So this morning's sermon is going to be about God's protection God's protection, of course when you read through Psalms 37
It's real easy to see there
That God is warning us over and over again to not envy the wicked to not fret ourselves at the wicked
And he also talks about how you know, the wicked are going to prosper
They're going to spread themselves like a green bay tree that they're going to prosper in the land
But their end is to be cut off and in the meantime, we are to rest in God's protection
He's saying to wait on the Lord to trust in him that the end of the righteous is going to be
it's going to be it's going to be well with him whereas with the wicked they're going to be cut off and
Really? There's a major theme here in this passage about God's protection
And I feel like God's protection is an important topic this morning because of the fact that when you have a proper
understanding of God's protection it gives you peace and
People have a mistaken notion. I think today of what it means to have God's protection in their life
They think that just because they have God's protection that absolutely no harm is ever going to come to them
That they're never going to be put in a comfortable situations that they're never going to have to suffer anything
But that's just not the case as we'll see here in Scripture
However, that is not to say that God does not protect his people because he does we know that's true
so when we have a
Proper understanding of God's protection that gives us peace and peace is important to have it's something that we need to have today
Because of the fact that we are living in such uncertain times
I mean this has been one of the craziest years just from one year to the next and we've gone
I mean we went into 2020 thinking it's just gonna be another year like any other year and
It's probably been one of the most uncertain years of many of our lives, you know, and I could say that for myself
I've never faced such uncertainty about what's going to come in the future
I mean, we just look at the things that are going on in our society and we can when we do that again
We have we can begin to appreciate and understand the need to have peace and that peace comes from having a proper
understanding of God's protection
Because again, we just see a lot of upheaval in life these days. We see a lot of uncertainty
We're living in very uncertain times
For in society, I mean we all know kovat 19
I mean that thing has just been this whole situation whatever your opinion opinion about it is
nobody can deny the fact that it has it has altered society the way people are living their lives going about their lives and
We don't really see the end in sight. We don't know when this thing's gonna go away
We don't know when it's gonna come if it's gonna come back
Mutated or or who's telling the truth and who's not we just have to just kind of trust people to to
Give us the the facts, you know, are we being manipulated are we not, you know
We know the virus is real are the numbers being inflated. We don't really know it's a lot of uncertainty
You know, we're going to come back into the winter season
Is this thing gonna be gone in 2021 or is there going to be a mutation or so on and so forth?
There's just a lot of uncertainty just in that one thing alone
You know if that that one thing alone in this in 2020 has been enough to cause a lot of uncertainty
But then you add on top of that, you know all the
How about all the civil unrest that's taking place in our country today with the whole black lives matters and things like that
All these protests. I mean good night
They're sending, you know federal agents to try and break up these crowds in cities like Portland, you know
And you know previously we saw the riots and the burning and who knows what's going to take place how much longer that's going to
Go on the economic instability in our country today. All these stimulus checks are being going going out
Of course, that's late very closely to
COVID-19 and the whole shutdown there
But there's just all this uncertainty in a world today that we live through day by day the COVID-19 the civil unrest the economic
Instability. How about the unceasing Wars? I mean, that's something that's not new to 2020 just these unceasing wars of aggression
We don't know when the next major world war is gonna break out
I mean it could just start, you know tomorrow one one bad move by some
You know leaders in some nation somewhere and somebody else is going to take advantage of that and probably, you know or potentially
You know spark a whole nother world war
We don't know when these things are going to happen, but we do know that it is going to happen some point
The ideological divide in our country. I mean we're living in a country that it has just such an
Ideological divide we have one hand, you know, that's saying hey, we want socialism
You know
We want this leftist Marxist philosophy to take over society that you have other people who are resisting that and so on and so forth
And you know not to mention just this looming powder keg of an election that is on the horizon. I
Mean who knows what's gonna happen if Trump gets elected again? I mean there could be some good things that happen
You know, I'm not a pro Trump guy. I'm not a pro and I'm not a pro any politician
You know, I mean if you're in that office that you're running for I'm just this is my opinion
You know, I'll throw it out there at the risk of sounding like a nutjob
But it's my opinion that you don't get to the highest office in the land without getting your hands dirty
And you can take that however you want
So anyone who's in that office in my opinion is a corrupt individual individual and anyone who knows anything about Donald Trump knows that guy
Is a scumbag anyway, the guy is scuzzy, you know, he's running casinos and strip clubs. The guy is filthy
Okay, he's got a filthy mouth so on and so forth
but if that guy gets elected who knows what our society is gonna do all these thugs out there that are burning everything down and
Just can't stand Trump, you know if he gets another four years who knows what's gonna happen or you know
What's the alternative we get that other bozo in there? What's his name?
