Morning Worship April 28, 2024 | Morning Worship April 28, 2024 Glad you have joined us this morning!! Let us know how we can be praying for you! « Music: bensound.com » | By Weedville Wesleyan Church | I I go down and mower, you can give. Okay, you don't have to push your foot to get in We just got a dress too. Got the gears over here. Neutral and Good morning. Good morning. Welcome to Weedsville Wesleyan Church. This morning, welcome to those who are watching online. Glad to be back with you this morning. Uh last week, my wife and I just took a weekend away. We went off to out to Ohio. We went to the zoo and we went to a concert and just enjoyed the weekend. The two of us together and so we're but we're glad to be back. Um few announcements. Uh Awana is done for the year. We'll get that started back up in September. Um ladies Bible study Thursday at ten o'clock. Our next prayer meeting will be May 9th at seven o'clock. Uh youth group tonight and youth group is going to be for those from junior high on through high school from now through the rest of the summer. You know, from now on that we're going backwards. Not tonight. Just high school tonight. Starting next week, sorry, starting next week will be all of them. So, tonight is just high school then starting next week. We'll be putting them back together and tomorrow night, celebrate recovery. Uh May third, they're going to episodes four and five of season one of The Chosen. Uh there was a good crowd here on Friday night. Um Travis and I are going to be going off back and forth on showing that this past Friday. My wife and I, we were off to go get our daughter's wedding dress. Some of you may have heard or may not have heard. Our youngest daughter got engaged a couple weeks ago. She's getting married this summer. And so we're looking forward to that. She'll be back home this week and our both of our our Sarah will be home and Megan. The bills be coming home by the end of the week. They'll be home for the summer. And then Megan getting married in August and then Sarah will be heading back to South Carolina for her last semester of college. Um she will be student teaching in the fall and then she'll graduate. And so our our kids are getting grown up and I don't know how because I'm still twenty-nine. Plus 20. Plus twenty here in a couple of months. But but we're looking forward to a summer with them being home and busy doing all kinds of fun planning. Uh the wedding's been planned. They're they're way ahead of things man. The dresses bought the flowers. They bought the taxes are picked out. The it it's crazy. They're well on their way. So, with it, we're looking forward to that. Next Sunday will be our local church conference during the morning worship service. Uh that'll be next Sunday and then Saturday, June 8th, we're going to be holding a membership class. If you have never become a member, we are going to have a membership class from 9 o'clock until 230. We're going to provide lunch. Um that day. Um if you have not ever been a comma member, you want and want to become one, you can see myself, see Travis but we're going to be having a class that day and bring in new members. We're looking forward to doing that. Um and so when we looked at our membership list, we're we're somewhere around 50 and we have more people than that who go to church here and we'd love to expand that that number and and we'll explain why being members is important. I know some people think, it's not important to be part a member of of anything, right? That's just our our concept in our world today but it's important to to be members and to be part of and be able to to vote and put people in charge and those types of things and so we're looking forward to doing that. Um I think that's all of our announcements for this morning. If you would stand with us as our praise band leads us in worship. Good morning. It's so good to have all of you with us today and to be back with you and for those of you who are joining us online, we welcome you as well. We're going to read Psalm 905 together to start. So, if you could put that up on the screen, hopefully you can see through the words. Will you join me? It says, come, let us sing for joy to the lord. Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the lord is the great god, the great king above all gods. Come, let us bow down and worship. Let us kneel before the lord, our maker, for he is our god and we are his people. Of his pasture, the flock under his care. In the Psalm, he beckons us to come and that's what we're here for. So, as we sing these words, take some time to let your heart center you in the why you're here, the who you're here for. Let's pray. Lord, we come. We've come to be in your presence. We've come to worship you. But first, we pause and take a moment to listen, to hear your voice We invite you in. Join us in singing. Come now is the time to worship. Now is the time now is the time savior just as you are to just as you every tongue will confess you are god 1 day every choose you come now is the time just as you are to Worship just as you are come one day confess you are one day I who gladly choose you can't miss the just as you are to just as you are your will you turn and greet someone and welcome them. Thank them for coming. That was in the Old Testament but we all know that God sent his son. And he also beckons us to come. In Matthew eleven twenty-eight, he says these words, they are also on the screen. Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. He also says, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. And so as the Psalmist asked us to come, now we listen to Jesus's call to come. Come all you weary. You thirsty well that never drink of the water come and thirst no more come all you the table he will satisfy taste of his goodness find what you're looking for will live bring all your failures bring your of the cross Jesus is with that he gave us his only son to save us whoever I'm walking in freedom for god wonders of praise god Praise god. For the wonders of his for god so loved the world that listen us his be save us whoever lives in him we're live defeated god so loved the world bring all your bring your addictions come lay them down at of the cross Jesus is waiting god Lord, you beckon us to come and so now, we send our hearts in doing just that. Yes, we're here to lift praise and worship but you asked to come, to lay ourselves at your feet So, open our hearts, god, because we need you. Lord, I come. Confess I fall apart you're the my lord I need I need righteousness how I where sin runs deep your grace is more and where you are I am free holine is Christ in me lord I need my my righteousness so teach my song to rise to you when my and when I cannot stand Jesus you're my hope I need you every my right my righteousness Lord we need you. And I speak on behalf of everyone gathered today. There are things on our hearts in the deepest parts. Or sometimes we feel like we can't be reached. But we know you can meet us there. So when we cannot stand, help us to fall on you. We know you want to be our hope and our stay. Help us to surrender all these things to you. Open our hearts to what you have for us in this service. We are so glad we have come. We praise your name. And all God's people said. You may be seated. We're going to continue our singing with hymn number thirty. Come thou fount of every blessing. In Revelations 2-one six B says, I will give you the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. We'll be singing all three verses. Yes. Just 30. Number 30. Every blessing sing thy praise never call for songs loudest praise teach me dirtiest on praise the help I come safely to drink from rescue me from pain inter like a feather by my lord I feel it courts above Would our ushers please come forward for our morning tithes Let us pray. Dear heavenly father, as we come to you in the time of service where we are able to give back to you a portion of what you have given to us. We thank you once again for the blessings that you bestow upon us each and every day. Now, as we just pray that you'd bless the gift and the giver like this morning as these tithes and offerings are used to further your kingdom in your precious name we pray. Amen. Lord I know you still work miracles, turn water into wine. So, that's what I expected when this storm hit my life. it soon became apparent, you've intervened in different ways, so I pressed on through the pain, by your sustaining grace you kept me going you kept me growing kept me knowing through it all that I could make it have the strength to take it you were listening when I called I tried to make that mountain move, but instead you moved in me, and let me see, there's nothing I can't face with your sustaining grace lord I know you still work miracles you're performing one today because in my human weakness I see your strength displayed next time you may deliver in record time before either way I'm still amaz by your sustaining grace you kept me going you kept me growing kept me knowing that I could make it have the strength to take it you were listening when I called I tried to make that mountain move but instead you moved in me and let me see there's nothing I can't face with your sustaining grace I tried to make that mountain move but instead you moved in me and let me there's nothing I can't face with your sustaining grace Amen. Junior Church, you're dismissed for your program downstairs. As we go to lord in prayer this morning, I just like to say a big thank you to all of those that showed up yesterday for our workday. As you will see, there's all kinds of mulch that's been placed all around the building and thank you Red for bringing his tractor with a bucket. He moved it. We just spread it. Um he moved every bit of that mulch. So, we just he moved it. And and he took credit for it, he said. We're just picking on him but I appreciate that. Appreciate the guys who came. Uh in between the building here, we have spread mulch the entire way and we would like to make that a prayer garden and we're interested if you'd be interested in helping with that. Uh we're looking to maybe get some benches, some pavers. We want to make a prayer garden out here. Um and just something that we we came up and thought about and talked about a few of us. Uh we didn't really discuss it on the board yet but they'll hear about it. We're calling it Ed's Prayer Guard. That's we we told it was going to be Ed. We blames on him. It was his idea to put the mulch in there which I told him I was blaming him but we had all kinds of mulch and we're like, let's make it look beautiful and so that's what we did and so thank you to those who helped with that. Uh Marvin, thanks for cutting up on the ball field as long with Ed and and Dalton and Aiden and and Anna. They were here and so a lot got done yesterday. Still plenty more to do. If you have some free time and want to want to know what you can do, see me. Uh we have plenty of more wood that needs taken out to the middle of the ball diamond and burned and so we don't have to do it on a Saturday. If you have some time during the week or free time, see me about that and we'll we'll set you up and so we're looking plenty more to do around here. Uh we had some