Alright, thank you for that. So 1 Peter chapter 5, and I had a different sermon lined up for you
guys tonight, but I was speaking to my brother this afternoon, and this verse was brought up,
and this verse kind of made me think, you know what, this is worth preaching on tonight. 1 Peter
chapter 5 verse number 10, but the God of all grace who have called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, notice the next things, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect,
establish, strengthen, settle you. The title for the sermon tonight is establish and settle,
establish and settle, and we're just speaking about how you know at times in our Christian life
we can feel a little bit unsettled, we can be feeling a little bit unsure about the future,
or even unsure about our current times, and you know there are times when you feel very secure,
you feel very sure, you know, but then other times things pop up, and things that you may have
never expected in life to pop up, and all of a sudden you're unsettled, and you're not sure,
and we'll think about, you know, how is it that we can be established, how is it that we can
feel settled, and this is what I want to speak about today, how you can be established
and settled, you know, maybe your entire life feels unsettled right now, maybe there are
different areas of your life that you feel that are unsettled, maybe you feel unsettled
in your marriage, maybe you feel unsettled in your relationships with your children,
you may feel unsettled with your finances, or your work, or you may feel unsettled about
a place to live, all these things could cause you a little bit of anguish,
but I want you to notice what we saw there in verse number 10, after you have suffered
a while, see God's got a purpose for our suffering, and in order for us to be settled
and established we may very well need to go through a bit of difficulties, okay, I mean
that makes sense right, if God wants to establish us, and settle us, and strengthen us, and make
you perfect, and we saw in that verse, well it's because we're in a time when we're unsettled,
where we're not feeling strong, we were feeling quite weak, and so I want to give you a few
tonight as to how you can work on being settled, let's get the context, let's find out exactly
where this verse comes from, why you know, does Peter speak of this verse, backtrack
we've made to verse number 8, first Peter to the 5 verse number 8, now this is a warning sign,
this is a significant warning sign in our Christian life, it says in verse number 8,
be sober, alright, now what does it mean to be sober, so we say well don't be drunkard,
well yeah of course, if you're drunkard you're not sober, but being sober means to be alert,
to be aware, to have all your senses, okay, so you know it's not just alcohol, you know drugs
can do this to you, you know they can put you in a stupor, but you know really when it comes to
our Christian life it's just being watchful, being aware that there are dangers in this world,
so be sober, be vigilant, alright, because your adversary, that's your enemy, the devil,
as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour, sometimes we forget about the devil,
right, I mean there's enough troubles in life, you know, you've got the battle of the flesh,
you've got battle against this world and the influences this world wants to put on you,
to walk away from the faith and to be less faithful toward God, but there's also the devil,
alright, and he's walking about, and brethren if we're going to be doing great things for God,
you know it's going to bother the devil and I believe this church has been doing some great
things for God and the devil is going to be walking about seeking whom he may devour,
when I think of that, seeking whom he may devour, I often think about how, you know, you see these
documentaries of animal documentaries and lions that hunt and they're always watching,
they're always hidden, you know, some tiger or something, they're always hidden in the grass,
just waiting, just waiting for a point of weakness, waiting for a little baby maybe to
be distracted away from the parents or waiting to see if there's an injured creature amongst the
herd, one that's not going to run very quickly, one that is easy to catch and brethren the devil
is watching your life, the devil is watching this church to see where is a weakness, where is it
that I can creep in and cause damage and then verse number nine, whom resist,
brethren we're going to have to resist the devil, whom resist steadfast in the faith knowing that
the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world, not only is the
devil seeking to hurt us and our families and our children and our churches but he's seeking to
hurt our brethren all throughout the world, the devil's looking at all the churches,
all the people that name them of Christ and he's seeking how can I destroy God's people
and so you can see as we're leading up to that verse number 10, what the direct reference is
here, the devil, the devil coming along and brethren the devil's going to unsettle you,
you know, when look even when you even when you're sober and when you're vigilant,
somehow the devil just knows when to attack, look he's done this for thousands of years now,
he's gotten good at attacking God's people, okay, the most subtle things you know with Eve,
how subtle he was when he tempted Eve to take off that tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Verse number 10, but okay but that's a scary thing to think of the devil and yes but the God of all