Kanye, I'm just kidding
You know, I'm actually kind of rooting for Kanye this year. I don't know. I mean, he'll pull it off, you know
I mean if we're gonna have a bozo in there at least, you know
it'll be entertaining get a few more documentaries out of it, but
The other guy Biden, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah creepy Joe creepy uncle Joe Biden, right?
You know the guy who said all the weird things and who knows, you know, he'll get in there and then we'll have this other
Who knows what how that'll affect us who that affects society, you know, maybe because at least with Trump you can at least say, you know
They associate us kind of with him even though we don't associate ourselves with them and people kind are more reluctant to go after
Conservatives and things like that people who are more conservatively because you have a guy like Trump in the White House
You know, whatever that's worth but the point being is this is that we're living in certain times
We don't know what's going to happen in society
And even we're living in certain times we even within our own group even within our own
Circle of believers. This has been a year of upheaval a lot of you know, Judas's false brethren
You know the mounting persecution from the world that's not going to stop that's only going to increase
You know as perilous times come, you know men evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse
And you know, I don't want to give you this in a sense of anxiety
But this is the reality that we're living in and I have I have a hard time believing that there aren't people
You know in our church that maybe aren't aren't suffering from maybe a little anxiousness
that aren't feeling a little uncertain about what lies ahead and
here's the thing we should have peace even in these uncertain times because we have the promise of God's protection through whatever happens and
It's important to understand that
Uncertainty about the future is nothing new there's been many generations that have gone on before us that have faced uncertain times
We're not the first ones and if you would keep something in Psalm 37, we're gonna come back several times throughout the sermon
But go over to Acts chapter 12 Acts chapter 12
You know uncertainty about the future is nothing new. We're not the first people to go and live through uncertain times
You know God's people even just mankind in general, you know have function and prospered in the face of
uncertainty and even persecution
You know, I'll read I'll just remind us very quickly the example of Israel in Egypt
I mean imagine growing up or living back then, you know when the generation that knew not Pharaoh
Arose or do not Joseph, excuse me, and they started to say hey these these Israelites are there's too many of them
You know if we go to war they're gonna fall out onto our enemies
Let's start killing the babies and start commanding the Israelites to toss, you know
They're they're goodly children their sons in the in the water go cast them in the river
That's what they were. That was the mandate that came down back then
That was what the government decreed back then was to hey, you need to go kill any any of your your your sons
That's a very uncertain time to live through imagine what they went through
But they managed to do that of course and we know that they didn't give into that command and so on and so forth we
Know the story there. The point I'm trying to make is that we are not the first people to face uncertain times
In fact, I would say that the people back in Moses's day faced even more uncertain times
You know more drastic measures
What about the example of the folks in the early church who lived through that persecution if you're in Acts chapter 12?
Look at verse 1 and about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to vex certain of the church
And he killed James and the brother of John with the sword now that's how you vexed the church
Okay, that that's a you know, when you have a government that's you know overreaching the point where they're that
they're actually killing members of your church, you know, that's when you're really facing some uncertain times and
Because he saw it pleased the Jews he proceeded further to take Peter also
Then there were the days of unleavened bread verse 4 and when he had apprehended him
He put him in the prison and deliver him into the four contour ian's of soldiers to keep him
Intending that after Easter to bring him forth the people
Peter therefore was kept in prison
But prayer was made without ceasing of the Church of God for him jump down to verse 18
You know the story the angel comes kicks Peter in the side says get up and walks him out of the gate
Right out of the city and he goes back to the church in verse 18
It says now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers
What was become of Peter that he had escaped and when Herod had sought for him?
