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Man All right Psalm 37 verse 16 says a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked For the arms of the wicked shall be broken But the Lord uphold it the righteous the Lord knoweth the days of the upright and their inheritance shall be forever They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and that the days of famine they shall be satisfied Satisfied and the time to determine this evening is God's remedy for the evil day God's remedy for the evil day in verse 19 It says they shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the days of famine. They shall be Satisfied the Bible says now it goes without saying that good things happen or excuse me Bad things happen to good people all the time Okay, and it's not necessarily based upon a righteous person's disobedience or because they're not right with God or because they have Sent in their lives. Sometimes life is just life What is that called when bad things happen to good people? Well verse 19 defines it as the evil time a time of evil. It's the evil day It's when something bad happens to you and it's not necessarily based upon your character your You know lack of obedience or whatever may be because you have sin in your life. It's just simply an evil time It's an evil day now. We often associate evil with that which is wicked, right? You know, we think of reprobates for example We would say these are evil people you think about evil workers as the Bible likes to talk references them evil workers the concision the Bible talks about and the Bible definitely has instances of people doing wickedly or Behaving themselves in an evil manner and you basically can distinguish which is which based upon the context, right? We would consider this to be someone with wicked intentions all right a false teacher a false prophet is a evil as an evil person a Person who desires violence upon others who loveth violence is an evil person, right? A person who does not regard the life of others just completely is void of conscience We would say that is an evil person However, there are times in the Bible when evil simply means unpleasant or harmful Okay, and this is exactly what this is talking about the evil time It's when something comes upon you something happens to you. It's harmful. It is unpleasant It's not fortunate for it to happen to you. It's just evil. Okay, and Look, we see God Bringing evil upon people don't we? You know the Bible even says in Amos chapter 3 verse 6 shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be afraid Shall there be evil in a city look at this and the Lord hath not done it You know, what is it referring to when it talks about an evil in the city? Well today we can think about just natural disasters, right? You know volcanic activity in different countries Earthquakes, you know fires in California These are not just natural disasters as if they just sprouted out of nowhere. God is the one who's orchestrating these things, right? Now here's the thing. There's people there are righteous people who live within those cities they live within those countries who are suffering the evil of that event and It's not because they're evil. It's not because they're wicked. They just live in a country Potentially is doing wicked things Therefore they suffer the consequences the consequences of the actions of that nation and it's not because God has a grudge against them as Individuals but God is punishing that city for whatever reason. He's bringing evil upon that city You know, I love our church and I believe our church is a righteous church But if a comment from heaven fell down and just completely Demolished the city of Omani while we're here. It wouldn't be because we're are because we're unrighteous We couldn't blame God for that you know Executing judgment upon us because of the fact that if we're doing that which God tells us to do We know we're not evil, but he's judging that city as a whole. He's bringing harm He's bringing something unpleasant upon that city for whatever reason because of judgment Jeremiah 6 19 says hero earth behold I will bring evil upon this people even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened into my words nor to my law But rejected it now when God brings evil it doesn't mean he's being wicked because we know that God isn't wicked Right. God is a righteous God the Bible says let no man said we is tempted of God I am or that he is tempted. I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil Neither tempteth he any man So we need to work that in tandem with all the other scriptures where he says I'm gonna bring evil upon these these people I'm gonna bring evil upon this nation that way we understand that the evil of wickedness is Designated for people who are wicked and then the evil that God brings upon someone is often just judgment or a misfortune Something to that extent so what can we define that type of evil as well that evil is Basically something that is marked or accompanied by mishaps or misfortune Let me give you something on a small scale you get a flat tire on your way to work And you're late, and you get fired. It's probably not because God's judging you just your tire sucks And they got a flat It's an evil that happened that day, and it cost you your job Right or how about if you get a sickness? How about if you get cancer? What if you get some sort of sickness unto death and you examine your life? You're like well? I'm right with God I'm going to church. I'm soul winning. I'm tithing. Why is this happening to me? It's just the evil time It's just part of the evil day. It's not because God is angry with you. It's just part of life This is the evil day This is the evil time that the Bible talks about bad things happen to good people all the time good people Experience evil things all the time and let me say this you my friend will experience the evil day You my brother will experience the evil time something bad. I'm prophesying this right now Something bad is going to happen to you It's fact Because we live in a corrupt world we live in a sin filled world we have corrupt bodies We have a corrupt system, and it's just gonna happen that way because that's just the way it is Go to Ecclesiastes chapter number 9 and look this morning, I preached against Calvinism and Calvinism has this teaching that talks about this the sovereignty of God Now we believe God is a sovereign he is sovereign in matters in the sense of he's king and Lord of Lords But what when they talk about the sovereignty of God in other words. He's the one that orchestrates everything even The evil in this world even the wickedness of this world so the pedophile who molest a child God told them to do that And look I'm not exaggerating Full-blown Retarded Calvinists have been you know asked about that, and they basically said yeah, God is the one who ordained that to happen No, God does not ordained for people to get raped molested and killed He has laws