grace who have called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after that you have suffered a
while, after you've suffered in context to the devil, the devil's caused you to suffer, the
devil's devoured, the devil's taken a bite, taken a chunk in your life, the devil's unsettled you
in your life, caused dramas and conflicts and situations and you just don't know,
you just don't know what is going on but I love how God, the God of grace, he's watching,
he knows, okay, he's aware of the attack, this is after that you have suffered a while,
you see God allows the suffering to come, okay, God allows it, why? It says to make you make you
perfect, well-rounded, forever we need as we grow in our Christian life, we need to learn how to
resist the devil, we need to learn how to battle this enemy, okay, and you know the only way you
can learn is by going to war, by going to war with the devil and guess what, sometimes the
devil wins, sometimes he has victory in life, okay, and you're going to suffer a while but God
wants to make you perfect, he wants to establish, that means he wants to ground you, right,
strengthen, he wants you to be stronger than you were before, like you know obviously the attack
of the devil's made you weak, hasn't it, it's weakened you, unsettled you but God is saying
look through this process, he can make you stronger, settle you, settle you, do you feel
unsettled, I feel unsettled, past few months I've been feeling very unsettled but you know what,
God can settle you, God can settle your heart, God can settle your mind, God can make you stronger,
right, I mean look, that's what we see in God's word, right, look if you're unsettled
tonight, you know if you feel burdened and unsure and you know what does God want,
where am I going, what am I doing, look take this promise, take this promise from God's word and say
God I see you want to strengthen me, make me perfect, right, so it may be made perfect,
don't forget that doesn't mean sinless, that means well-rounded, right, a matured growth,
all these things and Lord I see this in your word, I want to take that word, please apply
this to my life but be careful while you're asking because you may very well have to suffer
a while in order to go through this process of growth and strengthening and brethren when you
are settled, verse 11, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen, once you're
grounded and settled like Lord you know you're to all glory, dominion forever and what I like about
that verse, just that final verse, you know it feels like the devil's there on the attack and
the world's falling apart and he just feels man I don't know where I stand in this world
but then we're just reminded well God is over it all anyway, he's our father, he'll strengthen you,
there's nothing for us to be afraid of, nothing happens without God's awareness,
he knows what's going to take place, he knows when you're feeling unsettled, he knows you were going
to feel unsettled, he knows the beginning from the end, he knows all things and that should give us
a lot of comfort but point number one for you brethren is to be established,
to be established and settled you must go through suffering, you must go through suffering,
it's uncomfortable, no one likes to go through suffering, it was a good one but the advantage
of us as believers when we go through suffering we know there's a good end result that can come
out of this and brethren my goal tonight is to give you some tips, point number one there is
you know you can nearly go through suffering and are you brave enough to say Lord I'm willing
to go through some suffering, I'm willing to taste a little bit of the suffering of Christ in my life
so I can be strengthened, so I can be even stronger, so I can be even more established
you know that I can be even more settled you know in my position as one of your child.
Now turn with me to another passage, come with me to Psalm chapter seven, Psalm chapter,
Psalm seven please, Psalm seven, Psalm seven and verse number eight, Psalm seven and verse number
eight, so the first point to be established and settled you must go through suffering, you must
go through suffering. Now when the devil does attack in your life and you are going through
suffering and you're going through difficulties I want you to remember that God we know we saw
this already that God sees all right dominion over all things all right we know that God sees
the devil, he sees your hurt, he sees your pain, he sees your heart okay and if the devil's using
wicked people to hurt you he sees the hearts of those wicked people and we're reminded here in
Psalm seven verse eight it says the Lord shall judge the people, the people is all people okay
that means believers and God will judge unbelievers, God will judge the people.
Now the psalmist says judge me oh Lord according to my righteousness
and those next words and according to mine integrity that is in me.
You know when I read many times in the bible the psalmist and David saying Lord judge me,
search my hearts you know so I think man that what a great prayer like what confidence there
is in these people to say look Lord search me like I'm afraid honestly I'm afraid to say to God
God search my heart because he might find something in there that's not very pleasant
but I want you to notice that let's talk about the integrity for a minute but look at verse
number nine oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end so God judged the wicked right
let them come to an end but then he's talking about judging himself he says but establish
the just for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reigns.
