So, I hope you kept your Bibles there open in First Peter chapter four.
First Peter chapter four.
And I want you to look at verse number twelve.
First Peter chapter four and verse number twelve which reads,
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,
as though some strange thing happened unto you.
The title for the sermon this morning is the fiery trial.
The fiery trial, okay.
So, don't think it's strange if you're going through some fiery trials.
Don't think it's strange if you're going through some difficulties in this life.
It's a normal part of your Christian life.
In fact, we're going to soon see that it's a part of everybody's life.
Whether you're saved or not saved, everybody goes through some fiery trials,
but it's how you want to be going through that fiery trial that matters,
that differs from the unbelieving world.
Now, let's start off with verse number one.
Now, for our visitors here for the first time,
what I normally do on a Sunday morning, we go chapter by chapter through the Bible.
We've been going through first Peter.
We're up to first Peter chapter four.
And basically this sermon is we're just going to go through the entire chapter,
verse by verse and expand on God's truth.
That's the purpose here.
And if you look at verse number one, and before I look at verse number one,
I'm going to be spending a big chunk of this sermon just on verse number one.
Then we'll get to the rest of it.
And I say this because it's probably going to be a bit of an unpopular sermon in verse number one.
I already know because I know some of the beliefs some of you guys hold
because of different preachers that you may or may not listen to.
And I differ in this area when it comes to the suffering of Christ.
And so let's look at verse number one there.
First Peter chapter four, verse number one.
And as we've been going through first Peter,
I just want you to think about what does the Bible emphasize?
When we talk about Christ's suffering,
what kind of suffering does the Bible emphasize?
And you know what? Me as a Bible preacher, me as a pastor,
I know you come to this church to hear the Bible preached.
And so what the Bible emphasizes, that's what I'm going to emphasize.
And when the Bible may be somewhat unclear,
and I don't fully understand, guess what?
You're not going to hear that from me necessarily.
You might hear things that other preachers are confident and sure about,
and they can preach boldly about certain things.
Hey, but you may not necessarily hear that from me.
It's not that I'm trying to avoid the topic. I just don't have that confidence.
I don't have the same assurance that other preachers do.
Hey, but if they're preaching and they're still preaching great truth,
they're preaching the gospel, they're saved,
praise God for them, you know?
One thing you need to learn in the Christian life
is not everybody's going to agree on everything, okay?
Not everyone's going to see the scriptures in the same light, okay?
Now I'm not talking about the major things.
I'm not talking about the gospel.
I'm not talking about Christ, the deity of Christ and the Trinity.
I'm not talking about creation and, you know,
that God created all things over 6,000 years.
I'm not talking about those fundamental, easy to understand black and white truths.
But there are some things in the Bible that you're just going to have to accept
that we come and have different opinions on,
you know, different influences, different backgrounds,
and we're just going to approach the Bible, we're just going to see it differently.
You know, one person that sees it differently that I can't see it,
they're like, can't you see what I can see?
It's black and white.
And I'm like, yeah, can't you see what I can see?
It's black and white.
Are we going to divide over that?
Are we going to split over that?
No, because it's free.
It's fine to have, you know, freedom.
Well, one of the Baptist's distinctives is individual soul liberty,
the priesthood of the believer.
Hey, we have direct access to God.
Each one of us have the Holy Spirit.
And you know what?
There are some truths that you're going to understand in the Bible
that I'm not going to fully understand.
That's just the nature of it.
That's life.
But hey, once we get to heaven, guess what?
We're all going to be all united in doctrine, 100%, okay?
But look at verse number one.
Let's start there.
So there's a long introduction.
Verse number one.
For as much then as Christ has suffered for us,
and it's very important in the next few words, okay,
in the flesh,
arm yourselves likewise with the same mind
for he that has suffered in the flesh
have ceased from sin.
All right, now first thing I want you to notice here,
the Bible emphasizes, in fact,
all of First Peter emphasizes
that the suffering of Christ,
that he paid for our sins,
that he was at sacrifice, okay?
What First Peter emphasizes
is that the suffering was in the flesh,
in his body, okay?
Now, if you can please go to chapter one,
First Peter chapter one, verse 19.
I just want to show you this is a major theme
in First Peter.
First Peter chapter one, verse 19.
It says,
but with the precious blood of Christ
and as a lamb without blemish
and without spot.
This is talking about how we were redeemed,
that we were not redeemed by corruptible things,
but we've been redeemed with incorruptible,
and it goes on to explain that that incorruptible
is the precious blood of Christ
and the fact that it's a lamb without blemish
and without spot.
That's speaking about his body.
His body was without blemish.
He had no sin in his body.
And so the Bible emphasizes from chapter one,
it's his blood and his body
that has redeemed us, okay?
It's his blood and his body
that has redeemed us.
Now, this shouldn't surprise us
because when Christ had held the Last Supper
and he spoke about how we are to remember him,
how we are to bring to remembrance his suffering,
his sacrifice,
what did he tell us to remember?
The blood and the body.
I'll just read to you
1 Corinthians 11 verse 23 says,
For I have received of the Lord
that which also I delivered unto you,
that the Lord Jesus,
the same night in which he was betrayed,
took bread,
and when he had given thanks,
he break it and said,
Take, eat.
This is my body which is broken for you.
This do in remembrance of me.
So when Jesus says,
I want you to remember what I've done for you.
I want you to remember my sacrifice.
He says, take this bread.
That's when we do the Lord's Supper,
and that represents my body, right?
And then in verse number 25 he says,
after the same manner,
also he took the cup,
when he had supped saying,
this cup is the New Testament in my blood,
this do ye as oft as ye drink it
in remembrance of me.
He says, how else can you remember my sacrifice
when you drink of that grape juice,
when you drink of that cup, okay?
That represents my blood.
I want you to remember my blood,
my body,
this is what redeems you, okay?
Verse number 26,
For as often as ye eat this bread
and drink this cup,
ye do show the Lord's death till he come.
Hey, how do we show the Lord's death
by remembering his body and his blood,
the bread and the grape juice, okay?
Now I know some of you strongly believe,
this is where, you know, be unpopular,
that Christ's soul went to hell,
and I believe that, okay?
But that he also suffered in the fires of hell.
Now let me, look, maybe you're right.
I don't know, okay?
But as I told you,
I don't have the confidence of that, okay?
I don't have,
I don't see the black and white scriptures.