against that that would be a contradiction of his own laws for him to ordain for those things to happen People have their own will God is a sovereign, but he gives us free will to choose But look along with that we understand that sometimes is just by chance That things happen, okay You know some things happen by chance The Bible refers to as refers to it as chance But also refers to as the hap like it just so happened to take place look at Ecclesiastes 9 verse 11 I returned and saw under the Sun We just sang about this that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong Neither yet bred to the wise nor your richest to men of understanding nor yet favored to men of skill, but time and chance Happeneth to them all now look we learn that Yes, the race is to the Swift sometimes right the fastest man wins The battle often is to the strong because they train for that they train to win the war they train train to win the battle The bread is to the wise Richest to men of understanding favored to men of skill, but you know what when those men the wise The Swift the strong the men of understanding the men of skill when they don't get that which they work for It's just by chance When someone worse than you gets the promotion it's not because you're a wicked person. It's just by chance I Mean don't you ever wonder why? Lame lazy people succeed more than you sometimes Alright How did he get the job and I did it Was that because you're wicked Well first examine yourself to see if it is you're wicked And then that's the number one thing you have to look for But after you've cleared that and you're like, well, alright, I already did inventory and I'm right with God. Okay, then it's just by chance It's just by chance you say well, how does that work with God? Ordering my steps and you know the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighted in his way How does that work if it's by chance because of the fact that God can take that which happens by chance and work together for good All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose So those things that those evil things that happen to you Those mishaps that happen to you the things that happen by chance that don't work in your favor God can work those things out in your favor. So we have this element of Divine grace by God who win things when things don't work out for us. God can work it out for us in the long run So the ingredients that are unpleasant they're harmful. They're evil. They just do us wrong You know, whatever may happen to you. These things can work together for good. But the condition is you have to love God So if you love the Lord you love the Bible God can work that together for good God can turn that evil into good. Look at Joseph He meant it unto evil, but God meant it unto good you see it was not God's will for Joseph's brethren to just lie and to sell him into slavery and just to backstab him It was not his will that Potiphar's wife would lie about him and then you know He get thrown into prison as well and all these mishaps are happening to him What does the Bible say that the Lord was with him and because the Lord was with him at the end He became vice-pharaoh of Egypt because all things were together for good for them to love God But that's not to say that the evil will not come because the evil day will come. Oh That's not right. You know, you know, I don't like it when when evil people succeed or when wicked people, you know It seems that they're just making all the money. They have no problems. Their marriage is great. You know, their health is fine Everything is going fine and dandy for the unsaved. I'm over here serving God. Nothing's going right for me But here's the thing you got to look at the end result of it all The Bible says I have been young and now I'm old yet. Have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor seed begging bread David saying that and I guarantee you at the end of your life you could say the same thing We've not seen the righteous forsaken Nor his seed begging bread you're in Ecclesiastes go to Ecclesiastes chapter number eight if you would Ecclesiastes chapter number eight That's not right, yeah, you know what it's not right But it's not the the judge of all the earth will do right and he will recompense the evil back upon their heads He will recompense the righteous at the resurrection Look at Ecclesiastes 8 12 says though a sinner do evil a hundred times and his days be prolonged You ever wonder like why do these wicked people keep living Why won't God just destroy them? Why is why are his days being prolonged? Well, don't worry. The Lord is not slack concerning his promises as some men would count for slackness Though a sinner do evil a hundred times and his days be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him. It shall be well with you The Bible says in Proverbs 16 for the Lord hath made all things for himself Yay, even the wicked for the day of evil, you know God even uses the wicked people in this world to accomplish his desire his will He hardens the hearts of those who have hardened their heart towards him in order to accomplish his will. Okay The Bible says in Proverbs 13 for 21 evil Pursuant sinners, but the righteous but to the righteous good shall be repaid You know, we may have our evil days. We may have our evil times but evil pursues sinners That's all that's how they live. I Mean look at every single gangster in this world They do not live out half their days Why because evil pursues them and in fact, they can't even like if they escape prison or they escape jail You know They can't even go to a cross light in their vehicle without looking in the rear view mirrors making sure that there's no police chasing them Right looking around the show. They think they're free, but they're not really free You know the whit why because the wicked flee when no man pursue it, but the righteous are both as a lion You see they think they're free. But in actuality, they're in bondage to their own fear Whereas we as Christians we subject ourselves to the laws and rules of God To his laws and because of that we're free We're not worried about if someone's chasing us down. We're not scared of the police are after us We're not looking behind our shoulder Well, I mean you may be like you have a warrant for your rest or so But you know, we're not doing that why because of the fact that we have nothing to fear evil pursues sinners You're in Ecclesiastes go to chapter number two But You know, it's It's unrealistic to believe that we're never gonna have an evil day and look the the the crust of this message Is this is that you need to prepare for the evil day in your life? You need to get ready for that You know, you may believe right you may have all the right doctrines But you know what in a time of temptation when persecution arrives it because of the word You could potentially fall away if you're not rooted Right, if you're not expecting the evil day, what is the evil day? Well