So the psalmist says look I'm just Lord, Lord I'm a righteous man, Lord I'm being attacked
by the wicked but he says look I'm a man of integrity he says and according to mine integrity
that is in me and then he says Lord establish the just now that you've passed judgment you've
passed judgment and you've seen that I'm just you've seen that I've got integrity,
Lord you've seen that there's righteousness in me, Lord you see that this attack of the wicked
this attack of the enemy you know is not my doing Lord it's outside of my control
Lord can you judge us all and he says you know what I'm going to come out and
I'm going to be established the Lord is going to establish the just.
Point number two Brevin I have for you is you must even in the time of suffering
even in the time when you're uneasy and you feel unsure of things you must maintain your integrity
maintain your integrity okay now the word integrity means honest
it means whole it means being undivided like think of the think of math integrity
integer you know what an integer is it's a whole number it's not a fraction it's a whole number
an integer integrity comes from that root word being whole not being divided all right listen
when you're going through difficulties and suffering it might be tempting to go Lord I
don't know where you are Lord I think you've forgotten all about me Lord I'm just you know
what it's just not working I'm not going to you know be in church and I'm not going to walk in
your ways because just Christianity just the life that doesn't seem to work Lord no you maintain
your integrity you say you know even when things just aren't going my way and I've been attacked
and the devil's on my back you know what I'm still going to praise God I'm still going to
bless him I'm still going to walk righteously I'm still going to maintain my integrity I'm not going
to move away from the doctrines that I've established grounded myself you know as I read
and studied God's word and look you need to maintain that integrity to be established
and I can speak of people that I've seen in my Christian life that I thought were on fire for
God I thought they will last a distance and they talk a big game but when things get too difficult
they're out out of the church not walking the Lord all right and it's like where was where's your
integrity you know you're divided you've got like these divided it didn't work out the way I wanted
I'm going for a suffering that I didn't want to go through therefore I'm done with it it's just
it's just not worth it Reverend that's not that's not how we should be you know God says if we can
just maintain that integrity he will establish us say Lord can you judge me do you have that
confidence to say you know if you're feeling unsettled right now whatever your situation is
Lord can you judge my heart can you see if there is any wicked way in me and if there's any wicked
way Lord can you cleanse that can you forgive me for that and Lord judge me by the righteousness
and the justice and the honesty that I have within me the clear conscience that I have within me
Reverend point number two is you must maintain your integrity
come with me to another psalm psalm 90 please psalm 90 psalm 90
so this whole sermon is being about being grounded being established being settled
and psalm 90 I want you to look at the introduction to the psalm you know how we've
got a title for the psalm I want you to notice that it says a prayer of moses the man of God
so psalm 90 is not a psalm of David it's actually a prayer of moses
that you know the Lord by divine inspiration allowed the psalmist to pen these words
all right and I want you to notice what Moses was a great man what a great man he was
like he could have just stayed in Egypt you know as the son of Pharaoh's daughter
all right Pharaoh's grandson all the riches the great education easy life and he said you know
what not I'd rather suffer with God's people and then he comes back at the age of 80 years old
80 years old and leads them out of that nation the most powerful nation on the earth at that time
amazing miracles God did for him and his help with his brother Aaron and they led the people
of Israel the children of Israel you know out of Egypt and God you know you know the great
miracles that God did with Moses okay but I want to notice what Moses says in his prayer in verse
number 16 psalm 90 verse number 16 he's speaking to God here let thy work appear unto thy servants
and thy glory unto their children so again the context is Moses let thy work God's work appear
unto thy servants so you know they saw great miracles they saw the plagues right fall in Egypt
they saw the red sea being parted and they could walk through dry ground right they saw these
amazing things and God says look we want to see your work we want it to be glorious to your
servants so we know about the work of God but I love what he says in verse number 17 he then kind
of flips it about our work in verse number 17 he says and let the beauty of the Lord our God be
upon us and establish thou the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it
so what is Moses doing he says man I've seen your works God it's amazing
Lord let some of that beauty fall upon us Lord as we go and labour and work for you Lord can
you please establish our work brethren point number three is you must continue working if
you want to be grounded established strengthened and settled listen don't give up is the point
okay point number three you must continue working or don't give up keep working keep pushing yourself
all right the devil's come along he's taking a bite he's unsettled you but you keep serving the
Lord you keep laboring for him you keep pushing forward with the things that you know God wants