people in the church. Uh Laura and Jen who wash windows and swept carpets and and a few that did some mopping and Dominic and and Travis and and Grace and so there's plenty of people. We had a lot. That's how we got everything done that we got done yesterday and so thank you for that help. A funeral prayer or request be praying for Travis and his family. His grandmother passed away yesterday morning about 417 in the morning and so hope you're having to travel to Indiana next week. Uh the funeral's next Monday. Um so be praying for him. Uh and that and for his mom. Um so it was a loss for them. Be praying for those who are sick and body. Those in the hospital. Those in nursing homes. Uh our missionaries. Those who are fighting for our freedoms all around the world. We're praying for our and what's we need to be praying for them daily as they lead the country. Uh we're we're called to pray for our leaders. We're not called to condemn them. We're not called to put them down. We're not called to talk about bad about them. We're called to pray for them. That's biblical. Pray for those that god put in charge over us. Whether we voted for them or not. God calls for us to pray for them and pray for their own their maybe their salvation. Maybe they don't know Jesus and and they do. So, that's what we're called do but we're going to go to the lord in prayer and as we do, we have a prayer course and the altars are open this morning Will you stand as we sing? Holy Spirit in your strength and your gentle Holy Spirit you sweet spirit we and your strength own gentle way Dear heavenly father, we come and we thank you once again for this opportunity that you've given to us to be in your house where we can come and we can worship the king of kings and the lord of lords. Your word says, where two or three are gathered, that your spirit is there and so we believe that this morning. We believe your spirit is here with us. We pray for those who are watching online, who are at home, we pray that you'd be with them right where it is that they are, that they would feel your presence there as well. Because we know that your presence is within each of us if we serve you. If we know you as lord and savior, you live within each and every one of our hearts and we come today some with heavy and burdened hearts. Some who are grieving lost, some who are who are who are wondering what tomorrow holds, some who are undergoing treatments for cancer, some who are waiting on results, some who are having to go for biopsy, some who are who are preparing to have surgery in the next few days. We pray for your touch among each and every one of them. We know you know what is on each and everyone's heart. You know us by name. You know the number of hairs on our head. You know the deepest secrets that we have. And you still care. You still love us. In spite of who we are. In spite of what we've done. We thank you that you are God who can cast sins as far as the east is from the west and you remember them no more when we lay them at your feet and we give them over to you. We know that Satan very often tries to distract us, wants to bring things, bring things up wants to point things out that that you desire not to and so we have to constantly remind Satan to get behind us because we serve a bigger God. We serve a god who loves us. A God who forgives us. A God who wants us to have a personal relationship with him. And we thank you for that today. We pray for today for those who are nursing homes, those in hospitals. Those who maybe away enjoying some time of vacation some relaxation. We pray that you be with them. Be with our missionaries. Be with our service men and women who fight for our freedoms every day. We pray for our leaders, for those who've been put in place. That you would just bless them, that you would give them wisdom to to do what is right for our country. We pray for those who yet do not even, who don't, who do not know you as lord and savior, that you would speak to them, that they would have a open hearts and open minds to hear from you. You call for us to pray for those who've been put in charge over us and sometimes that's not always easy Seeing what's going on, seeing what's happening in our world. But we know that you are still in control and so we leave everything in your hands We pray today that as we once again look at your word that you would speak a new and afresh to us that you would teach us something new. Let the words that I share this morning not be my words but let them be your words. Let them speak to all of us. That we would go away from this place knowing that we have been in the presence of Jesus Christ. Because everything that we do should point to you. Because it's not about us. It's about the one who came. To us from ourselves, to save us from our sins, and so let us simply focus on you and who it is that you are. In your precious name we pray. Amen. If you would turn with me this morning to the book of first Peter Don't chew your fingertips off when your computer is fingertip It's one of those mornings chewing on the finger. First Peter one this morning, talking about dealing with trials. I don't know about you but I know that I've been going through some of them lately and I think all of us know what they are, what what trials we all go through em at different times but I want to speak about how Peter talks about how dealing, how to deal with him. And this is what it says in first Peter. It says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, the gods elect strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Capitacea, Asia, and Bithnia