evil day can be sickness cancer It can be a loss of resources. It could be a loss of life. I Mean I have not yet had to experience the loss of life of my own family members, but it's coming You know how I know that because everyone dies including me and it's Realistic to think well that happens to other people but not to me. No, it can happen this week You can lose someone whom you love this week Someone can be just taken from you this week. What is that? That's the evil day and There's nothing you can do to stop it. But other than prepare for it Look at Ecclesiastes 2 20 says therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labor which I took under the Sun For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom and in knowledge and in equity Yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion This also is vanity and a great evil go to chapter number five if you would chapter number five Look at verse number 11 when goods increase They are increased that eat them What does that mean the more possessions you get the more thieves the more moth the more rust That could potentially corrupt them and What good is there to the owners thereof saving the beholding of them with their eyes? He said what good is if you can't even give ice to your sleep because you're constantly think about your possessions Verse 12 the sleep of a laboring man is sweet Whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep This is referring to the covetous person Who feel like they're just not content until they have X Y & Z and they think well I will sleep better if I get X Y & Z. No, you'll sleep better if you work By the way side note here if you're struggling with insomnia, it's because you're not working hard enough If you have if you have trouble falling asleep at night, it's because you're not working hard enough Get a job or at your job work hard Why because the Bible says the sleep of a laboring man is sweet. You know, that means when you hit the pillow You're unconscious And you wake up the next day and you're like wow. I was I slept throughout the whole night my wife my poor wife she's pregnant and You know Pregnancy changes the body, you know, and it's like it's giving her like she just I'm gonna tell everyone. Sorry Sarah, okay she gets these like Sudden cramps in her arms or legs. It's just like she has to get out of bed and like I don't remember any of it. I Don't remember any of it and it's causing her to like not sleep well, not because she's not a laboring woman, but because she's she's about to give labor and She tells me like the next morning. She's like like do you remember she's like you even said like are you okay? Do you need I'm like, I don't remember ever having that conversation with you and she even said she even said one time like She said that one time, you know, she got up and I said, are you okay? She's like, yeah, I got these cramps legs and I said, I'm sorry and I just rolled over And I went to sleep. I Don't remember. I just don't remember because I was I was tired. I was sleeping. I don't remember these things. Okay, and Look, I'm not ashamed to say that I labored. That's why I sleep good If you have trouble sleeping number one check your diet Number two get a job actually number one get a job number two check your diet number three is repeat one and two Labor That way you don't fall asleep in church Because you've been staying awake all night watching Netflix or whatever The sleep of the laboring man that was just a side note there the sleep of a laboring man is sweet whether he eat little Or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners are of to their hurt What is this talking about talking about people when they think their possessions will bring them joy, but what does actually bring them hurt? Possession brings them hurt it actually causes harm to them Instead of good verse 14 But those riches perish by evil travail and he beget at the Sun and there is nothing in his hand As he came forth of his mother's womb Naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labor Which he may carry away in his hand and this also is a sore evil that in all points as he came So shall he go and what profit hath thee that hath labored for the wind? What is he saying? You know, it's like evil is that you spend your whole life working so hard To earn that what you have and then when you die nothing goes with you Tutankhamun You know that guy was buried with like millions of dollars what the gold silver and then you know Not like he labored for it He was just a Pharaoh but he was buried with it and it stayed in that stupid tomb for three three thousand years He didn't take it with him Go to Ecclesiastes chapter 6 riches perish by evil travail You know as you die you will go as you came naked You leave with nothing Ecclesiastes 6 verse 1 says there is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among men a Man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honor so that he wanted nothing for his soul all of all that he desireth Yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it. This is vanity and it is an evil disease Think about that you work so hard to accumulate all this wealth then you die and someone else enjoys it You're like, no, that's not right. Yeah, it's called evil You know this happens when you basically tear down barns and build greater to store all your possessions in it And you don't use your money to distribute and to do good to serve the Lord You just save it in the bank save it in the bank You sit on it you lay it under a napkin and what happens you die and it goes to everyone else and I I've personally seen this not in my life, but I know someone personally who is a millionaire and this guy was like He was banking he was rolling in the dough He had a lot of money. He had a lot of property First of all, he had a lot of properties, but he literally had millions of dollars in the bank. What happened to him he died What happened to his money? Well, everyone is still fighting for it as of now You know and Unfortunately this guy I don't believe he was saved but You know, he worked hard for that money, but you know what other people get to enjoy it. So what's the message there? Hey use your money Before it goes away Because guess what? You may have all this money stored up tomorrow you die and it's just gonna be dispersed somewhere else If you don't use it now you look here's like well How do I make sure that I can use it and still like keep the treasures they're up you send it on ahead to eternity By investing in it by investing in eternal investments, okay So You know a good biblical good or job chapter two, let me give you a good biblical perspective in this matter of suffering evil Because Look job is a perfect example of this is it not is he not, you know He was a perfect and upright man one who is chewed evil. He hated evil I mean this guy was a righteous man where Satan himself took upon him to task to afflict his body You know most of us when