(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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