who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of god, the father, through the sanctifying work of the spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ, and sprinkling by his blood, grace and be, peace be yours in abundance. Praise be to the god and father of our lord Jesus Christ, in his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you, who through faith are sealed by god's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief and all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. For you are receiving the gold of your faith, the salvation of your souls. May god add blessing to the reading of his word This morning, as I began to think about what to share this morning and understanding that we live in a world where trials and temp are going to constantly come even though we live in a world where where there are people out there who want to preach that once you become a Christian, that everything is going to be good, you're going to be healthy and wealthy, and and and your life is going to be perfect. If you buy into that kind of, of, of gospel, you're going to be saddened quite often. Because that is not the Bible that I read and the Bible that I preach because when I look into what God's word it says, it says, in this world, you will have trouble but take heart for I have overcome the world. It doesn't say, hey, once you accept me, you know what? Everything in your life is going to be perfect. You're never going to, you're never going to be sick, you're never going to have cancer, you're never going to have heartache, you're never going to have money problems, you're never, that's nowhere in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's nowhere there but people buy into that and and when it doesn't come, they think that god must not exist that that what they're being told isn't true and so therefore that that god's not real and the sad part is is they're being taught and told things that aren't biblical from from from god's word. So today, I just want to talk about in in and make us let us understand that trials is part of life. It's part of who we are even as Christians. And there was a young boy who was outside of his house and he was trying to sell an an old push mower and his pastor happened to be walking by and and the young boy tried to persuade him to to buy the the worn out lawn mower. And so the the pastor talked with the little boy and the pastor began. He pulled on the rope several times to make sure that the mower would start. But nothing happened. Not even a spitter, a sputter, and and the boy simply told the preacher that he would have to kick the mower and say if you cuss words before the the mower would would crank. In the said, son, I can't do that. It's been a few years since I even said a cuss word and the little boy simply replied, just keep pulling and it will come back to you. I'm sure we've all been there, right? We've all been there before. Maybe, maybe it's not a lawn mower but we've all faced some sort of problem that takes us to the breaking point. Amen. And we wonder how in the world we're going to make it. Have you ever been there to that point where you think that the everything is lost and you just don't know where to turn. I know I've been there. I've been at my breaking point and I think some of you probably have as well. There's a story told of a man who submitted an insurance claim from a form and it had been returned. The wanted some more information and so the man decided that he would resubmit the form with the following note. I'm writing in response to your request concerning block number 11 on the insurance form which asked for the cause of my injuries. Where I put trying to to do the job alone, you said you needed more information. So, I trust the following will be sufficient. I'm a bricklayer by trade and on the date of the injuries, I was working alone, laying brick around the top of a four-story building when I realized that I had about 500 pounds of brick left. Rather than carrying the bricks down by hand, I decided to put them into a barrel and lower them by a pulley that was fastened to the top of the building. I loaded the bricks into the barrel and flung it out over the side of the building with the bricks in it. I then went down and untied the rope holding it securely to ensure slow descent of the barrel. As you will note, on the block number six of the insurance form, I weigh 145 pounds. Due to my shock of being jerked off the ground so swiftly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. So, between the second and third floors, I met the barrel coming down. This accounts for the bruises and lacerations on my upper body. Regaining my presence of mind, I again held tightly to the rope and proceeded rapidly up the side of the building, not stopping until my right hand was jammed into the pulley. This accounts for my broken thumb. The despite the pain, I retained my presence of mind and held tightly to the rope at an approximately the same time. However, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel now weight about 50 pounds. I again referred to block number six and my weight. As you would guess, I began to rapid descent in the vicinity of the second floor I met the barrel coming up. This explains the injuries to my legs and lower body. Slowed. Uh only slightly I continued my descent landing on the pile of bricks. Fortunately, my back was only sprained and the internal injuries were minimal. I'm sorry to report, however, that this point, I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. As you can imagine, the emperor barrel crashed down on me. I trust this answers your concern. Please