we get attacked by Satan so to speak. It's not necessarily literally Satan. It's probably one of his minions right Job himself had Satan attack him. This is how godly how righteous this man is And we know the story that he lost all his children He lost all his possessions. He yay. He even lost the support of his wife curse God and die The wife said to Joe, I mean that's pretty bad right Verse 10, but he said unto her thou speak the speakers as one of the foolish women speakers and this guy He's like you lost everything he still says it as it is, you know What shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil and all this did not Job sin? With his lips, that's a good perspective to have to say you know what, why are you surprised that we've received good and You know, why do you expect the good but you're surprised when we receive the evil? It doesn't mean God is wicked. It doesn't mean God is evil doesn't even mean God hates us This is just life It's the evil day This is why he did not sin with his lips. He held fast to his integrity He did not charge God foolishly the Bible says because he understood we're gonna receive good of the hand of the Lord, but we're also gonna receive evil and The mature perfect man will understand those both and learn how to deal not only with the good but more so even with the evil Okay Go to Proverbs chapter 3 if you wouldn't. Brother Paul, can you give me some water, please? Let me just say this about the evil day is you know, you can't put it on your calendar It's like I think I'll have an evil day on Friday Lord if you could just allow that evil day to come on Friday that evil time if you can come during the summer I'm free during this time and you know, everything's going well so we can just put it in this time slot No, in fact the evil day often comes upon you suddenly It blindsides you it just comes upon you and you don't want to expect it That's the thing that that's that's evil about it. Right it blindsides you and you don't expect it. Look at Proverbs chapter 3. Thank you Verse 21 my son Let not them depart from thine eyes keep sound wisdom and discretion So shall they be life into thy soul and grace to thy neck Then shalt thou walk in the way and thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble when thou liest down thou shall not be Afraid yea without shall lie down and I sleep shall be sweet be not afraid of sudden fear Neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh now notice that when it cometh is referring to the desolation of the wicked But it's also referring to the sudden fear. Why because it's coming The sudden fear will come. Hey teenagers, you will lose your parents one day They're gonna die one day They may die as you're a teenager They may die today. They may die tomorrow. It's sudden it can happen at any moment Well, you what does the Bible tell us it tells us be not afraid of sudden fear like how do I do that? How do I not how can I not fear something that I cannot expect well it tells us there that's why it gives us the instructions To not let the Word of God depart from our eyes To keep sound wisdom and discretion. It'll be life into our soul grace to our neck We shall walk the way safely our foot shall not stumble. We will not be offended When we lie down we shall not be afraid What does that mean when you go to sleep you will sleep soundly because you're trusting in the Lord, okay Because it will come upon you suddenly You don't have to turn to Ecclesiastes 9 12 says for man Also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare So are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them remember years ago The pastor of First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, which is pastor John Wilkerson, he's a he's a godly man I've known him for years and he used to actually live down the street from us in Long Beach and He had about am I mistaken Sarah like 10 kids 12 He had about 10 children Nine children nine children one did a couple of in heaven, correct? So he had a lot of children and his eldest son. I don't remember his name right now. Do you guys remember his name? What is it Tim I don't remember his name, but his other son. I think he was like 18 years old and you know his godly family they're just serving the Lord and he was on his way to a basketball game with his buddy in a Jeep and Something happened on the freeway. Someone cut him off the the Jeep spun it crashed It's you know, it just was a terrible accident and he actually flew out of the Jeep Okay with the seatbelt on and The story goes I'm hoping I'm getting this right there, you know when he got up, you know, his buddy was like, are you? Okay, he's like, yeah, I think I'm fine with my stomach hurts You know, he really wasn't really damaged on the outside, but he's like my stomach hurts Well, the seatbelt basing had torn his intestines That's how I launched him out and he died he died in the hospital and I remember like thinking because I remember being at being at my old church and When that took place because you know their church was were really good friends with our church We would play basketball together the teenagers would hang out and it was like a shock to me because I thought to myself he's only 18 He had his whole life ahead of him and he's a pastor son Serving the Lord. He's not a wicked kid. He seemed just like a normal Just a normal teenager You know But he died just like that And I'm sure there's times in people's lives where they say why why would God take him why would God allow that but the reality is It's just it was just an evil day It's an evil day. I don't think it's because he wasn't right with God or because he didn't love the Lord It's just an evil day You know and the evil day can come upon us Cocoa Pana could come upon our family at any time This is why this is important to remember these things and prepare don't take this don't take this sermon lightly Because I guarantee you when the evil day shall come upon you you will remember this sermon You will remember Because we don't know the severity of the evil day until it happens to us We don't know the severity of an evil day until we lose a family member It's evil, you know Now let me say this is that the older you get the more evil days become Okay, the older you get the more evil days Become why is that go to Genesis 47? Why is it that the older you get well because the older you get the more responsibilities you have the more time you have to go around the block and The more time you have in this world to experience evil days Children they don't have evil days Children have good days and they have days when they're just you know, we call them bad days They're just crying and but the way you fix that is just give them a nap Or they eat a snack or whatever and then you just forget about it, you know Sometimes they remember my son has this really good memory and But it's bad because sometimes like he remembers only the bad stuff Believe it or not like my wife