I don't read 1 Peter chapter 1,
oh yeah, he suffered in hell fire.
What I see when I study 1 Peter,
another passage of the Bible,
is that his body, his blood was a sacrifice,
that he suffered in the flesh.
Those are the things that the Bible emphasizes.
I'm going to emphasize that, okay?
And as I said,
if other pastors want to emphasize something else,
that they feel confident about, so be it.
I don't have that same level of confidence.
You say, well, Pastor Kevin,
what do you do for three days and three nights?
I don't know, okay?
The Bible doesn't emphasize it, okay?
All I know is, his soul was in hell,
his body was in the grave,
and his spirit was with the Father in heaven.
When he told the thief on the cross,
today that should be with me in paradise.
That's because Jesus was there as well, okay?
I believe it all, okay?
That he was in three places.
Say, how is that possible?
He is God.
Don't ask me to explain all the supernatural,
spiritual, miraculous things.
I can't fully understand it.
What I can tell you is,
what the Bible says,
he suffered in the flesh.
That's what I believe.
He suffered in the flesh.
Now, whether you believe he suffered in hell,
or just all the suffering was done on the cross,
it doesn't take away anything from anybody.
We all believe that he paid for all sin.
We all believe that he suffered for it.
He did it all.
He paid for it all.
From Adam to the last man that ever lives,
he paid for all the sins.
The wrath of God was put upon Christ.
We believe that's what's important,
that he's paid for your personal sins.
And because of that sacrifice,
you can be saved, all right?
Now, look at chapter 2,
1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24.
What else am I confident about?
1 Peter chapter 2, verse 24.
It says,
who his own self bear our sins
in his own body on the tree,
that we being dead to sins
should live unto righteousness
by whose stripes we are healed.
What stripes?
That's the whipping,
the shedding of the blood,
his suffering, the beating.
That's how I'm healed.
And I know that he suffered for my sins.
He bared my sins in his own body on the tree,
the crucifixion.
Hey, I can be confident about that, okay?
I can say, yeah,
this is what the Bible emphasizes,
the crucifixion, the cross,
the blood, the body.
That's what I'm going to emphasize, all right?
Look at chapter 3,
1 Peter chapter 3, verse 18.
It says here,
for Christ also have once suffered for sins.
Once, okay?
I believe he suffered once, okay?
For sins.
The just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God
being put to death in the flesh,
but quickened by the Spirit.
What is the Bible emphasizing, brethren?
The flesh, the blood, the body,
the crucifixion, okay?
The death of Christ in that sense, okay?
Now, did his soul go to hell?
The Bible says he did, okay?
I can prove that.
But what happened exactly?
I don't know, brethren, okay?
We all have different opinions exactly.
I can't fully wrap my head around that.
I don't have these black and white scriptures
like we're reading right now
to teach you that.
So, you know, as I told you,
I'm a preacher that wants to preach
the Bible black and white, verses.
I want to have clear verses
that you can ground your faith in, okay?
All I care about is that you understand
Jesus paid for your sins.
He's paid for it all, okay?
And don't miss the fact
that it's his body and his blood.
That's how Christ wanted us to remember his death,
by his body and his blood, okay?
Now, I want you to have noticed that
he said he suffered once for sins.
So I believe that was it.
When he was on the cross,
his body, when he was on the cross,
his body, when he died there,
that was the suffering of the sins.
It was the one suffering that took place, okay?
That's what I believe.
Now, please, keep your finger there
and go to Isaiah 53.
Go to Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53, a very famous chapter in the Bible
in the Old Testament
that speaks about the suffering of Christ, okay?
And let me just show you one passage
where people turn to it to say,
well, his soul actually went to hell
and his soul was the offering.
His soul was the thing that was paying for our sins
rather than his body, okay?
Or in conjunction with his body
or something like that, okay?
So Isaiah 53 verse 10.
Isaiah 53 verse 10.
The passage here is, it says,
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.
He hath put him to grief,
when thou shalt make his soul
an offering for sin.
He shall see his seed,
he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in his hands.
So the argument is,
so see, the Bible's saying here
that Christ's soul is the offering for sin.
So it's not his body, it's his soul.
And so of course,
they'll teach that once Christ
was crucified on the cross,
then his soul went to hell, okay?
And that was the actual sacrifice.
That was the actual offering.
Now remember,
pay attention to how it says there,
make his soul an offering for sin.
Let's understand that for a moment, okay?
But the other thing I want you to notice
in this verse, okay,
look at the first part of it.
It says,
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.
What's a bruise?
A bruise is broken capillaries in your body, okay?
It's broken blood vessels in your body, okay?
So the argument then becomes,
hey, in this verse,
is this speaking about the soul without the body?
Or is it speaking about the soul within the body?
Because listen, when your body's suffering,
even if your soul is in you, right?
When you're suffering,
when your body's suffering,
your soul is suffering as well.
Your soul is your life.
You know, you can have anguish in the body,
which also translates to anguish in the soul, okay?
Soul is your life.
Quite often the Bible will teach,
you know, many times we go,
hey, I think it was a previous passage
that said there were eight souls saved by water,
speaking of, you know,
Noah and his family in the ark.
Was it saying that the souls were completely detached?
No, the souls were saved
because they were in the body,
and within the ark,
they were saved by the flood.
Now, I want you to stay there in Isaiah 53, if you can,
and I'm going to read to you from Hebrews 10.
If you're fast enough to turn there,
you're fast enough.
If not, don't worry about it.
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 4,
which reads,
for it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and of goats
should take away sins.
Wherefore, when he cometh into the world,
he saith,
Sacrifice an offering thou wouldst not,
but a body has thou prepared me.
But a body has thou prepared me, okay?
So the body of Christ
was the preparation of the sacrifice.
Speaking about the sacrifice of the Old Testament,
they were not sufficient to take away sins, okay?
But a body was prepared.
Now, if you drop down to verse number 9,
it says, in the same chapter,
Hebrews 10, verse 9,
it says,
Then said he,
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.
He taketh away the first,
the first covenant, the old covenant,
that he may establish the second.
Look at verse number 10.
By the which will we are sanctified
through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ,
once for all?
Hey, what did 1 Peter say?
That he was suffered once, okay?
What does Hebrew say?
He suffered once for all.
What else does it say there in Hebrews 10?
Verse 10, it says,
that he was the offering
of the body of Christ.