know that I am finished trying to do the job alone. How many of us? How many of us try to go through life alone? We try to do the job. We try to do the job alone without the help of anyone else. So, very often when we try to do it on our own, injuries happen, failure comes, things don't go the way, the way they are, they they ought to. But in our humanness, so very often, we think we can do it on our own. We can do it with our own strength, with our own ability, with our own power, and god says, man, wake up, realize that you cannot do it on your own. None of us. We need help. We all need help. We need help every single day. I I and so simply today, I I I don't know what problem you may be facing. I don't know when but I do know that when we go to the scriptures, we can find practical help for everyone of our problems. Everyone of em and so today, I simply want to look at first Peter. Peter gives some practical help in dealing with the problems that we all face in life. See, Peter sees that a problem was coming to the Christians as he was writing to them and he writes to give them some encouragement and we face some similar problems in our lives today and and and I hope that we can get some encouragement from Peter as well. Peter says and Peter wrote to the Christians who were scattered throughout Asia minor and the area that is today called Turkey and and he knew the problems were going to come to them and just like they come to us in our everyday lives. It it's just natural. It's just something that we have to go through and so the problem is that we all face trials and not if if you're going through a trial, understand someone else's as well and sometimes, other people trials are bigger than yours. See, when I look at my problems and then I begin to look at other people's problems, my problems become very small and I begin to realize, other people need probably more help than I do and so, I thank god for sometimes in those trials that they're not as bad as someone else's and and thank goodness that god is there in my small problems. Well, he's there in other people's bigger problems. But as we think about life, do you, do you have any problems, situations, anybody going through any problem situations even right now? Anybody? Can you your hand. Who's going through problem situations? Yeah, probably all of us And if you're not, god bless I'm glad you're not but let me tell you this, one's coming. You may not be going through any trials now but be assured, they're just around the corner. We just don't know when they're coming. Satan, Satan is always lurking. Satan is always around the corner trying to distract us, trying to get us off focus, trying. You want to know where the problems come from? They come from Satan. Just go to the book of Job. The book of Job, you know, Job was a devout follower of Jesus Christ and god Satan went to god and said, hey, let me go and do this to Job and I I'll guarantee he'll he'll denounce you and I think Satan's still doing that. Even in our world today. Hey, god. Well, me go and do this to this person. Let's see how how faithful they remain. Satan is no different today than he was thousands of years ago. He's the same conniving person he's been for thousands of years. And god says, okay, I think god sometimes just let Satan do what Satan's going to do in order for us to to be the faithful people that he wants us to be. God allows trials to come for our growth, for us to grow in our faith, to to grow in a in in our dependence upon him. See, trials are expected. In the end, in in the end of this book in first Peter four twelve, Peter writes, dear friends, do not be be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering. As though something strange were happening to you. He says, don't even be surprised. For some reason, so many people buy into the line that the televangelists give called the prosperity gospel. If you are a Christian, you will be rich and successful and god will solve all of your problems Turn that **** off. Just say it like it is. Turn it off because none of it's true. Don't send any money. Don't do any of that kind because it's not true. They're feeding you a line of garbage that's not biblical. God can understand this. God can solve our problems. And God can make us rich. But probably not. I'm not saying that he can't because he can because that's who god is. But don't be so convinced that that is what is going to happen if you are a true follower of Jesus. Second, trials are varied In this, you greatly rejoice. Though now for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Take note of the word all It literally is the word many colored. There is not just one or two types of trials. They come in all shades, in all colors. Monday, you may be blue and discouraged Tuesday, you may be green with envy. Wednesday, you may be yellow and afraid to witness to anyone. So, you understand this, our trials are multi colored. They don't just come in one form. They don't just come in one form The important thing about this is that it's easy to work hard on one problem. Let's say your speech. And after months of hard work you you finally get your speech under control. Some of you know what I'm talking about. Some of you were were those people who who used to use all kinds of colorful words before you became a Christian. You got that one under control. You quit using profanity. You quit telling crude jokes. You quit cutting other people down. But then Satan brings another trial with totally different kind to you. And sometimes we're we are prepared for it. And we end up making a mess of of everything. Trials are