He found him not he examined the keepers had commanded that they should be put to death
And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and their abode
Verse 20 and Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord
To him and having made blast his king Chamberlain
The king's Chamberlain their friend desired peace that their country was nourished by the king's country and so on and so forth
Of course, you know how this ends here in verse 20 through it
well, let's just go to verse 21 and upon a set day Harold Herod a raid and royal apparel sat upon his throne and
made an oration unto them and he the people gave a shout saying it is the voice of God and not of a man and
Immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory and he was eaten of worms
Now that's very how exactly that played out
I'm curious to know was that like an instant thing or was that something that he kind of had to go through
And it says and he gave up the ghost but look at verse 24
This is what I want to focus on
but the word of God
Grew and multiplied and what happened to the Israelites when they persecuted them and they added taskmasters under the more they persecuted them
The Bible says the more they multiplied
When we go through uncertain times like are like others that have gone before us, you know
God protects us. Yeah, we might get uncomfortable, you know, somebody might get taken and killed, you know
They might have a government that's overreaching and even vexing certain members of the church
Someone might end up in prison
But even through that God protects his people not by keeping them out of harm's way
But by multiplying them growing them causing them to prosper and these examples of the past
These should occur us encourage us about the coming persecution and there is persecution coming
We already see forms of it today. There is a mild persecution upon God's people here in this country
But I mean there's even parts of the world today where people are going through literal physical
Persecution where people are killed for the cause of Christ that happens. You just don't hear about it
And we know that of course there is the Great Tribulation that is coming upon the earth
Which is there should be no tribulation like it before that before it or after it
It's called the Great Tribulation because it's it's big it's gonna be the biggest one
We know that's coming maybe in our lifetime. Maybe not but here that's part of the uncertainty, isn't it?
We don't know. I mean this whole thing could kick off by the end of the year. It could I'm not saying it is
But we know that it just seems like the ball could get rolling very fast
Everything's in place. It could all start at any moment. I really believe that
But these examples from the past should encourage us about that to not live anxiously to not fret ourselves become because of
evildoers
But to rest patiently in the ward and wait for him because we know that the evildoer shall be cut off
It shall be as the grass that God just cuts down
Now go over to Psalm
Yeah, go back to Psalm 37 backs back to Psalm 37
You know we as God's children should have a brighter outlook on the future
We should not be biting our nails and staying up at night
Wandering and and worrying about what's going to happen in the future because one first of all, there's nothing you can do about it
There's nothing you can do to change what's going to happen in this world
The best thing we could do is just to rest in the Lord and rest in the promise of God's protection that whatever befalls
Befalls us, you know, it's by God's hand even if it means we do have to suffer
Even if it means we do have to suffer, you know, we have that advantage look there in Psalms 37 verse 1 it says
Fret not thyself because of evildoers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity
Do you think the workers of iniquity date are worried about what's going to happen in the world today?
Do you think all these guys that are you know out there rioting and burning things down?
Do you think they're worried about?
Any bad things that might come to happen might that might befall that you think they're worried about the Antichrist coming to power?
No, they want it
They're gonna prosper, you know, you know, they're saying this is great one world. Let's do this one world government. That's what they want
You know, we should never be envious at them just because they have peace just because they seem to think everything's okay
Everything's fine. They're not worried about the coming persecution
I mean, they're the ones that are gonna be bringing in a lot of them, you know the wicked they're not
You know, they're the evildoers
The the workers of iniquity they're not fretting and we should not envy them over that
We should not fret ourselves because of them why because they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb
I mean, it's that simple. I mean think about mowing your lawn. Of course. Nobody in Tucson knows anything about that, right?
But where I'm from they had this stuff called grass
Okay, you might have seen it here and there and it grows and you got to cut it, you know
There's a little bit of work
But that's what it's gonna be like for God when he just one day
He's just gonna fire that mower up pull it out of the shed. It's like well, it's time to mow the lawn
And it's and there it's gonna be no problem at all. He's gonna turn them all into mulch
You know
We should rest in that fret not ourselves because of evil doers because no matter how bad it gets
No matter how much they prosper in the world. We know that ultimately their end is to be destroyed
We
Have that unique advantage of knowing how this all plays out and that we come out conquerors through Christ
We have the promise of God's protection look at verse 7
He said rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him
That's what we need to do today instead of worrying about what's going to happen instead of worrying
What lies ahead the Bible is telling us here to not fret to not be envious but to rest in the Lord and to wait
patiently for him
You know, sometimes I think about that, you know, what if we do go into the tribulation, you know as described in
You know Matthew 24 in the book of Revelation and elsewhere. What if we go through that time?