you to do and the psalmist says God you will establish my work like my work is not going to
going it's not going to be void it's not going to be vain it's not going to be empty it's going to
be of use and I can turn around and say Lord even when I'm being unsettled and I'm not sure and I'm
struggling but Lord I'm just going to continue Lord you bless my hands you bless the work that
I'm doing and God's going to come through and you'll be established not just yourself in your
heart and your mind but what you accomplish in life will stand true will be established
there's so many advantages to just soldiering on given when sometimes you may not feel like it
and you know when you don't feel like soldiering on you know that's the flesh the weak flesh and
that's okay let the flesh be weak okay and let your spirit be strong all right and you say you
know what I'm going to put on the strong new man and I'm going to serve the Lord I'm going to work
I'm going to labor I'm going to be productive right in my life and I'm going to soldier on
I'm not going to give up but you know what if you give up you know when you give up that's when
you really fall hard
you know so I get a lot of phone calls and lots of people ask me for advice
and I'm not the kind of pastor that'll you know visit you and spend hours and hours with you but
I'll do my best to give some good advice over the phone or even in person
but a lot of people share issues and problems they have you know and my my go-to is essentially look
yes that's an issue and we'll deal with that in a moment but let's talk about the things that are
going well for you at the moment you know someone might say hey pastor you know I'm having some
issues with my wife whatever and like hey brother thank God you've got a wife because there are
single people that are searching and they feel lonely and they want somebody they can spend
their life with you know there are good elements even when things seemingly go bad you know and
brother you've got a roof over your head you've got a solid job and you know I remind this brother
before before they kind of collapse with the one struggle the one uncertainty they have
you know what you've got all these other great things that keep you grounded just keep going to
the things that you're grounded on keep working for the Lord let the Lord bless you in that area
okay and then take your issues and your problems to God let him settle you in that area but
brethren you must continue working come with me to James chapter five James chapter five
James chapter five and verse number one
now the immediate context of James chapter five is number one is of future events but we can still
apply it today and I just want to show you just how relevant or just how all-knowing God is all
right verse number one the preacher says go to now ye rich men weep and how for your miseries
that shall come upon you now I won't go into all of this but James is saying look the problem
in on the on the earth are these rich men and brethren the people that cause problems and issues
in our world are the rich men okay they've got power they've got influence James look it was
the same in James time it's always been the same and even when it comes to the end times it's going
to be the same okay drop down to verse number six the reason I wanted to just introduce you
that he's preaching against which he's not preaching these words they're not to God's people
okay he's preaching to these wicked people then drop down to verse number six so he's still
continuing it's preaching against these wicked people it says ye have condemned and killed the
just and he doth not resist you all right so look you rich man you wicked man you're attacking
just people you're attacking God's people but they're doing nothing in return against you
all right and so once again like we started if we want to be established and settled you may
have to suffer a while and remember when it comes to the end times and you know when it comes down
to the tribulation there will be great persecution on God's people they'll be suffering for a while
all right but I want you to notice what he says in verse number seven
now he's speaking to God's people all right he says and now I want you to notice how many times
he says the word patience in the next few verses verse number seven be patient therefore brethren
unto the coming of the Lord behold the husband man waiter for the precious fruit of the earth
look at this and have long patience for it until he received the early and latter rain
verse number eight be ye also patient it's three times already in a very short period of time
be ye also patient look at this establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord
brethren point number four in order for you to be established and settled
you must be patient and set your eyes on the coming of the Lord
be patient and set your eyes on the coming of the Lord brethren one day Christ is coming
all right and we know it's it's amazing because we know the bible tells us the world's going to
get worse all right and there's going to be a greater departing of the faith all right we're
warned of these things in the bible and and then we kind of complained but the bible's already
warned us this is this is happening and brethren as we see this world get more and more corrupt
and our nation become more and more wicked it can unsettle you say what about our future what about
whatever my children and you know some people are so unsettled i've met christians
that have decided not to have any kids because they don't want their kids growing up
in the tribulation or something are the kids growing up in a wicked world i mean look still
have your children still have your kids because who's going to reach the next generation with the
gospel ideally it's our children ideally it's our families