and I went to go celebrate our Wedding anniversary last Wednesday. So we dropped off our kids to my my in-laws my mother-in-law She's a woman who I trust to to take care of my children. I don't drop off my kids to anybody other than her But we dropped him off and he was like devastated, you know But we knew that he was gonna have fun like his cousins are there has a good time. They have snacks So we go we come back to pick them up and they're happy and and then we're going home and then he's like How was it? He's like good, but you left me Say Bruce, yeah, but didn't you have fun? Yes, but you left He's like you left me I was like, yep Bruce, but you're there with your cousins you're having fun You had snack ease, you know, you had all these things Yeah, it was great But you left me though he's like Like can you forget it and I'm telling you days after He's like remember when you left me I'm like son forget about it. Can we just put this behind us? But that's the exception to the rule, okay, and you know kids they don't really have bad days, you know That's like the worst it'll get for my son Okay now obviously But I guarantee we could go around this room and talk about talk to people who are just older and They can tell you about some evil days. They've experienced Because the older you get the more evil you will experience look at Genesis 47 verse 7 and Joseph brought in Jacob his father and Set him before Pharaoh and Jacob blessed Pharaoh and Pharaoh sent him to Jacob. How old are thou? I've always laughed when he said that cuz it's like first thing he says what he seems like how old are you? Must look pretty old right and Jacob sent into Pharaoh the days of the years of my pilgrimage are in 130 years That's why he asked him that Few look what it says Few and evil Have the days of the years of my life been and have not attained into the days of the years of the life of my Fathers in the days of their pilgrimage notice that he said few and evil have the days been I don't think he's being having a bad Attitude he's actually speaking the truth Lost Joseph all these things that have happened with his family and then losing Joseph later on and of course The whole rigmarole with with you know, Joseph messing with the brothers. He's like these are evil days But look he's had a hundred and thirty years Yeah, you were gonna see a lot of evil days in a hundred and thirty years But you know what? You also see a lot of evil in 40 years You will see evil in 50 years You will see evil in 60 years in 70 years in 80 years the longer you live the more evil you will see okay Now what is the remedy for the evil day because that's the sermon how do we deal with that? How do we prepare for that? How can we get ready for that evil day? Let me give you a couple things here go to Philippians chapter number four if you would Philippians chapter number four You What is the solution to the evil day well number one first of all, obviously this is not part of the points But you need to be saved. Hey, man Because no matter how evil the day gets still saved No matter what bad misfortune mishap happens in your life. Guess what? You're still saved And look if you're not saved the evil days in this lifetime compares to nothing to the evil day when you split hell wide open and you go straight to hell and In hell you lift up your eyes beam and torments day and night the smoke of your torment will arise forever and ever But if you're saved hey It's only you know, it's only up from here. It's only uphill from here no matter how bad it gets here But let me give you a couple things remedies for the evil day. How do we do? How do we prepare for that? Well number one practice the discipline of rejoicing Practice the discipline of rejoicing. I already know that well, duh Well, here's the thing. A lot of people don't even understand sometimes what rejoicing actually is Okay, you think of rejoicing you think of like the charismatic Pentecostal doing backflips and whoa That's not necessarily rejoicing Rejoicing is the joy that you have in the inner man In spite of the circumstances that are surrounding you in spite of the evil of your circumstances It's the joy that swells up in the inner man Rejoicing is the inward man's reaction when we think upon the hope that is set before us So can you see why this would take discipline because look today I guarantee you there's people in here Not a bad thing who were not thinking about heaven We're thinking about other things Thinking about the bridal shower thinking about soul winning thinking about singing thinking about Lunch, that's the majority. All right thinking about dinner thinking about naps the kids But not a whole lot of people really fixate on heaven You know, that is the hope that is set before us because that is one thing We know for sure that is guaranteed to us all who are saved That we will go there and we know heaven is greater than here Eternal life being with God forever in heaven. This is great This is this causes the inward man to rejoice Because it causes our afflictions to be light Our light affliction is very dim in comparison to the glory that we will see one day The Bible says in Hebrews 12 verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy There was set before him. Look what it says endured the cross Despising the shame. So what does that teach us? It teaches us that rejoicing helps us to endure So what happens? How do we deal with the evil day? Well when the evil day comes we're able to endure it if we learn how to be if we learn how to rejoice Okay. Now look I'm not saying that it rejoices just like I'm happy on the inside, but you know, don't let this fool you I'm really happy inside and I just don't like to show it, you know That's just weird, you know Rejoicing can definitely affect our emotions and our countenance You know, we smile, you know I've met people who have gone through hard trials and they still laugh they smile They have a good attitude that is the result of the inward man rejoicing and expressing itself outwardly in our flesh for you Know so to speak, okay You need to learn we need to learn we need to practice the discipline of rejoicing Right and look laughing is not rejoicing, but that could be a result of it a merry heart Do it's good like a medicine Look, that's why it's good to just be faithful to church Because you get friends you talk and you just kind of forget about your problems It's kind of like an oasis Where you can come and you're just like the batteries are charged and look your circumstances have not changed You're still experiencing the evil day You still got the health issues. You still have your financial problems. You know, your wife's not talking to you still Your dog still bit you whatever your dog died. You got a barbecue stand on your white t-shirt All those evil things that happen to you But when you come to church When you come to some of you got that when you come to church though The fellowship causes rejoicing Because you're reminded