The offering was the body of Christ,
so when we read Isaiah 53,
verse 10, which said,
Made his soul an offering for sin?
Yeah, because the soul's in the body.
That's what was bruised for us, okay?
So, I mean, this isn't a contradiction.
This goes well together.
This is perfect, okay?
And so, look,
when I read Isaiah 53, 10,
I'm not thinking that
Christ suffered in hell there.
I'm thinking,
and I'll show it to you soon,
that this is his suffering on the cross.
This is his body being broken for us.
This is his blood being shed for us, okay?
If you're still in Isaiah 53,
go to verse number 11.
Isaiah 53, verse number 11,
it says,
He shall see of the travail of his soul,
so there's the reference of the soul again,
and shall be satisfied.
By his knowledge
shall my righteous servant
justify many,
for he shall bear
their iniquities.
Hey, what did 1 Peter,
where are our iniquities born on?
On his body, on his flesh.
Remember that, okay?
So, he's bear the iniquities
and the flesh,
but look at verse number 12.
This clarifies.
It says,
Therefore will I divide him
a portion with the great,
and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong,
because he hath poured out
his soul unto death,
and he was numbered.
By the way,
before I read that,
he's poured out his soul unto death.
What do you have?
Straight after that,
a semicolon, right?
Is that a semicolon
or a colon?
No, a colon.
That's a colon, right?
So, after the colon,
normally when you read your Bibles,
it's going to explain
what that just said, right?
I mean, that's normally
how the King James Bible
is written, right?
You've got your colon.
What follows gives further detail
of what was just said previously.
So, let's read that again.
Because he hath poured out
his soul unto death,
well, what does that mean?
And he was numbered
with the transgressors,
and he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession
for the transgressors.
What is that about?
And he was numbered
with the transgressors.
It's not that hard.
You know, I'll read to you
from Mark 15, verse 27,
about the crucifixion of Christ.
It says,
And with him they crucified
two thieves,
the one on his right hand,
and the other on his left.
And the scripture was fulfilled,
which saith,
and he was numbered
with the transgressors.
Okay?
So, when we read
Isaiah 53, verse 12,
and it says that
he poured out his soul unto death,
and he was numbered
with the transgressors.
Hey, that's not speaking about hell.
That's speaking about
the fulfillment of scripture,
which took place
at his crucifixion.
He was numbered
amongst the transgressors,
because on his right hand
and on his left hand,
there were thieves
that he was crucified with.
Okay?
That's what it's about.
All right?
So, look, I don't know
if you've, you know,
you don't agree with me,
or you have other thoughts
around that,
but I'm just showing you
clear scriptures, you know?
Suffering in the flesh.
His body was the offering.
Yeah, yeah,
his soul was the offering.
Yeah, he bore our sins
in his body.
Yeah, he was numbered
amongst the transgressions
when his soul was poured
out to death.
Yeah, that's the crucifixion.
Okay?
That's what the Bible emphasizes.
That's what I'm going to emphasize.
All right?
And, you know,
my encouragement to you, brethren,
is that you really, you know,
turn your focus
upon those matters,
the things that the Bible
makes clear,
the blood atonement
and the body of Christ,
which was a lamb
without blemish
or without spot.
And so, if you,
if, sorry, if you,
still in Isaiah 53?
Yeah, Isaiah 53,
look at verse number four.
Let's move up
a little bit further.
Isaiah 53, verse four.
Before I read this,
because the argument is,
you know, what,
so you think just,
just being crucified,
just being whipped
and having a crown of thorns
upon your head,
you think that was
sufficient sacrifice?
That was sufficient suffering?
You think that was enough,
you know, for the sins
of the entire world?
Surely, you have to understand
that he also had to go to hell
and burn for all eternity.
That's what this real suffering was.
Well, that's if you take
a very, you know,
surface level view
on the suffering of Christ,
you know, that leading up
to the cross, that's all he suffered.
All he suffered was the physical
suffering of his body,
but no, the Bible told us
that he also suffered
in his soul, okay,
which was at the time
within his body,
because look, it's not
just the punishment.
It's not just the,
the physical pain
that was afflicted upon Jesus
that hurt him.
Look at verse number four,
Isaiah 53, verse four.
It says,
surely, he have borne our griefs.
Hey, it's not,
he didn't just die for our sins,
also our grief.
Anytime you've been upset,
he paid for that
and carried our sorrows, okay.
Anytime you've been upset,
anytime you've been worried,
you know, you've shed tears,
you know, Jesus felt that as well.
You know, he paid for that as well.
It says, yet we did esteem
him stricken, smitten of God
and afflicted, okay.
Now, this passage is repeated
for us in the New Testament.
Let me show you where.
If you're fast enough,
go to Matthew chapter eight.
You can move away from Isaiah
if you want.
Let's go to Matthew chapter eight,
verse number 14, okay.
Matthew chapter eight,
verse number 14.
Actually tells us
when this is fulfilled
or how this was fulfilled in Christ.
Matthew chapter eight,
verse number 14.
Matthew eight, 14 reads,
and when Jesus was coming
to Peter's house,
he saw his wife's mother
laid and sick of a fever
and he touched her hand
and the fever left her
and she arose and ministered unto them.
So, normally we would read about
Jesus just healing the sick.
We just think, all right,
he's healed the sick
and they're perfect.
And they are perfect, okay.
But what happened to that sickness?
Where did it go?
Did it just disappear?
No.
Look at verse number 16.
When the even was come,
they brought unto him many,
so not just Peter's wife,
I mean, Peter's mother-in-law
who got healed,
but when the even was come,
they brought unto him many
that were possessed with devils
and he cast out the spirits
with his word
and healed all that were sick.
So, of course,
you know Jesus' ministry.
He's constantly healing people.
He's constantly casting out devils
and the pain and the suffering
that that devil possession
brought upon people.
Look at verse number 17.
That it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken by
Isaiah the prophet,
that's what we read in Isaiah 53,
saying, himself took our infirmities
and bare our sicknesses.
Jesus paid for my sins.
Yeah, that's great.
He did pay for your sins,
but you know what?
He also paid for the sorrow
of your sins.
He also paid for the grace
of your sins.
If you've ever been under,
you know, demonic attack
or some extent,
you know, and you've been,
you've suffered through that,
Jesus paid for that as well.
He felt that as well.
You know, any sicknesses
you've had to face in your body,
you know, Jesus took that
upon himself as well.