What if we are that generation that experiences that and heads into that great tribulation?
and we you know, sometimes the temptation is to worry and to fret and
Not maybe want to say well, I don't want to go through that and I understand that you know, humanly speaking
But here's the thing, you know, I don't mean to downplay it, but it's three and a half years
That's it. It's three and a half years and then it's all over and they're done then we're with Christ
He pours out his wrath upon this earth
We're in heaven with him watching him just rain vengeance down upon the wicked and then at the end of that three and a half
Years, we come back with Christ on white horses and rule and rain for a thousand years
You mean I got to go through three and a half years of some suffering and some difficulty to rule and reign with Christ
For a thousand, I'll take it. Give me that let's do it. Let's get the ball rolling
Not gonna sit here and fret and worry about that three and a half year span when I know that I have a thousand years
With Christ, I'm gonna rest and wait patiently for that thousand years. That's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna rest in Christ
I'm gonna rest in the promise that God is going to protect me
That's what God's promise does it gives us the rest it allows us to wait patiently for him
You know and many Christians today they're just as fearful they're just as apprehensive as the unsaved
I mean, there's a lot of unsaved people out there
I mean look what happened when the whole COVID thing first started happening before the whole what was what was the first thing that happened?
What was the first sign of?
COVID might be a real thing all the boomers ran out and bought all the toilet paper
All the boomers ran out of Costco with just the whole, you know, you got a Costco
You can get a shopping cart or you can get that big cart
It's like a flatbed trailer, you know what I mean, and they're just I remember someone texted me and said hey
You better get some toilet paper for the church because the boomers are buying it all up
And at the time I was kind of like silly boomer, you know, COVID's nothing to worry about, you know
What's what's the worst that's gonna happen? Yeah. What was the worst?
Well, it wasn't it wasn't the worst thing that could happen, but it wasn't fun. Was it?
But you know what I'm saying is that you know, the we expect that from the world
We expect that from everybody who's just you know, got worried about their stocks and their bonds and their behinds, right?
You know in more ways than one. They're buying up all the toilet paper. They're buying up all the water
We expect that from them, but it's unfortunate when we see Christians today that had that same fear
They had the same apprehension as the unsaved and why is that it's because they lack a proper understanding of God's protection
They lack a proper understanding of God's protection
They lack a proper understanding of God's protection and the purpose of the sermon this morning is to give that correct perspective of
God's protection to the wise so that we can live our life live our lives not in a state of feeling uncomfortable
You know by the storms that are to come but rather at peace with the fact that storms are certain
Look the purpose of the sermon this morning is not so you can just you know, feel untouchable by the storms of life
But rather so that you'll have peace with the fact that no in the fact that knowing that storms are coming
Storms are coming
You know, let me be your spiritual meteorologist up here this morning. There's a storm coming
There's several of them even if it's not in the form of the great, you know tribulation and things like that
Just life itself is filled with uncertainty
there's gonna be storm after storm after storm after storm and
I want to give you the peace this morning and feeling comfortable with knowing that
Not feeling untouchable, but just at peace and knowing that they're coming, you know
That's one of the big one of the first things people need to understand
Is that one you can't control that you can't control things beyond your control, obviously
But also you need to learn to be at peace with things
That are that are coming one way or another rather than just fretting and worrying if I should have you go to Matthew 7
Matthew chapter 7 will look at a very familiar passage
But often it's the most familiar ones that we seem to we seem to forget the meaning behind it or apply to our lives
Matthew chapter 7 I'll begin reading in verse 24
It says therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them
I will liken him unto a wise man
Which built his rock house upon a rock and the rains descended the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house
And it fell not for it was founded upon a rock and everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not
Shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand
And the rains descended and the floods came and the winds blew
And beat upon the house and it fell and great was the fall of it
What we need remember about this passage is that the storm came both to the wise and to the foolish
What was the difference between the house that that stood the house that fell was the fact that one never went through a storm?
No, the same storm came to both but one stood and one fault one fell
Why the why stood because it was founded upon Jesus's sayings?