and look if they reach people with the gospel they're going to earn great rewards
they're going to be glorified in heaven you know jesus is going to uh um what's the word i'm saying
is jesus christ is going to yeah reward i was going to say ah say their name to the father
what's but the bible says a certain way confess yeah that's right you know jesus is going to
confess their name to the father they're going to say look father look how well this person did
and how well this person did and i tell you it'll be all worth it but when this world gets worse
and you get unsettled and you're not sure just remind yourself hold on it's not going to be like
this forever christ is coming back and it's going to be different and we're going to be with christ
that's the thing even if we die before that time christ is going to bring us back and we're going
to rule and reign with him those thousand years that's a promise that's locked in you're coming
back to this earth not on your own but with christ on this earth i've often thought when i was a kid
because i didn't understand the end times that well when i was a child but i often used to say
to myself man it would have been so good if i was born if i was alive when jesus walked the earth
that would have been great but i am going to be alive when jesus christ walks here
i'm going to be my resurrected body it's even going to be even greater than that
and he's going to rule
and that should settle you christ is coming back right if you can come with me to second
corinthians chapter four second corinthians chapter four verse number 17
second corinthians chapter four verse number 17
i don't know about you brevin but i often just think about jesus christ coming back and just
gives me great joy great comfort even so come lord jesus isn't that what john said even so just come
just just come lord you know and uh second corinthians chapter four please verse number 17
it's the same teaching it's the same idea okay but it says here in verse number 17
okay but it says here in verse number 17 and it's a funny it's a funny verse here because
well let's read it for our light affliction so it doesn't feel light
are you sure paul he's writing to the corinthians our light affliction which is but for a moment
you know when when you're going for afflictions and the devil's attacked or whatever it is
it feels like it's ongoing feels like it's never going to end
but it's light in comparison we'll soon see right it is for a moment it says worketh for us
a far more exceeding and great sorry exceeding an eternal weight of glory then it says while
we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which
are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal reverend your struggles and
your uncertainties and my uncertainties it's temporal it's light affliction it's but for a
moment in comparison to eternity so the teaching is similar like we saw earlier all right if you
want to be established and settled look forward to the coming of christ see your eyes on christ
and his return but the whole point of that is that's ultimately eternity that's on spiritual
matters not on carnal things right set your eyes on the right things and that's going to help
establish and settle you come with me to another passage colossians chapter 1 colossians chapter 1
verse number 21 colossians chapter 1 and verse number 21 colossians 1 21 i'm probably going to
speed through this one because it's just a it's just a basic one that we often speak about and
we know it's true we know this one's very true but colossians 1 21 it says and you that were some
time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works yet now have you reconciled so there was a
time when we were not we were alienated we were strangers we were enemies right we had these
wicked works in our life it says now you have he reconciled right he's brought us in fellowship
with god by salvation verse number 22 in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy
and unblameable and unreproveable in his sights so even though we have these wicked works and stuff
like that you know what we've been redeemed we've been saved when we stand before god
it's holy unblameable unreproveable that's how god sees us through his son wonderful
but then it says in verse number 23 if you continue in the faith look at this grounded
and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven where of i paul and made a minister revenue says
look if you continue in the faith it says uh in the hope of the gospel you know what this says
to us that we can be saved we can trust christ as savior and i'm sure you've experienced this
because i have you know you go through life and like when you're newly saved you're excited
woohoo praise god right you'll be like i'm willing to do whatever it takes lord to be
at your side and to walk in your ways but then life you know life happens
and uncertainties come in and you know and problems and all this stuff and
you lose the hope you lose not not that you you know start doubting if you're unsaved you just
you kind of forget the joy of your salvation that's why the sama says restore unto me the
joy of thy salvation we kind of forget about it you know we focus on the problems and the issues
and we forget oh but praise god i'm actually going to heaven i'm actually saved i'm never
going to taste the second death i've been redeemed i've been cleansed i'm one of god's children
and brevin point number five that i have for you in this point is you know we can be established
and settled by remembering your hope in the gospel just remind yourself how glad you are
that you are saved because we forget that sometimes it just becomes something yeah
i got saved 10 years ago and you know but now i've got problems yeah but you're still saved