All your sicknesses,
all your sorrow,
you know, how much
did Christ suffer?
I can't even understand it.
I can't even process it.
I can't.
I can't, you know.
When the Bible says that
Jesus became a curse for us,
the curse for us,
hey, every pain, any anguish
as a result of the curse,
when Adam and Eve
sinned against the Lord
and the Lord cursed the earth,
all of that,
all of the effects of the curse
was put on Christ.
He became the curse for us.
He took it all
so we can be free, you know.
So whatever you're suffering,
brethren, whatever sicknesses
you may have right now
in your body
that brings you low,
that makes you suffer,
that gives you a lot of pain,
you know, Jesus felt that as well,
felt your pain.
Your pain was put on Jesus.
Your suffering was put on Jesus,
you know.
What are we going to do
in return for him?
He's done it for you, okay.
He's born that.
So you can go to that place
so you can go to the Lord
and ask him for help.
He knows exactly what you feel.
He knows exactly
what you're suffering with,
all right.
Now back to
1 Peter chapter 4, please.
1 Peter chapter 4,
verse number 2.
1 Peter chapter 4,
verse number 2.
So why does the Bible,
why does 1 Peter
just keep telling us
major thing,
Christ suffered, Christ suffered,
Christ suffered.
Why does he keep telling us?
Because we are to live
in response to that, all right.
Now that we know
that Christ has suffered
salvation, the free gift
paid for by Christ,
how are we going to respond
to that great truth
that Christ suffered for us?
Verse number 2, it says
that he no longer should live
the rest of his time
in the flesh to the lust of men
but to the will of God, okay.
So what is this teaching us?
It says here that basically,
you know, just like Christ
allowed himself to suffer,
just as Christ allowed his flesh
to be destroyed and crucified,
well, you know what,
we have flesh as well
and it's a very wicked flesh, okay.
It's a very sinful flesh.
We have the sin nature
in our flesh.
Well, our response are
to not live in accordance
to our flesh,
that we ought to crucify
that flesh as well, okay,
in response to what Christ
has done for us
and to live in accordance
to the will of God.
I'll just read
a few passages to you.
Galatians chapter 2, verse 20 says,
I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live,
yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me
and the life which I now
live in the flesh,
I live by the faith
of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me, okay.
So what are we commanded to do, brethren?
To crucify this flesh.
What, physically put ourselves
on our cross?
No, all right.
To just not live in accordance
to this flesh.
Understand your flesh is wicked.
Your flesh wants to sin.
Your flesh wants to rebel
against God, okay.
Well, put that aside.
Crucify that flesh, all right,
and live in accordance
to the Spirit of God.
You know, it says in Luke 9, 23,
these are the words of Jesus.
He says, and it said to them all,
if any man will come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow me.
Hey, where to take up our own cross?
Crucify our own flesh daily.
Daily.
That means every day
you wake up in the flesh.
Every day you wake up
not wanting to serve God,
wanting to live in accordance
to your last, your desires.
Hey, pick up the cross daily
and crucify that flesh, okay,
and the Bible says in Galatians 5, 24,
and they that are Christ's
have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit, okay.
So, that's our response.
Christ suffered for us.
He put away.
He suffered in the flesh.
The flesh was crucified.
Well, that's a picture of us now
having to crucify that flesh,
mortifying the deeds of this body,
living in the Spirit,
not just living in the Spirit,
but walking in the Spirit,
doing the commandments
that God wants us to do.
Look at verse number three.
I better hurry up.
For the time past of our life
may suffice us
to have wrought the will
of the Gentiles
when we walked in less
lusciousness, lusts,
excess of wine,
revelings, banquetings,
and abominable idolatries,
wherein they think it strange
that ye run not with them
to the same excess of riot
speaking evil of you, okay.
So, now we have a list of sins
that you probably did.
I know you look at that sin.
I know I did some of those, okay.
And that should be our former life.
That should be our life without Christ.
But now that we have crucified the flesh,
we want to get rid of that daily.
We ought to live differently, okay.
So, let's go through that list very quickly.
Verse number three.
When we walked in less lusciousness.
That's basically sins
like sexual sins,
fornication, adultery.
Then it says lust.
So, this is more of a general term.
Lust is the general satisfying of the flesh,
fleshly desires.
The next one's kind of funny.
It says excess of wine, okay.
Now look, I believe very strongly
the Bible commands us
not to drink alcohol.
That drinking alcohol is a sin, okay.
But some people,
they want to find a way
to get around this.
And they'll say,
well look, it says excess of wine.
You can have a little bit.
Just don't be excessive
because it'll make you drunk.
All right.
Who's heard that argument before
from that passage?
Yeah, it's a very common passage, right.
But just drop down to verse number four.
Let's have a look at the same,
literally the next verse, okay.
It says in verse number four,
wherein they think it's strange
that ye run not with them
to the same excess of riot.
So, taking that argument
that you can have a little wine
but not excessive wine.
Well, the next verse,
then I can riot.
Hey, I can be unruly.
I can be disobedient.
Just a little bit.
But not excessive.
Do you see how stupid
that argument is?
All right.
That is a stupid argument
when you just look
at the next verse, okay.
Otherwise, the next verse
is based on saying,
hey, just go crazy.
Just don't overdo it.
You know.
It's strange.
The next one is
revelins.
Revelins.
That's like taking,
you know, having wild parties.
Maybe, you know,
the clubbing scene
is kind of that kind of idea.
Banquets.
Now, there's nothing wrong
with having a banquet,
having a feast
and join each other company
and some food.
But banquet is, of course,
overindulging in food, right.
That's what he's referring to.
You know, glutton,
over eating,
overindulging in food.
And then it says
abominable idolatries.
So, maybe some of you guys
came from false religion.
Maybe had some statues of Mary
or some saints
or who knows what, you know.
So, we don't want to live
in accordance to the world.
And because we're commanded
to live differently
and because I'm sure
many of you are living
differently from your former
lives before you were saved.
It then says in verse number 4,
wherein they,
that's the unsaved,
well, think it's strange.
Hey, they think you're strange
that you run not with them
to the same excessive riot
speaking evil of you, okay.
So, here's what you got to learn.
When you live for God,
when you live for his righteousness,
when you're trying to fight sin,
when you don't want to live
the wicked lifestyle of the world,
the world's going to think
you're strange.
That's fine.