The wise those that understand the promise of God's protection
Understand that storms come first of all that they're not exempt through going through suffering
Persecution trials tribulations. They're not exempt from the storm
That God comes to both of them the walk the rain falls upon the just and the unjust alike
It's the the piece the wise stand through the storm
But not because they avoid the storm or think it's not coming they understand it's coming
But they understand that God will see them through it. They're founded upon the rock
Now that's not to say that God doesn't miraculously protect us people at times because he does do that
We've seen we see that all throughout Scripture go over to Matthew chapter 14, Matthew chapter 14
I'll begin reading a verse 22 Matthew 14 22
It says in straight way Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and keep something in Matthew 14
we're to come back shortly and
To go before them under the other side while he sent the multitudes away and when he had sent the multitudes away
He sent he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come he was there alone
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with the waves
So the wind was contrary and in the fourth watch of the night
Jesus went into them walking on the sea
When the disciples saw him walking on the scene
They were troubled saying it is a spirit and I cried out for fear
But straightway Jesus spake unto them saying be of good cheer
It is I be not afraid
And Peter answered him and said Lord if it be thou bid me to come unto thee on the water
And he said come when Peter was come down out of the ship. He walked on the water to go to Jesus, but
Excuse me, but when he saw the wind boisterous
He was afraid and beginning to sink
He cried saying Lord save me and immediately Jesus stretched at forth his hand and caught him and said unto him
Oh thou a little faith wherefore didst thou doubt and when they were coming to the ship the wind ceased
Then they that were in the ship it came and worshiped him saying of a truth thou art the Son of God
So you see again God miraculously protects his people
I mean Peter walks out on the water and then he realizes he's in the midst of a storm
And he starts to sink and God doesn't just say well you should have had more faith buddy. See you later
You know well so much for Peter looks like we need another disciple who's next right?
no, he stretches forth his hand and catches him and
Then you know mildly rebukes him and they go back to the shit now go over to John chapter 6 John chapter 6
Because there's another miracle in this passage that you don't see in Matthew 14. It's in it's in John 6
Say so parallel passages and when they were now come when Jesus
Went down to the his disciples went down onto the sea and entered into a ship and went over the sea
Toward Capernaum and it was now dark and Jesus was not come to them and the sea and the sea arose by a reason of a
Great wind that blew so that when they had wrote about five and twenty or thirty
Furlongs they see Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh under the ship and they were afraid
But he saith unto them it is not I be not afraid of course we understand from Matthew all these other things transpire
With Peter so on and so forth, but look at verse 21
It says then they willingly received him into the ship and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went
Jesus you know God it's not to say that God isn't going to miraculously protect his people in
Fact we know that's exactly what's going to happen in the tribulation
That when things get worse and worse the Bible says that the Beast will make war with the Saints and then accept those days should
Shorten be shortened. No flesh should be saved that he's gonna make war with the Saints and overcome them
But what's God gonna do right in the right in the middle of that?
he's gonna miraculously show up just like you showed up in the middle of this lake during the storm and
Receive them and they were immediately at the other side. God just takes them right out of harm's way and protects them
So we understand that the promise of God's protection means this that yes, sometimes God miraculously intervenes and protects his people
And that's why I believe the best thing you could do to prepare for all the uncertain things that might happen in our society
It's and even in your life is to be right with God
To have faith like Peter to step out in the midst of the storm and just trust Jesus
If they want God's, you know divine protection if you want him to miraculously protect you
You need to be right with God and we'll get into that here in a minute
But the first thing I want to point out this morning about God's promises protection is this is that it's not permanent permanent
Permanent it's not permanent a lot of people think that God's you know protection
It's just it's always gonna it's just something I'm always gonna have all the time
We read these stories in Matthew and John how he miraculously protects people we read about these things elsewhere in Scripture
Let me just think well anytime I ever go through anything. God's just gonna miraculously protect me somehow. That's not true
We can look at the and I'll move along quickly for the sake of time, but go look at the example of job
I mean it says in job. Well, you know in job that God let Satan do those things to him
He said put forth down thine hand and touch all that he hath
He will curse their face and the Lord said unto Satan behold all that he hath is in thine power
Who was it that relit that lifted his hand of protection off of job and let Satan attack it was God
God let him do that
God let him bring you know the ruin of his finances his house his children even let him affect his own body
God lifted his hand of protection and let those things happen
We could look at the example of Christ's suffering. I
Mean if there's anybody that God could have just miraculously protected, you know, like he promised less
You know, he shall give angels charge over thee lest at any time thou should dash thy foot against the stone
He that was the promise that he had but at some point in Christ's life when he suffered on the cross
God removed that hand of protection and allowed him to suffer those things
The point where Jesus is even saying my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?
