate sealed you know
you probably think about the things of eternity a little bit more than the
average person when it's knocking on your door and the truth is you say well
yeah that you know that's brother Matt he had that was his you know that's a
hand he was dealt none of us knows what's going to be on tomorrow we could
get some kind of news like that by the end of this week we might not even get a
warning we could just be gone good night almost got killed I'm driving the
way over here I won't go into it if I was a cop that guy would have been going
to jail no no doubt about it reckless endangerment on a busy freeway it's
ridiculous you know fake you know just come out of nowhere and yet we sit here
and we think we've got all the time in the world to get around to serving God
well I'll serve God when it's easy look at did I have you go to Luke 12 verse 16
and he spake a parable that unto them saying the ground of a certain rich man
rot and brought forth penalty plentiful II and he thought within himself saying
what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits and he said
this will I do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I bestow
him all my fruits and my goods and I will say to my soul soul that was much
goods laid up for many years take thy not ease eat drink and be merry hey
life's easy life's going good hey things are ideal I'll serve God when it's ideal
really though because this guy it sounds pretty ideal what was his what was his
conclusion well things are going pretty good life's pretty comfortable I think
I'll just eat drink and be merry right that's what people really do when things
are ideal and maybe sometimes that's why God doesn't let things get too ideal for
us because he wants to keep our eyes on eternity he wants to keep us lean he
wants to keep us relying on him why does God allow these things to come into our
lives why does God put us through testings and trials and temptations so
we'll keep our eyes where they belong on the Lord on eternity that's why cuz we
don't want to turn into this guy where life's just about eating drinking and
being married not that there's anything wrong necessarily with those things but
the problem with this guy is is that that's all life was about for him and
he's thinking oh I'm set up I'm good to go life's you know you know me probably
in his middle age some somewhere I've got you know decades ahead of me to just
enjoy the fruits of my labor and just take it easy verse 20 but God said unto
him thou fool this night thy soul soul shall be required of thee then who shall
those things be which thou has provided he's saying what's all that gonna matter
all these barns all these goods that you've laid up for yourself what does it
matter it's why Jesus told us to you know lay up for ourselves treasures and
heaven where neither Ross rust nor dust nor rust nor doth what am I trying to
say lay up yourselves treasure in heaven where neither rust nor moth dust
corrupts right and we're thieves not breakthrough nor steal for where your
treasure is there will your heart be also I mean and I love that God got
calls him a fool what else would you call somebody like that somebody who has
the ability to serve God and lay up treasures for themselves in heaven verse
21 so is he that layeth up treasure for himself and it's not rich toward God
that's see that's what this guy is like the person who's just concerned about
the world who's just concerned about getting all the pleasures of this life
they're a fool people who don't want to serve God people who you know take a
certain opportunity to serve God for granted you just want to enjoy the
fruits of this life and never serve God the Bible says they're full what else
would you call a person like that where Jesus is saying hey you can have
treasures in heaven lay up your treasure there in heaven you'll have rewards in
heaven eternal rewards that aren't going to rust that aren't going to corrupt
that aren't going to decay and rot and fade away and be forgotten forever
that's what's offered to us and anybody that would say nah is a fool it's the
it's I mean what else would you call that besides foolishness it'd be like if
I pulled out a bushel of 50s right now big ol shoebox full of Benjamin's I said
all you got to do is come down here and get it and you know you'd be a fool you
know and that's nothing that that is nothing compared to what God's offering
we can't even fathom the reward that has offered us in heaven and if we let
something as simple as being inconvenienced rob us of that we're
fools go to James chapter 4 we know this one too I'll wrap up here you know I
was thinking about this when I was writing I just started thinking about
brother Matt I mean because you know when things like that happen when
somebody's so young I mean 32 years old he's 10 years younger than me and it's
just as many children we might be sitting there going why why you know and
and all sometimes we can say is all things work together for good to them
that love God that are called according to his purpose and we won't maybe we
won't know why immediately but that doesn't mean we can't learn something
from it you know we might never know the exact reason why God allowed that to
happen you know but we can definitely look at the situation and let it impact
us and let it you know teach us something and let it challenge us Matt
was somebody that was faithful for as long as he could with the sealed fate