like of the eternal You're reminded like man. I'm a Christian. I'm saved. We're going to heaven We're getting your work done and this is temporal, you know, and it causes us to rejoice And look the Bible tells us all the days of the afflicted are evil They're all evil, but he that is of a merry heart has to continue a feast I Think about that And look they use it in tandem. It says all the days of the afflicted are evil However, the person who has a merry heart, they have a continual feast now those of you who like to eat That resonates with you That's crazy that means like eating that means like you're happy all the time like in the morning at midnight especially Continual Feast what does that mean? It's just like you're just feasting you have a merry heart is not determined based upon the circumstances It's based upon You setting your affection on the hope that is set before you because I can never be taken from you Look at Philippians 4 verse 4 Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand Look what it says be careful for nothing But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And look, this is what we need here and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus There it is Look, he didn't say My prayer supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God and God will fix your problems He just said he'll give you the peace of God that passeth understanding Why is it a peace that passeth understanding because it's a tranquility that you receive not because the circumstances have changed It's just the peace of God That reigns in your heart That is a result of you rejoicing Okay, and look if you have a tendency of being a grouch. I'm being serious here if you have a tendency of just being a Grouch you just don't enjoy life. You just are always upset You're always moody, you know aside from your diet. The next thing is this. Hey check yourself and Learn the discipline of rejoicing Because every Christian should smile every once in a while Because we have a lot to smile about We have a lot to be thankful for Brother Howard just shared the prayer meeting. Yes on Friday a quote that my father-in-law used to say we're not thankful Because we don't think We're not thankful because we don't think You know, and if you have a hard time being in a good mood, you need to start thinking Some more and let me say this thinking upon the good things and in fact verse 8 finally brethren whatsoever things are true What sort of things are honest what sort of things are just what sort of things are pure what sort of things are lovely What sort of things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things Well, I don't know what to think about. Well, he just gave you a whole list right there So discipline yourself to think about these things put a smile on your face To have a good countenance learn how to rejoice He said what does it have to do with the evil day because of the fact you want to learn how to rejoice before the evil day comes You don't want to start learning how to rejoice when the evil day has come The time to learn is before it all takes place Okay, the Bible says in Luke 10 verse 20 notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you But rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven Hey, here's the best thing to rejoice over the fact that we're saved Don't ever lose the excitement that you're saved Light a fire under your hind parts by thinking upon your salvation By thinking about the fact that your name is written in heaven that you have eternal life. You're gonna experience the resurrection Get excited And look maybe that's the only thing this side of eternity that you have to look forward to Because you're because your day is so evil it's still better than any evil day you could ever experience Being saved the fact that we are saved we have eternal life. It's great Is it not? You know and look here's here's the temptation because you've grown older, you know, you just kind of fizzle out and your excitement for salvation Okay, you're just like yeah, that's great. Yeah. Yeah That's good, you know You lukewarm fire extinguishing Void of thankfulness Christian Who cannot think upon and be and be grateful for these things? Look it'll get you excited. It gets you fired up It gets me fired up Just thinking about it Thinking to the fact that God has forgiven me of all my sins that I have eternal life and look There's a lot more that we have than just that obviously But salvation is the best Man I'm never gonna go to hell You're never gonna experience the flames of hell. You will never be in torments. You will never know what that feels like Whereas there's people for thousands of years who have been burning there Day and night I have family members who have been in hell for years decades And yet I have eternal life. These things should cause you to rejoice To be thankful The Bible says in Second Corinthians 7 for great is my boldest of speech toward you great is my glorying of you I am filled with comfort. I am exceeding joyful and all our tribulation. How is that possible? Well, because he understood that tribulation would work for him a greater glory when he resurrected That's what it is. It's us looking to the future Okay Go to go to 1st Corinthians chapter 13 Hey, it's okay to rejoice to have a good meal I do It's okay to rejoice over maybe the gifts that God allows us to have even if they're possessions Thankful for that, but you know We need to train ourselves to do is to rejoice and things that are not changing that can ever change You know and it's often the things that never change that we're least thankful for because they're always there Look at the Bible says in 1st Corinthians 13 verse 4 charity suffereth long in his kind charity enbyeth Not charity vonteth not itself is not puffed up does not behave itself unseemly sinketh not our own It's not easily provoked thinketh no evil Rejoiceeth not in iniquity, but rejoice it in the truth Amen You know that means when you read the Bible, you don't get anything you don't get in more possessions You don't lose more weight You don't become more successful, but you know what happens you rejoice because it's the truth and the truth never changes So look don't tell me well, I don't know how to rejoice in the truth the inward man delighteth in the law of God So the Bible says the inward man Delighteth in the law of the Lord. So as you read the Bible allow the Bible to cause your heart to rejoice. I Have a hard time to rejoice I have a hard time rejoicing in the Bible because you're watching too much TV Movies and YouTube and Netflix and all these things that are taking your attention and really Diminishing your appetite for the Bible But you know if you fast on those stupid things Though if you fast on the idiot tube Maybe you'll have a tender heart when you read the Bible Hey, maybe maybe you actually learn something when you come to church why because you're rejoicing in the truth Go with me if you