We've learned that already.
We're strangers.
We're foreigners.
You know, our kingdom is like,
you know, the heavenly kingdom,
not this earthly kingdom.
But they will also speak
evil of you.
They say, oh, you know,
you know why he lives like that?
He thinks it's so good.
You know, I'll be at work.
I just, I keep myself from evil.
Just trying to work hard,
keep myself from evil.
Oh, he just wants to suck up
to the boss.
It's like, no,
I want to live for Jesus.
That's why.
You know, oh, the reason
he doesn't go to the Christmas party
and get drunk with us
is because he looks down on us.
He doesn't think highly of us.
What are you talking about?
You know, I'm probably
the best worker you've got.
I'm always trying to find a way
to make your life a lot easier, okay.
But, you know,
you're just trying to justify yourself,
you know, by making Christians
look bad.
You know, but that's,
hey, that's life.
That's what we need to get used to.
Now, if you can please,
let's go, actually,
yeah, let's go to verse number five.
Verse number five.
Hey, look, there's nothing wrong
with going to a Christmas party.
You know, if you're going to that,
there's nothing wrong with that at all.
I'm just saying I did not
go to a Christmas party
because I knew what was going on there.
I knew the drunkenness.
I knew the lewdness.
I knew that women were there
without their husbands
and husbands were there
without their wives, you know.
I knew that was going on,
so I didn't want to find myself
in that position.
The only time I went to a Christmas party
was when the owners
were Christians themselves.
You know, they were members
of my church.
That's the only time
I've ever gone to a Christmas party, okay.
I'm not talking about the work party.
I'm not talking about
the family Christmas parties
and stuff like that, okay.
Verse number five.
It says,
who shall give account to him
that is ready to judge
the quick and the dead.
So, this is what we already know.
The fact that, hey,
we ought to live righteous lives
because God's going to judge us, okay.
But he's not only going to judge us.
The quick is the living.
That's those that are living,
but he's also going to judge the dead.
He's going to judge those
that are dead without Christ, okay.
God's going to judge the saved
and the unsaved
and when he judges believers,
he's going to judge us
for the works that we've done for him.
He's going to reward us
for the works that we've done for him, okay.
There are treasures to be had in heaven,
but when he comes to judge the unbelievers,
he's going to judge them in their sin
because they did not accept
the sacrifice of Christ
and they're going to find themselves
facing judgment, you know,
in the lake of fire.
Verse number six.
For, for this cause
was the gospel preached also to them
that are dead,
that they might be judged
according to men
that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh,
but live according to God in the spirit.
Now, when it came to this entire chapter,
chapter, verse number six
was the hardest one for me
to sort of wrap my head around,
but what I found easy
to help me understand is,
especially the middle,
the middle phrase,
which says that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh.
I couldn't really wrap my head around that,
so I kind of set that aside for a moment
and read it like this.
For this cause
was the gospel preached also to them
that are dead.
Who are these people,
these dead people
that they might be preached to?
Now, if you read the third phrase,
but live according to God in the spirit.
Okay, so this is talking about
saved people,
the fact that we've had
the gospel preached to us,
we were spiritually dead,
but we've been made alive
according to God in the spirit.
Okay, we've been born of the spirit,
and then we can go back
to that other phrase,
which said that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh.
So, who's being judged?
Us, the saved,
those that believe the gospel.
Okay, so what is this saying?
Okay, this is basically saying,
it's the same as Ephesians chapter two verse one,
which says,
and you have be quickened,
who were dead in trespasses and sin.
Okay, so from God's perspective,
we were dead,
but now we've been quickened,
we've been made alive,
we've been given life.
Okay, the new life,
the new man that is within us
because we are saved.
But then when it comes to that second part
that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh,
the fact is,
it's the same thing that we read
in verse number four.
You know, where it says
that they speak evil of you.
Okay, so as we live for the Lord,
as we live for the Lord,
the world's going to judge you
according to your flesh.
Okay, they're going to judge you,
hey, whether you're doing right
or whether you're doing wrong,
they're going to judge you
in accordance to the flesh,
but the Lord looks at your spirit.
The Lord looks at the fact
that you are a saved child of God.
Verse number seven,
it says,
but the end of all things is at hand,
be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.
Now I do believe verse number seven
is on the end times.
Okay, I do believe that's about the end times.
Specifically because it says
be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer,
which was the same instruction
that Paul gave the Thessalonian church
in 1 Thessalonians chapter five verse six,
which says,
therefore let us not all sleep
as do others,
but let us watch and be sober.
Okay, so this is in light of the end times.
So what is this talking about?
The fact that we are to live godly,
righteous lives,
living after the will of God,
and keeping in the back of our minds
that the Lord is coming back,
that Jesus is coming back.
We ought to be living
in light of the return of Christ.
This is not teaching a pre-tribulation rapture.
It's just saying,
the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ
is coming back,
let's live in accordance to that way.
Verse number eight,
and above all things.
Now whenever it says things like this,
you've got to pay attention.
And above all things,
or if it says above all,
pay attention to that verse.
If you've got a Bible here,
you're used to highlighting your Bible.
Anytime you see those phrases,
just highlight,
because this is so important.
And above all things,
have fervent charity among yourselves,
for charity shall cover
the multitude of sins.
Verse number nine,
use hospitality one to another
without grudging.
Alright, so what is this teaching?
This is teaching that within brethren,
we're going to sin against each other.
Now there might be someone,
I don't know,
there might be someone in this church
that you feel very bitter towards right now.
There's someone in this church
maybe that you're frustrated.
Maybe they've sinned against you.
Maybe they've done you wrong.
Or maybe the reverse is true.
Maybe someone's bitter towards you.
And maybe you don't even know why.
I don't know why is this person
bitter toward me.
They think you've done something wrong to them.
Maybe you don't even know.
You haven't got a clue what that is.
What is it saying here?
Above all, have fervent.
This is passionate.
You know, fervent.
It's like fire, charity.
What's charity?
Love.
Among yourselves,
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
You know what you do
if you're feeling frustrated,
bitter about a brother or sister in the Lord
that may have done you wrong?
You know what you show toward them?
I ignore them.
No?
I don't talk to them.
No, that's what it says.
It's so show them fervent charity.
Show them love.
Do good to them.
Okay?
And guess what?
When you start doing good toward them,
you're going to start bitterness.
That frustration's going to leave you.