So it should not surprise us that when God allows us
To go through suffering when God decides not to protect us and allow things to come into our life
See sometimes God's gonna lead us into the storm and you know what he's not gonna come in the midst of the storm
He's gonna let us go all the way through it and it might feel like we're just gonna tip right over
The boat might be family. We're just you know, we're just bailing out as quick as we can just to stay alive
And we're saying why isn't God protecting me? But think about this without the storm. There would have been no miracles
You know, we need storms to come into our life
We need to in there, you know, there would have been no walking on the scene
There would have been no Peter joining him there. There would have been no calming of the storm
And you know, there would have been being brought immediately to the other side. We have to go through storms in this life
But notice this if you get still got something in Matthew 14 go back there
Matthew chapter 14
Verse 22 who was it that sent them into the storm? It was Jesus. Do you think he was surprised by that?
Do you think it whoops? Sorry guys. I didn't realize there was a storm coming
and said that rose up by them but because a great wind blew and
You know, I believe God sent that wind God sent them into the into the ship said go on I'll go on ahead of me
I'll catch up later and
Then God sends the storm
It says in verse 22 and Jesus and straightaway Jesus constrained his type disciples he's saying he's like making them go
He said he constrained his disciples to get a ship and go and to go before him
And
Here's what I want us to understand this morning is that when you decide to live for God you're being sent into a storm
When you say I'm gonna follow Jesus, I'm gonna be his disciple. You just signed up for a storm
You know, don't be surprised when God sends you into one and says, you know
What's your turn to get in the ship and go out in the midst of that storm?
The Bible says in second Timothy chapter 3 yay
All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall not maybe shall suffer persecution if you're gonna live for God
You're going to suffer persecution
God's promise of protection is not a permanent thing
Sometimes God lists it. Sometimes God takes it away some God sent time. God sends the storm
You know when he doesn't come unto us
He let us us go all the way through to the other side
The Bible says in first Thessalonians 3 that no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves
Know that we were appointed there unto look when you go through the storm. Don't let it move you
Don't let it toss you about to and fro
Understand that you were appointed there unto that is the Christian life Christian life is suffering. It is persecution
it is going through storms and
Part of that just go that's just life in general
But at least we have the promise of God's protection that that God does not allow us to be tempted above that which we are
Able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we might be able to bear it
He said and verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass
and you know
You see that the folks that never go beyond salvation
I mean they get saved and they say that's good enough for me my tickets punched
I'm on my way to heaven. I got my fire escape. I'm not gonna go to hell. That's all I need Jesus for
They're never going to know some of the persecution that the Christian knows
You know the people who just see Peter and the other disciples off just see you later have fun on the in the boat
We're not following Jesus. We're just gonna hang back and let you go
Follow him they're never gonna go through the storm. They're never gonna go through the storm that God sent, but you know what?
You know what else they're never gonna know God's protection either
They're never gonna know what it's like to have God see them through the storm and bring them out on the other side
They're gonna know that that joy of having victory of being brought through the storm
Having victory of being brought through the storm go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 2nd Corinthians chapter 1
Look God's promise of protection should encourage us and
Should give us hope as we're living in uncertain times
We have to understand this morning is that God's protection is not permanent permanent
God lifts it sometimes the Christian life is suffering the Christian life is tribulation
Look at verse 3 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 it says
Blessed be the God and Father even of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort
Comfort who comfort us in all our tribulation
That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God
When does God comfort us in our tribulation?
What here's the thing why do you need comfort if you're not in tribulation?