would to Ecclesiastes chapter number 12 if you would So, how do we prepare for the evil day look we need a double dose of discipline of rejoicing when the evil day comes Because when the evil day is there it takes everything from you. It drains you emotionally It drains you mentally it could even drain you Financially drain you of your resources drain you of your friends of your family It deprives you of that which we hold dear this side of eternity the physical aspects of our life It can take everything from me. So therefore you need to focus on that which cannot be taken from you You know Restoring to me the joy of thy salvation, right? That's what David said We need to learn how to rejoice now So when the evil day cometh we can continue to rejoice and that rejoicing will help us to endure the evil day but number two How do we what's the remedy for the evil day? Well, this is for the young people You need to prepare as a youth and look I'm talking to the guys right here on this row. I'm talking to the kids back there Anybody else these little guys right here and even if you're a teenager, you know what I'm talking to you Hey kids, listen up Mom, and dad will not be there all the days of your life They're gonna die one day they will not be there Mom and dad will go Let that sink in for a little bit You said why are you telling this to the kids man you're reading so like because it's true And look at the Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1 look God thinks upon these things Remember now remember now Thy creator in the days of thy youth that's God's command So gotta say look. Hey young people. Hey toddler teenager Ten-year-old nine-year-old eleven-year-old twelve-year-old thirteen-year-old nineteen-year-old you need to remember now Your creator your God in the days of your youth Why? Look what it says while the evil days come not You know because evil days aren't in the life of the children why because they don't have to pay bills They're as healthy as an ox They have all kinds of meals Their parents will provide for them. They have a roof over their heads So guess what young people you know your responsibility is now learn the Bible now Read the Bible now learn how to pray now Learn how to reach people for Christ now Hey learn to be obedient to your parents now Love your parents now Honor your parents now Remember now the creator in the days of thy youth why because the evil days have not come to you yet and Look you might be in here as a young adult this could be for you, too Because maybe the evil days have not come to you yet You should remember that your creator in the days of your youth don't start looking for God when the evil days come Look from now Memorize scripture now. Hey be godly right now forget your worldly friends Forget your worldly appetites because you know what you can end up just like that pastor son Who we thought was gonna live until you know 50 get married He died at 18 years of age Unexpectedly the sudden evil came upon him that day and He's not the exception to the rule It can happen to anybody That's why the command is there. He says look don't waste your childhood life. Don't waste your teenage years. Don't waste it Remember now Learn how to read the Bible now learn doctrine now. Hey sing in church now Hey smile now because this might be the only opportunity we have to do it Remember now honor your parents now you know how many you know how many children live in regret because their parents are gone and They never had a chance To just grow up and just say thank you mom. I love you mom. I love you dad. Thank you You know Whatever may be and they live the rest of their lives in regret because they weren't able to do those things because why because they didn't Remember the creator in the days of their youth Hey, there's nothing wrong with having godly young people. Amen There's nothing wrong with you being a good godly Christian young person Well, I want to be cool. What's cool to be Christian? In fact, it's cool to be new. I have be Christian And you want what is it better for you to please your friends or to please God? Let's be honest. Hey, let's be real here I'm not gonna give you any crap. I'm telling you the truth. What is it better? It's better for you to please God It's better for you to be right with God to have God's favor on your life so he can bless you While the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the Sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkened nor the clouds return after the rain He's a look kids serve the Lord while the Sun is still bright for you While you can still wake up from your nap And be as happy as the day is long Now's the time because you have the freedom to serve God now before the evil days come and let me tell you let me give You a promise the evil days they will come Do it now serve God now The Bible says in Lamentations 3 27 it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth What is the yoke to work? To be a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Hey, if you don't have a job and you're living under your parents roof, it's good to you use your time to read the Bible a lot To learn doctrine a lot. You'll be light years ahead of your parents You'll be lightly years ahead of people who get saved later on in life If you just invest your youth fullness now in the things of God I Must hasten go to Ephesians 6 Look and by the way young people your minds are sharp You have not been to especially if you grew up in a Christian home you've not been defiled with marijuana and you know and Alcohol and if and if you're part of the new I have be vaccines Because your parents are like no vaccines, you know You know, you know you don't have the fluoride look the Vaccine floor you don't have the thimerosal and you know all these other, you know Foreign agents that the world wants to inject into your body and that's to make you just come just completely an idiot So you can't think for yourself? So that when you grow up you just want welfare You just want the government to provide for everything you want You Just live an aimless life and you just go with the flow of this current world Hey, thank God that your parents are a little weird and they're a little crazy in that area. Amen My parents man, they don't they don't like vaccines and they don't they homeschool and yeah, that's good Means your mind is sharp Okay, it means that you have more of a potential hey to actually start fearing the Lord now fear God now Listen to me listen to me young people fear God now before he makes you fear him one day Think about that Better to learn to fear him now Then when you don't fear him you grow up as a man or as a woman who doesn't fear him and God will teach you how to fear him I Rather just learn how to fear God now Now look obviously I want to love God I want to love the Lord with all my heart soul mind and strength But I also want to fear the Lord because the Bible says that you that fear the Lord depart from evil