It's going to cover the multitude of sins.
Whatever sins they've done
towards you, brethren,
just love them.
Be good to them.
Okay?
And it's going to help you oversee
those sins they've committed against you.
And brethren, same thing.
You know, if someone's bitter toward you,
you have no idea why,
just be good to them.
Just show them love.
Okay?
Just be fervent
in your love toward your brother.
Above all,
this is so important
for a church to function.
It's so easy for a church to split.
It's so easy to be frustrated in church.
Every church is the same.
You say, man,
New Life Baptist Church,
we're constantly divided.
New Life Baptist Church,
we're constantly divided.
We're constantly frustrated.
I don't know.
Just maybe in your mind
you're thinking that, right?
It's the same in any church.
You leave this church
and go find another church,
you're going to find the same thing
eventually.
Okay?
And probably the second time you go,
you're just going to ignore it.
It's like, I was wrong the first time.
And I'm just going to put up,
you know, yeah,
this is a wonderful church.
It's all good.
We don't have any problems here.
Yeah, right.
Everyone knows the truth.
Everyone knows that every church
has divisions and problems
amongst the brethren.
This is why Peter's telling us,
above all,
show love no matter what.
Okay?
And that's going to cover it.
That's going to help you
overcome the sins.
You're not going to be thinking
about how they sinned against you.
You're just going to say,
you know what?
I just love them.
Jesus paid for them.
Jesus suffered for them
just as much as he suffered
for me.
All right?
And then look at verse number 10.
As every man have received the gift,
even so minister the same one to another
as good stewards of the manifold
grace of God.
Now I want you to notice
verse number 10.
It says every man,
this is everybody,
all of you,
everyone right now,
every man have received the gift.
Say what gift?
Well, even so minister the same
one to another.
It's a gift that allows you
to minister to one another.
Okay?
Now, very, you know,
let me give you two people right now
that are working,
that are serving you,
that are ministering you in love.
That's me.
All right?
I've been given a gift of preaching.
I've been given the gift of,
you know, teaching.
And so that's what I'm doing right now.
I'm ministering you
with the word of God.
I'm taking that gift
and I'm using it to serve this body.
You know, someone else
that's really working right now,
Brother Matt back there
with the live stream,
with the audio,
with the systems,
making sure that it's all running
and working properly.
Hey, he's laboring.
That's a gift that's been given
to him by God.
He's using that gift
to minister this church.
Okay?
Now all of you,
now some of you came in early,
cleaned up.
Hey, that's a gift God has given you.
Okay?
God has given us,
and you got to work out
what that gift is.
I want you to think about it.
What is that gift?
Look at verse number 11.
It says,
If any man speak,
let him speak of the oracles of God.
So that's me.
I'm preaching the oracles of God, right?
I've been given that gift.
If any man minister,
let him do it as of the ability
which God giveth.
Okay?
So you don't have to be
like someone else.
Just use the ability
that God has given you
and use that ability.
Okay?
That God in all things
may be glorified
through Jesus Christ
to whom be praise
and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
Okay?
So when we minister one another,
toward one another,
when we use the gifts
that God has given us,
it glorifies God.
It glorifies God.
It glorifies Jesus Christ.
Okay?
Now, the challenge then is,
well, what gift do I have?
How do I serve this church?
Now, I want you to think
about that yourself.
Just self-examination.
You know, think about the last month.
Okay, the last four, five weeks.
How have you served this church?
How have you used the gift
that God has given you?
You say, I don't have a gift.
The Bible just told me
you've been given a gift.
I don't know what it is.
I don't know what
everyone's gift is.
I have no idea.
You know.
You probably know.
You know what you can do
to help this church.
You know what you're able to do
to serve this church.
Well, just take that gift
and use it and do it.
All right?
If you want to run it by me,
run it by me,
and I'll just give you
an official ministry.
Okay, that's your job
moving forward.
Praise God.
Okay?
It glorifies God.
You need to understand
the reverse is also true,
that if you don't use the gifts
that God has given you,
then it doesn't glorify God.
I think you want to be in church.
I think you want to be someone
that glorifies God.
But you know what?
If you're not using the gift,
you're not ministering to one another,
you're not glorifying God.
Okay?
So, think about it.
What is it that I can do
to serve this church?
Remember, you're serving Christ.
You're not necessarily
serving Pastor Kevin.
Okay?
You're serving Jesus Christ.
You're glorifying God.
In 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1,
it says, this is Paul speaking,
and of course,
Paul, a great apostle,
he says,
Although I speak with the tongues of men
and of angels,
and have not charity,
I am become a sounding brass
or a tinkling cymbal.
Okay?
So, it says, look,
if you don't have charity
in your service,
you might as well just be
a percussion instrument.
You know?
It's like, if I'm just preaching,
and I'm just preaching for myself,
I don't do it out of love
for the brethren.
All you're hearing is this,
bang, bang, bang, bang,
blah, blah, blah.
I don't want to be
that kind of preacher.
Okay?
I want to be the one
that loves the brethren
and is actually benefiting
from the preaching
that's going on behind the scenes.
All right?
And look,
are there people like this
in churches?
There are.
It's like some people
can serve in church
and not shut up
about what they did at church.
All right?
Oh, you know, yeah,
I was so busy yesterday.
I was there vacuuming,
and I was there
cleaning the windows,
and oh, yeah,
if it wasn't for me,
the church wouldn't be running,
wouldn't be functioning.
It's like, man,
you're the tinkling brass.
You're that sound.
You're not doing that at charity.
You're doing it just
for the praise of man.
That's not Paul.
And then it says,
and though I have the gift
of prophecy,
so he's got the gift
of being able to proclaim
God's word
and understand all mysteries.
Man, this guy understands
more than I do.
And all knowledge.
And then it says,
and though I have all faith
so that I could remove mountains
and have not charity,
I am nothing,
Paul says.
Okay, so when Paul
was serving the church,
when he was using the gifts
that God gave him,
and he had a lot of gifts there.
We sell that, right?
He made sure he had charity.
He made sure he did it
out of love
to minister to the saints.
Okay?
And so when you serve
this church brethren,
do it out of love
for your brethren.
Okay?
And again,
that'll cover a multitude
of sins.
Alright?
That'll make you think
more highly of your brethren
as you go and serve them
rather than being frustrated
and angry about
every little issue
that comes up.
Verse number 12,
1 Peter 4, verse 12.
Then it says this.