and so continue in that faith grounded and settled
that's what settles your brethren and be not moved from the hope of the gospel
you know another thing that helps that helps me in life when i've been unsettled
and you may even have lost a little bit of the joy of the salvation that you have because you're
so distracted with all the problems you know what fixes that immediately in line with what
we're reading here telling someone else the gospel telling someone else how to be saved
you know why because your problem in light of their soul going to hell is so insignificant
and when they reject the gospel they're like broken nice why can't they just hear why can't
they just give me five minutes of their time you know if they end up in hell they're going to
regret not listening to that person at the door and someone gets saved and the joy the joy in
your heart when someone gets saved and boy that just overshadows all your problems
i mean wouldn't you swap how would i how do i say this wouldn't you swap
yeah all right so you let's say you're on your way to hell and say okay we can fix that
and you can go to heaven but you're going to have a lot of problems in life or no problems in life
but you die and go to hell for all eternity i mean isn't it obvious just take me to heaven
give me all the problems of the earth because it's light affliction it's just but for a moment
and you've got that so that should settle you and look i honestly i mean that you know i've
put that into practice times when i've been just a bit cold a bit unsure just a bit losing motivation
go and knock a door just you don't feel like it because you're losing that like you're losing
that excitement just just go knock a few doors and just remind yourself man that soul behind
that door is on their way to hell what do i have to complain about man i should just rejoice in my
position before almighty god so point number five is remembering you can be established and settled
by remembering your hope in the gospel now let's turn to our final passage first thessalonians
chapter three first thessalonians chapter three and verse number one first thessalonians chapter
three and verse number one i wanted to end on this one because i really want us to if there's
any of these points that you know you take home with you and think about and apply i really want
you to apply this last one okay so i left it for last so you can retain your memory
but in first thessalonians chapter three verse number one okay so we know paul is right into
the thessalonian church he's right into the church because he's not present okay and he's
a little concerned about you know because paul and his travelers they've been going for a lot
of persecution and there's a little bit concerned about the state of the thessalonian church
okay because obviously you know when you see people going through persecution especially
god's people doing god's work it can bring a bit of unsettledness in the hearts of people
you know oh man you know if we stand out for god if we do things you know we will suffer
persecution and you can be a bit unsettled with that thought and so he says in verse number one
first thessalonians chapter three verse number one wherefore when we could no longer forbear
we thought it good to be left at athens alone so they're in athens okay but they couldn't
forbear they needed to go and see the church so it says in verse number two and sent timotheus
that's timothy we know that timothy is a pastor okay sent timotheus our brother and minister of
god and our fellow laborer in the gospel of christ look at this to establish you and to comfort you
concerning your faith he says look let me send pastor timothy to you to establish to strengthen
to settle the church right timothy has come in with great preaching right to motivate
to encourage to settle the church because like that they weren't sure how the church was fairing
so can you see that thought there okay and then it says in verse number three that no man should
be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know that we are appointed there unto okay so we're
sending timothy so you know that you don't get moved you don't get distracted you don't get
unsettled in your in your faith timothy is there to encourage you to motivate you
so point number six is we can be established and settled by encouraging
yourself in the strength of the brethren let me repeat that you can be settled and established
by encouraging yourself in the strength of the brethren now when it comes to this church
they're going to be encouraged by the strength of timothy timothy is coming to strengthen them to
establish them okay what i'm trying to say to you brevin is this and this is this is really
important isn't it true that we have ups and downs we have good times and bad times sometimes
we're just on fire for god and sometimes we're just in the dumps look i hope that as a pastor
i hope that i've been a good example i hope there have been times when you've been a little
bit in the dumps spiritually and i hope you've seen in your pastor a man who loves you a man
who's faithful a man who loves jesus a man who loves the word right and a man doing the best
he can to to teach you god's word and i hope that has established your hearts okay but it's not just
one way let's continue reading verse number four for verily when we were with you we told you
before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and you know like guys we have to
suffer tribulation persecution we're going to suffer a while all right these things happen to
god's people for verse number five for this cause when i could no longer forbear because i just i
had to know i had to know about you guys he goes i sent to know your faith all right lest by some