stayed faithful to God never murmured never complained was an encouragement
and has had a huge impact on other people and that wasn't a member of our
church for very long a few years I mean I was already the Deacon by the time he
came around and I was I'm the Deacon for five years I think he's only a member of
our church for three or four years yet so many people have come out and said
what an influence what an impact he made on their lives just through his
testimony just through being faithful and you know he's somebody who served
you know what's another lesson we can learn from this I can't it maybe I can't
give you the exact reason why God allowed this to happen but I could you
know we can definitely take something away from it take something away from
brother Matt's example he served until he was rendered unable it literally took
a disease to make to put that man down from serving God to stop him from
winning souls what stops us what's stopping us heat look the heat
something that we have to consider I get it pleasures money laziness idleness
what stops us took an inoperable brain tumor to stop that man and even then
he's right up to the end right up till he had to climb in that bed that man was
faithful to serving God well that was the card he you know that's the hand he
was dealt could happen to any of us pray never does well I'll pray I'll serve God
when it's convenient when it's easy when it fits my schedule that's when I'll
serve God next year tomorrow next month we know the passage James 4 verse 13 go
to now ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue
their year and buy and sell and get game I'm not against long-term plans I
preached about it last Sunday but you know what our attitude always should be
if the Lord will right whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow for what
is your life it is even a vapor that appears for a little while and then
vanish at the way and you know what maybe we'll never have to go through the
things that brother Matt went through will and maybe we'll all live a long and
full life but if we have this attitude of all serve God when it's convenient
life's gonna go by like the vapor it is and then and you know what a lot's gonna
be left undone because life is never going to be convenient when it comes to
serving God at the best at best it's gonna be just less than ink less than
inconvenient that at other times verse 15 for that he ought to say if the Lord
will we shall live and do this or that but now you rejoice in your boastings
all such rejoicing is is evil and notice you never never maybe never notice verse
17 is tied in with this therefore him that knoweth to do good and doeth not to
him it is sin look if we know what we're supposed to be doing we know the good we
have to be doing we're too busy making all these other plans that's sin that's
that's the lesson that I got from brother Matt that whole situation his
testimony the life that the time at the short time that I knew him those are the
lessons that I learned from him don't assume you have all the time the world
to serve God because you might not oh I'm you know 20-something I've got
decades ahead of me you might not don't wait for ideal circumstances to come
your way no I'd serve God but it's just not convenient was it convenient for a
lot of people it wasn't convenient for people in Hebrews 11 it wasn't
convenient for Daniel wasn't convenient for job wasn't convenient for Moses it
wasn't convenient for Jesus you know and it might not have been very convenient
brother Matt in fact you know if you just sit around waiting for ideal
circumstances to come your way things might just get worse in the meantime well
when things are better I'll serve God well what if they get worse what then
because things might get worse let's close no I'm just kidding I'll end on
that note right came came here to get encouraged tonight oh man I'm life's
hard right now things aren't going so well deacons got to give me some
encouragement hey things might get worse that's true though that's why you got to
be like Daniel and determine in your heart no matter how bad it gets I'm
gonna stay faithful I'm gonna serve God
you know it's it's it's it's tough what happened to brother Matt wasn't easy I'm
sure and it's gonna be hard on his family you know but there's one thing I
can say about brother Matthew in that whole situation is that is that brother
Matt his body it's just finally caught up to where his heart has always been
you know his heart was in heaven that's where I believe he had his focus that's
where his desire was that's where he had laid up his treasure all that's happened
in this situation it's just his body's caught up with where his heart already
was you know and may that be said of every single person in this room if you
live a long full life and you die in a buried a good old age it better be said
of you that when you pass and go into eternity that your body's just catching
up with your heart let's go ahead and closing the word of prayer dear Lord
again thank you for the great testimony and scripture of all the faithful who
have served you and have been faithful to you despite circumstances we haven't
even begun to face I thank you for the testimony of brother Matt and his
faithfulness over the years Lord I pray you bless his family that you keep them
and provide for them we ask in Christ's name amen all right well go ahead and
sing one more song before you
you