The third point on how the remedy for an evil day is this prove your armor Look what it says in Ephesians 6 verse 11 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles Of the devil for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities Against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all To stand so the Bible tells us that when the evil day comes we need to have the armor of God We're not gonna go through all of them the helmet the breastplate of righteousness Have our loins girt about with truth our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace We need to have the shield of faith the sword of the Spirit and all needs to be there And look you need to learn how to use it before the evil day comes It's not like all right. We're going to war. It's just like man. Okay. I gotta get my helmet Shot my feet. No, you have to already know how to use these things And in fact, you don't have to turn to first Samuel 17 39. This is a story of David and Goliath It says and David girded his sword upon his armor and he is saved to go But before he had not proved it and David said unto Saul I cannot go with these for I have not proved them and David put them off him now Fortunately for David he had five smooth stones and he knew how to sling them. But you know what you don't have that option If God tells you to wear the armor of God, that's all you're gonna get. I'll go with my five stones Well, good luck with that one God says you need the armor of God. He knows the anatomy of your enemy better than anybody else You Need the armor of God young people put on the whole armor of God Okay, and look teenagers young people if you don't if your parents are not strict with you They don't have high standards for you. They don't protect you as much as you need to guess what you need the breastplate of righteousness My parents aren't Christian then you know what you need to make sure you parent yourself and put on the breastplate of righteousness You know why because Satan is trying to get get to you through fornication Through drug abuse through worldly friends You need to put on the whole armor of God when that evil day comes Don't be like this guy who just goes out into the field with a knife don't bring a knife to a gunfight. I Don't know what I'm gonna do. You're gonna get whooped you're gonna get demolished Because you don't have the armor of God go to Ephesians 5 and this is my last point we're done What is the remedy for the evil day? We need to learn to practice the discipline of rejoicing We need to make sure That we prepare as the youth in our youth we need to prove our armor and lastly we need to purchase time Look what it says in Ephesians 5 verse 14 Wherefore he say the wake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give give thee light See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise redeeming the time Because the days are evil Wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is. What does this mean? Well, all of us have 24 hours in a day and technically we have 12 because we sleep Okay, we all have the same amount of time But here's the thing you need to use your time wisely Because the days are evil Because you can die tomorrow Or you know what something can happen to you where you stay alive, but you're incapacitated to serve God That's what happened to my father-in-law My father-in-law is still alive today, but guess what he cannot Listen to me. He cannot serve God at the capacity that we do He will never be able to go soul winning He will never be able to preach another sermon He can't He's gonna live out the rest of his days in his condition. Maybe he'll improve We're just trying to get him to the point where he can just interact with his family better But as far as serving God is concerned don't take that for granted There's people like my father-in-law who are not able to do that at all. They can't even walk into church And Yet there's some people you got to drag their lazy carcasses into church and they're not handicapped right They just act like it So, what does it mean? We need to redeem the time use your time wisely. Don't waste your time Don't waste it if you need to Rejuvenate if you need time away if you need a vacation Amen to all those things, but don't live in a vacation Don't live rejuvenating. Don't live recreating. Hey live wisely Redeem the time don't waste your life. You say well, what do you say to someone like me? Where I've wasted already like half my life Because Here's the thing redeeming your time could be like, you know You get this coupon and if you redeem it you get a reward, right? Let me remember the rewards you used to get in like cereal boxes and you cut out the little thing or whatever You get the cheap little toy. It doesn't look like the picture that came in the back of the cereal box Use it right but redeeming could also mean buy back So look if you have wasted half your life already then make up for lost time But how do you do that be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is See the way you cannot waste your time is by making sure you understand. What is it that God requires of you? Don't waste your time serving God frivolously Thinking that this is what God wants you to do know what God wants you to do Know for a fact what he wants you to do and then do it Get to work put your hands to the plow redeem the time make up for that lost time Like man, I've wasted all my years. Okay, forget it forget those things which are behind press forward to those things Which are before we deem the time why because the days are evil Can't change the fact that the days are evil, but you can't change the fact that you're gonna buy back your time So What's the sermon today I'm out of time the sermon is this hey everybody Evil days are coming Evil days are coming and we need to prepare for it Don't be the kind of Christians that you let that day come upon you unawares Be the type of Christian that prepares diligent diligently for it. Hey, look, this is not a gloom and doom sermon We're just like oh This is horrible man. No, it's just life and look reference point number one rejoice Because the same amount of suffering and evil days you receive you also receive the same amount of consolation Thank God amen The evil days coming. Let's pray father. We thank you so much for your word and God I pray that you you'd help us Lord and sometimes I wonder if I'm ready for the evil day Whether it's a death death of a family member, maybe it's a sickness in me or my family my children and Lord I've learned that In order to not Stress over these things and not Dwell on them. I just have to think of the worst Possible outcome and just make peace with that Understand that the evil day is coming and thank you so much for the principles that you've laid out in your word To help us deal with that evil day I pray God that you'd help us to do so and may you carry us through we love you so much And we thank you pray these things in Jesus name. Amen