God's not gonna come to the Christian
You know the lazy boy Christian who's just sitting back on Sunday morning doing nothing for God not living for the Lord and comfort him
Because he's not suffering for Christ
There's no point in comforting somebody like that
But the person who decides to live for the Lord and actually suffers actually goes through tribulation as they were appointed
That's the person that God's going to come to and comfort them in the tribulation while they're going through it
Go over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 go over to chapter 7
The Bible says Romans 5 and not only so but we glory in tribulations also
Knowing that tribulation worketh patience. Not only should we you know be willing to accept tribulation
We should glory in it. We should we should look forward to it. He's saying here we glory tribulations
We're glad what did Jesus say? He said blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake
He said blessed are you a mentor a vial you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely in my
Name rejoice and be exceeding glad for great as your word in heaven for so persecuted
They the prophets which were before you he said to rejoice to be exceeding glad when when they persecute you
When they say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake to rejoice we glory in tribute in tribulation
why because we have
We have treasures laid up for us in heaven God rewards his servants he comforts them
Look when you go through a storm when you go through tribulation
You should glory in that because you know that you have God's protection and at least the fact that he's going to come and comfort
You and see you through it and give you the strength
Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verse
So I think it's verse 4 he said great as my boldness of speech toward you and great as my glorying of you
I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding
Joyful in all our tribulation
And you want to talk about a guy who went through some tribulation. I mean the Apostle Paul went through some tribulation
I mean that guy was I mean shipwrecked more than once. I mean he's being stranded on beaches
He's being in prison here in prison there stone to death here
Beaten here. I mean just pursued from city to city. That guy was persecuted
Probably more than anybody else. We we know or we know of
But what did he say he said I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation
Because he understood that God's protection is not permanent and that God allows us to go through these tribulations
So that he can reward his servants and so that he can comfort us
You know when you're in a storm
That is not the time to question God's protection
That's the time to look for his comfort
That's not time to cry out and say God. Why are you allowing me to go through this?
This isn't fair
That's the time to be joyful. That's the time to be exceeding joyful
And that's the time to learn patience. He said I'm exceeding joyful. Are we glory in our tribulations? Why because it worketh patience
That's the time to understand that sometimes God removes his hand of protection and
Allows us to suffer so that we can be drawn closer to him
like if we go through some great tribulation or the tribulation or whatever if
Thing if they really turn up the heat in this country and we start to suffer for the cause of Christ in this country. I
Mean, that's the time to draw it. We'll be drawing even closer to Christ
At least that's what should happen. That should be the natural reaction is that we just see God even more on our own
And maybe it'll get to the point where you know, we can't gather together in church or it's gonna be very difficult to do
so I
Still have this book. I still have the Holy Spirit. I can still get along with God
and pray and read his word and be comforted by the promises of God and
Not fret myself because of the workers of iniquity but understand and rest wait and wait patiently for him knowing
That God's gonna cut them all off that it's going to come to an end that there's a nut that this storm isn't
That has an end there's you know, there's blue sky is just on the other side of those clouds that we can go through those things
But you know what the backslidden they're vulnerable
You know that another way God's protection is not permanent is when people backslide
You know
God will take his per God will take away his protection sometimes to teach us lessons to see it through storms and
To and to teach us patience and so on and so forth
but sometimes God removes his hand of protection when people really need it and
They don't get it because why because they're because they're backslidden. That's another reason why God's protection is not always permanent
It's not just to teach us some you know
Spiritual lesson, but it's because we don't deserve it if we're backslidden
Not only does he remove the protection when people get out of sorts with God, but he will even bring them harm
What we say well, I don't know about that. Well, what about the example of Ananias and Sapphira and God killed them in church
Right right there in front everybody, you know, we know the story
They lied under the Holy Ghost and God just come off right there
I mean if that's not God removing his hand of protection and bringing harm to a backslidden person. I don't know what is
What about the example of Samson? You know who went out and said I will I will
He woke out of his sleep and said I will go at us other times and shake myself
But he wished not that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him
That God had removed his hand of protection and that he was vulnerable and why was he?
Because he was backslidden
So we see that, you know, God's protection is something that should give us peace in uncertain times
But we have to understand that God's protection is not always permanent for one reason or another and not only that that God's protection is procured
By procured. I mean, it's something that's obtained. That's what it means to procure something
To obtain it with care or effort. God's protection is not only
Not permanent, but it's also something that you have to procure
It's not just like I got saved automatically have God's protection
We know we're eternally sealed on the day of our redemption that we're eternally protected from hell through Christ and through faith in him
That does not mean that we're just going to live through this life automatically under God's
protective hand that it's something you have to procure and
Forsake a time. I'll move quickly through this point
The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 16 when a man's ways, please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him
You want peace with your enemies you want God to protect you your ways have to please the Lord
And when our ways don't please the Lord like Samson, God doesn't protect us and lets his our enemies have their way with us
The people that God protected the most
Were the people that served him in the face of persecution. I mean just we could think about some examples
And again, I know I'm running short on time here
But think about some of these examples the people that God protected the most you say I want God's protection this morning
I want that piece. I want to have that for myself
Well, think about the people that God protected the most the most miraculous
You know
Deliverances that God granted on to other people were those that were that were serving him in the face of persecution
I mean think about Daniel in the den of lions. I
Mean that would be that's that's a that's a scary thought
To be thrown in a
You know, not the lion's den, but because that doesn't necessarily mean there's any lions in there
But in a den of lions that are hungry
I mean, you know how the story turned out when they actually dropped the bad guys in there
It says they break their bones before they even touched the floor. That's how ravenous these beasts were
And you know Daniel he faced that fear. He went into that. He faced that persecution when when he was serving God
When he was faithful to the Lord and when even they made a law that then one should pray
That he went ahead and prayed anyway that he threw the windows open and just prayed anyway
And he suffered for it, but God protected it didn't he?