means the tempter there is a devil again the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain
he goes look i just had to know your state i know the devil i know the tempter wants to hurt you
church i know the devil wants to unsettle you i know he wants to weaken you and so we couldn't
we had to send timotheus we had to know about your state
and then it says in verse number six but now when timotheus came from you unto us
so timotheus came back timothy's come back right from the church and brought us good tidings
of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us always
desiring greatly to see us and we also to see you therefore brethren look at this
look so timothy came back and goes you know what the thessalonian church is in good shape
they're faithful they're committed they're strong they remember us in prayer they're thinking of us
and this report comes back to paul by timothy and he says in verse number seven therefore brethren
we that's the leaders paul and timotheus right we were comforted over you in all our affliction and
distress by your faith for now we live if you stand fast in the lord he says church i've seen
you stand fast in the lord you haven't been moved you've been strong and in your in the strength of
your faith and the strength of your character we have also been comforted right in our affliction
and distress paul's been distressed paul's had times when he was unsettled and unsure
but when he's found out that the church is doing well and doing strong because man that
comforted me that helped me verse number eight again for now we live like now like not that
he's dead but like he says yeah now i like i'm really living like i you know i'm i'm so happy
that you stand far if you stand fast in the lord man you guys are doing so well
and brethren can you see how he starts by sending timothy to strengthen the brethren but then when
the when the news came back timothy paul maybe sylvanus they were strengthened by the state of
the church what that tells me brethren is that we can rub off on each other right like i said i
hope i've been a good example to you guys you know and some of you guys have said that to me
and i appreciate that but believe it or not you guys have also been a great example to me
when i see you established when i see you strong when i see you faithful
you know what that helps me when i'm unsettled you know i'm not like ah man i wish i was like
you might go praise god praise god you know when we're not doing the best and we're not
we're feeling down we're downcast you know what but i see brother so-and-so come along and
he's soldiering on and you know i know brother michael doesn't you know but when i see brother
michael no matter what he's out there every week week in week out going going fishing it's like
praise god strengthens you doesn't it it should do it should do you know that's why i want you
know on our on our faithful messenger group just post the salvations it's an encouragement it's
not not showing off we're not boasting of ourselves we know salvation is not of us
it's of jesus christ you know what it's an encouragement it motivates it strengthens it
stablish establishes us so brethren i just wanted to bring that because i really like that thought
you know buying you know you can be strengthened and established by encouraging yourself in the
strength of the brethren if you're down you're cast down unsettled look at those that are on fire
come man god you are still using the brethren of our church and i'm part of this church
right we're working and we're laboring together and we know of course lord's going to reward each
one of us individually for the works that we've done but it's pretty clear to me that lord's also
going to reward the church as a whole as pastors have to give an account to the church it says hey
submit yourself to those that have the rule over you because it'd be profitable for you
there's there's something that god will reward a church for for the work that we've done together
so i like that i like that you know again i i want to be settled and established and strong
all the time i hope it's not always i may appear that way on the outside but sometimes on the
inside i'm not in past few months i've not but i've been strengthened you know what i've been
strengthened by uh you guys traveling i say you know what i'm coming to new life at this church
you know i'm willing to move from another nation to be here and you know i just think wow you know
god what are you you know god you must be blessing us god you must see our faithfulness and you see
the need in our church and you just you're ready to bless us and to grow our church that strengthens
me that encourages me the brethren in a few weeks from wa they're going to be here that's going to
strengthen me again and so what i'm trying to say is we need to draw strength from each other
yeah instead of looking at others that are doing well and going oh man i wish i was like that or
just i'm glad they're doing well and i'm going to be comforted i'm going to rejoice
how my brethren are established and strong that's going to help me be established and settled in my
heart so brethren in summary to be established and settled at least in these points that i have
for you tonight number one remember that you must go through suffering you must this is life
and you've all suffered and we've all suffered in life number two you must maintain your integrity
number three you must continue working don't give up number four be patient and set your
eyes on the coming of the lord number five did i anyway that was number four number five
you to be established and settled you must remember your hope in the gospel
you know your joy in the gospel and number six by encouraging yourself yourself
in the strength of the brethren okay let's pray