Now, because, you know,
verse number 11
ended with amen.
So we start kind of
like a new thought now.
Okay?
It says,
Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial
which is to try you
as though some strange thing
happened unto you.
Okay?
Now, please go to chapter 1.
1 Peter chapter 1,
verse number 7.
Because again,
this is another theme
in this book.
Okay?
The fact that we're going
to be tried,
go through some difficulties.
1 Peter chapter 1,
verse number 7.
It says that the trial
of your faith
being much more precious
than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise
and honor and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Remember, let's keep in mind
the fact that Christ
is coming back,
live in accordance
to Christ's second coming.
Well, you know what?
The Lord wants to try our faith.
He wants to make us
more righteous,
make us more godly,
make us more like Christ.
He wants to burn away
the desires of the flesh
and the desires
for you to sin.
He wants to purge you of all that
so you can be tried in fire.
Many trials,
many difficulties you go through
is just because the Lord
wants to allow you
to be tried,
to be mature,
to grow,
to become more precious.
Okay?
Think about that next time
you're going through
some difficulty.
You know, don't turn around
and say,
well, God, it's not fair.
Why am I suffering with this?
Hey, turn around and say,
God, what is it that
you're trying to purify?
How are you trying to make
me more pleasant,
more beautiful,
more in line with your will?
What is it that I need
to learn for this trial?
I truly believe,
I truly believe, you know,
in light of the Scriptures
that I read that
if you don't learn the lesson
that God wants to teach you
in your trial,
you're just going to stay
in that trial.
You're just going to
stay stuck there.
And until you turn around
and say, what is it
that I need to learn?
Oh, this is what I need to learn.
I need to humble myself.
Oh, I need to love the brethren.
Oh, I need to actually
pick up my Bible and read it.
Maybe that's my trial.
That's what God,
I've got to spend time
with the Lord.
And then when you do that
and you come out with,
you know, through the fire,
the trial is gone
all of a sudden
because you've learnt
the lesson, OK?
You learn the lesson.
You know, there was a time
when if kids did not learn
the lessons in school,
they would be held back.
You didn't pass the grade.
You're going to be held back
and you're going to have
to repeat that year.
Now in schools today,
you don't have to do any work
you get through, OK?
But that's not what we've got.
God wants you to learn
the lesson.
He's going to keep trying you.
Maybe throw another trial
of your way
if you're that thick-headed, OK?
Throw another trial
of your way
if you're that thick-headed
until you learn,
until you allow yourself
to be broken down
and go through the fire
and accept the fact
that God is trying
to refine you some way,
shape or form.
All right, verse number 13,
please, verse number 13.
And this is the hardest part
for the trial.
But how many times
did the Bible say this?
But rejoice.
Oh, what?
I want it to be cast down
and upset and angry
and frustrated about the trial.
No, God says rejoice, OK?
Inasmuch, why?
As ye are partakers
of Christ's suffering,
that when his glory
shall be revealed,
that ye may be glad also
with exceeding joy, OK?
So it says, look,
if you just rejoice
in your suffering,
you're going to have a great joy
when Christ comes back.
You're going to have great joy
when you think about eternity
and the new bodies,
not struggling with sin anymore,
in heaven with the Lord forever,
for all eternity.
You know, the glorious bodies
that you're going to receive,
you're going to be even more
happy in life
if you can also find joy
in trials, OK?
And as I said,
this is the major theme
that Christ has suffered
and we need to suffer, OK?
Let me just run through them
very quickly.
Chapter one was basically saying
that through his suffering
that we have received salvation.
OK, so there was profit
in the suffering of Christ.
This is what gives us salvation.
Chapter two
was that we are commanded
to submit ourselves
to governing authorities,
whether you like them or not,
whether they're good
or whether they're forward,
whether they're difficult,
whether they're passing laws
that you don't agree with.
He says, like,
submit to that unlawful government
because Christ also suffered
and submitted himself
to an unlawful government, OK?
So just like Christ suffered,
you suffered.
That's the whole thing.
Christ suffered,
what's your response, OK?
Chapter three was not just
governing authorities,
but to submit to all authorities
in our life,
for wives to be submissive
to their husbands,
for servants to be submissive
to their masters,
you know, just as Christ
submitted himself to death, OK?
This is why this whole theme
is about suffering.
And then, of course,
chapter four,
what we're reading about now
is that the suffering,
the crucifixion of the flesh
of Jesus Christ
is an example for us
to deny the flesh,
to crucify the flesh,
to crucify those sinful desires, OK?
So every aspect of your
Christian life,
being saved,
being submissive to authorities,
you know, living for God,
ought to be a reflection
or a response or an answer
to what Christ has done for us, OK?
When you find yourself
losing motivation
to live for Christ,
just remind yourself
what did Christ do for me
and what am I willing
to do in return?
Hey, you can't pay it back.
It's not about paying Christ back.
You'll never pay it back
if you try to pay it back, OK?
That's why people
are in eternity for hell forever,
suffering the torment of hell
because they cannot pay.
They can't pay it back.
They're just going to suffer
all eternity for rejecting
Jesus Christ.
And look, Jesus suffered
so much for you.
What, I mean, really,
what is Christ asking from us?
Not much really, OK?
Not much really in comparison,
in comparison to what
he suffered for us.
Verse number 14, it says,
if ye be reproached
for the name of Christ,
happier ye.
Man, if you're just trying
to live like a Christian,
he says, be happy
when you're reproached.
Be happy when people
criticize you.
For the spirit of glory
and of God resteth upon you.
On their part
he is evil spoken of,
but on your part
he is glorified.
But let none of you
suffer as a murderer
or as a thief
or as an evil doer
or as a busybody
in other men's matters.
Yet if any man suffer
as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed,
but let him glorify God
on this behalf.
What is this passage
teaching us?
That all of us
are going to suffer.
All of us.
But you get to choose
how you suffer.
You can either
suffer for Christ.
You just do what's right.
You do what God wants for you.
You do the will of God.
And if you suffer that way,
well, you're going to
suffer that way.
It gives glory to God
and he's going to reward you
in heaven
or you can suffer
for wrongdoing.
You can suffer as a murderer,
thief, evil doer,
a busybody.
What's quite strange
about this,
well, not strange,
but it shows us how evil
being a busybody is.
Being a gossiper,
involving yourself
in other men's matters.