He sent the angel and closed the mouth of the lion and he and he wasn't you know
Not a not a hair of his head was harmed
What about the fiery furnace, you know Daniel's friends Shadrach Meshach and Abednego?
You know, they were delivered weren't they they they understood they got to experience God's protection
But when did they when they were in the midst of a furnace?
And what was their attitude if we perish we perish?
You know throw us in if God allows us to be burned up. So be it
But they were delivered when when they were dropped, you know bound head and hand and hand and foot into the fiery furnace
So we see that God's protection this morning is something that is not always permanent
But rather that it's something that is procured that it's something that God only grants to people and gives to people
That are serving him you want God's protection then you have to be willing to face persecution
Otherwise, what what need is there for protection if you're not putting yourself in harm's way
Why is there any need to comfort you if you're not in any sort of tribulation?
And I want to close with this point here is that God's protection is not only not permanent and not only is God's protection
Procured but it is also precious
It's precious
Look if God's protection is not always something you you're going to have if you're even if you're serving him if God's sometimes gonna allow
Him to you to go through things and suffer things that just makes God's protection all the more precious when he gives it
It because it's not guaranteed. It's not always guaranteed. I mean tell that you know, tell that to Christ tell that to job
Tell that to you know, the people in Hebrews 11 who were sawn asunder they were torn apart
That you know, we're naked and destitute to live in caves and had their dwellings in the rocks of whom the world was not worthy
The Bible says tell them about how God's just always going to protect you. No, he doesn't
Sometimes he allows us to go through these things
But when we do it, but it just makes it all the more precious to us
You
Know God has promised to be with us and to come for us in our tribulations not to keep us from them
Not to keep us from them, but to just be with us as we go through them
So we should never be worried and if you would go back to Psalm 37, we shouldn't will close there
We should never be worried about suffering or persecution
But rest in the fact that God will see us through that's the promise of God's protection
Not that God's gonna keep us out of harm's way
That God is going to see us through it
The Bible says in Philippians 4 be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
Let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding
Shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus
Look the peace of God which past all of a sudden it's gonna keep your heart's gonna keep your mind
But it might not keep your flesh
God might have to have you go suffer. You might have to go through through some
actual physical torment
Some actual physical discomfort in your life
But you can't have the peace of God in your heart in your mind even through
physical persecution
But God's peace this this peace that passeth all understanding again
It does not come to those who only want to be protected from harm
Who just want to get out of harm's way
The people that are just trying to duck and dodge and avoid any type of persecution for Christ
They're not going to have the peace that passeth all understanding
Who's going to have the peace that passeth all understanding in their hearts in the mind the people that are willing to face
Persecution and to go through it. They're the ones that are going to experience it
Look at Psalm 37 verse 37. He said mark the perfect man
Not the guy that's that's it hasn't is sinless but the guy that has it all the guy that's the whole package
That's willing to suffer for Christ to serve Christ to be faithful to Christ mark that guy and behold the upright
The people they're gonna walk with the Lord no matter what
For the end of that man is peace and it's the end of that man. That is peace
Ultimately if we serve God if we're faithful to him if we're perfect if we're upright our end is peace. You can mark it down
And it's the end of that man. It's not every waking moment. Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace. Peace all the time
There's going to be storms that come
But the peace that comes from understanding God's protection
Comes to the perfect it comes to the upright it comes to those that are willing to face the storms that God sends
Rather than avoiding them. Those are the ones that have the promise of God's protection. Let's pray