How evil is it?
It's in the same list
as a murderer,
as a thief,
as an evil doer.
You know the busybody
is just as wicked
as all that.
It's in the same list.
God could have
given us any list.
He put the busybody,
the one that's,
did you hear about
brother so-and-so?
Did you see what they did
to their,
what they said
to their children?
Can you believe
they're doing that?
Just be a murderer then.
It's in the same list.
It's just,
it's just,
it's wicked.
Verse number 17.
That was,
that was a joke.
I'm not saying be a murderer,
okay.
Verse number 17.
Almost done there.
It says,
for the time has come
that judgment must begin
at the house of God.
What's the house of God?
Local New Testament church,
okay?
Judgment must begin here,
okay?
And if it first begin at us,
what shall the end be
of them that obey
not the gospel of God?
So those that obey
the gospel of God.
So those that do not obey
the gospel,
those that do not believe
the gospel are the unsaved.
They're going to be judged
by God like we saw already,
that God judges the quick
and the dead, all right?
What this is teaching us,
brethren, is that when you
come to the house of God,
when you come to church,
understand that God
is judging us in church.
When the preacher
preaches the word of God,
whether it's me or someone else,
you're being judged
in accordance to God's words.
I expect you to be
a little bit uncomfortable.
I expect you to say,
hey, that's something
I need to fix in my life, okay?
Instead of going,
oh God, I can't believe
he said that.
Oh, I can't believe
he's emphasizing that.
Don't get offended, okay?
Judgment begins
in that house of God.
This is why you're here.
Why would you come to church
if you're going to hear
exactly what you want
to hear anyway?
Just stay home.
You come to church,
you'll be challenged, okay?
Judgment begins here.
And so when you listen
to preaching, guess what you say?
This is about me.
What do I need to change?
What do I need to do
in my family, within my family?
It's not like, oh,
I hope brother so-and-so
is listening over there.
Man, because yeah,
he did that to me last week.
And I hope he's listening now.
Yeah, pastor, preach it against him.
No, don't think like that.
What did it say about being
a busybody in other men's matters?
Don't worry about everyone else.
Yeah, everyone else
is being judged, yeah.
But you're being judged.
You're not getting
the most out of church
if you're just thinking
about other people.
Hey, this sermon is about you, okay?
It's about you, whoever you are.
It's about you,
it's about me as well.
You know, judgment begins here.
Judgment begins here
in the house of God, right?
Hey, and even, look,
God's gonna judge the ungodly.
He cares more for his children, okay?
He wants to make sure
that we're judged,
that we fix things,
that he will chastise us
when we do wrong, okay?
And listen, the judgment
that is delayed
is much more severe, okay?
Even when we stand before God
and we're judged,
we're gonna stand at the great,
not great white throne,
we're gonna be judged
at the Bema seat,
the judgment seat of Christ
for the works that we've done.
He's gonna judge us,
he's gonna reward us, okay?
But those that are unsaved,
they're gonna stand before Christ
at the great white throne.
Hey, that judgment's gonna be severe.
You know, it's gonna be severe.
That comes afterwards.
You know, that's the wrath of God.
He's gonna cast them
into, you know, eternity in hell.
You know, I'd rather be judged now
while he's lenient,
while he's merciful,
while, you know, I'm a son of God
and he's trying to help me,
than being judged
as an ungodly, unsaved,
wicked non-believer, you know?
Let's appreciate
that we can be judged at church
with the preaching of God's word
rather than being judged
at the great white throne judgment, okay?
And then it says in verse number 18,
it says,
and if the righteous, that's us,
scarcely be saved,
where shall the ungodly
and the sinner appear?
Well, let's answer the question.
Where shall the ungodly
and sinner appear?
Well, they're not going to appear, okay?
They're gonna be cast
into outer darkness.
Once they're judged,
they're gonna be cast
into the lake of fire,
outer darkness,
they're not going to appear
before God,
in the same place
that we're going to appear
before God.
But then it says in verse number 18,
and if the righteous scarcely
be saved.
There's two ways
to understand this verse.
I don't really have
a strong opinion
which way it is.
It can be seen in two ways.
Basically, number one,
that salvation has nothing
to do with us.
And so we're scarcely saved
because we believe in Christ.
I mean, it's like,
you know, it's not like
we even came close
to being saved without Christ.
It's not like
you're a little more saved
than I am, you know,
before accepting Christ.
No, we were not saved,
you know, and so
it's only through Christ.
It's a scarce way
to be saved, right?
That's one way
to understand that verse,
and I think maybe I lean
more toward that one.
The other way to understand this,
if the righteous scarcely
be saved is the fact
that there are few
that are saved.
You know, it's a righteous few.
That's the scarcity of it,
that there's only a few
that are saved.
I don't think it matters
which way you look at that verse.
You know, they're both true anyway.
And so look at verse number 19,
the last verse.
It says,
Wherefore, let them that suffer
according to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls
to Him in well-doing
as unto a faithful Creator.
So that's the last verse.
So if we suffer for good,
if we suffer for Christ, okay,
it says He commits
the keeping of your souls
to Him in well-doing.
What is it saying?
It's saying, look,
if you suffer for well-doing,
just trust in the Lord.
Just, just, just,
I'm suffering for doing good.
Just trust in God.
Okay?
He knows you're suffering.
He's going to uphold you.
He's going to give you the strength
to go through that.
He's teaching you some valuable lesson.
He knows what the wicked are doing.
He's going to judge the wicked.
Hey, they're going to be standing before God
at the great white throne of judgment.
They're going to be cast into hellfire
if they reject Jesus Christ.
God knows what's going on.
He can keep your soul.
He can keep you strong.
That's what you do when you're suffering.
That's what you do
when you're going through trial.
And Brevin, there's something
that I preached today
that's difficult for you
to digest or accept,
and it's something that you need
to change in your life.
Just trust in God.
God's going to give you the wisdom.
God's going to give you the understanding,
and say, God, I don't know if I can
change this about me in my life,
or God can do it for you.
Just trust in Him.
Put your faith in Him.
Spend time with Him.
He can bring about, hey,
if it's a gift that you have
that you're not using,
ask God, can you help me?
Find this gift.
Is it one?
Is it two?
How can I serve the church?
Please tell me, God,
I'm trusting you
to give me the answers that I need.
All right, let's pray.
Heavenly Father, Lord,
we thank you.
Amen.