varied and we need to be ready for anything Satan throws against us. Sometimes the the thing we would least expect comes from the person we think the most unlikely to do. Satan's schemes to attack us anyway he possibly can. Trials understand they're hard. Nowhere do we ever find that trials we face are going to be easy. Yes, Jesus did say my yoke is easy and my burden is light but that is teaching that it is not bursome, burdensome to follow Jesus Christ. It's it's really is easy to follow Jesus Christ. It's all the other things that come along along with it. In verse six, you may have had to suffer grease and all kinds of trials. This word for grief used here is from the term mentioned when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew chapter twenty-six. It is the term used for those mourning of death and first Thessalonians chapter four. Don't ever think that trials are going to be easy because if they were easy, then they wouldn't be trials, would they? If they were try, if if they were easy, it wouldn't be trials. Trials are limited. Verse six tells us, though now for a little while, you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. Sometimes, we get overwhelmed by the trials that we think we will never get get beyond it. Satan loves when we look at the trials and we we begin to question whether god even exists and and we we let it bound that get bound us up and and we begin to question and we think we're never going to get through it. God, how long do I have to suffer? How long do I have to go through these things? God, do you really exist? God, why would you allow these things to happen to me? We begin to focus on on ourselves rather than focusing on god, the god who can take it and the god who will be there in the midst of it. Understand trials, they last for a season. They last for a season and Peter tells us, they come also for a reason. Trials are controlled. Peter points out to you is it out you may have had to suffer grief and all kinds of trials in the King James version says, though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Something we are not quick to accept is that sometimes need to go through times of trial and testing Sometimes, we need to go through it. It's called refining who it is that we are in Jesus Christ. Something that all of us are not very quick to accept is that sometimes that we need to go through See, it's really for our own good. God knows what he is doing. Who believes that this morning? God knows what he is doing. If you believe that, say amen with me. Amen. That's right. God knows what he's doing. Sometimes, we question and say, god, do you really know what you're doing, right? Have you ever, god, you know what you, let me tell you this, god knows what he's doing whether we question it or not. He really does. He's got it under control. When we don't think he does. You know, the ones who don't have it under control you and me. We're the ones who are out of control. We're the ones who don't have it all together. God does. God has back no matter what. No matter what. God has our back. Whatever trial, whatever temptation, whatever it is that you're going through, god is right there alongside of you and when you can't go through it yourself, god will carry you through it. When you think you're drowning reach up to heaven and god will pull you up. Look, think about it. Peter began to walk. God called Peter. God was out on the water walking and Peter said to him, call me out. Peter got out of the boat. What happened? He began to do what? It began to sink. Why? Because he lock lost focus on who god was and on who Jesus was. That's what happens very often in our own relationship with Jesus. When we begin to sink, when we begin to begin to because we lose focus of who god is and what he, how powerful he is and what he can do. Make sure our focus can constantly is on god. We will all face a variety of flavors of trials in our lives but the good news is that Peter doesn't just warn us that we will face problems but he also gives us hope There is hope we have the greatest hope in all of the world through the son called Jesus Christ. If your hope isn't in him, then you don't have any hope at all. Cuz he's the one who gives us true hope. The power for facing problems that we're going through in our lives come that come is this hope that we can can have a confident optimism optimism that's what hope is. A confident expectation that God is working on our behalf. Peter warns us that problems of all types will come but encourages us to have hope. Today if you are facing any type of trial in your life, I would tell you is simply this, give it to god and have hope. Have hope. What do we know about hope? Hope is centered in god. Psalm 43 five says this, why are you downcast, oh my soul? Why are you so disturbed within me? Put your hope in god for I will yet praise him, my savior and my god. Hope comes to us by god's grace and in Thessalonians 2 sixteen, it says this, may our lord Jesus Christ himself and god our father, who loved us by his grace, gave us eternal encouragement, and good hope. Encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. Hope, hope is reasonable. First Peter 315, always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. We don't have a blind faith but a reasonable hope that can be shared with others See, when you're going through trials and other people see that the hope that you have in Jesus Christ, that you're able to get through it, how much more of a benefit can you be to to encourage them and help them in the same trials that they're facing. See, sometimes people go through certain things in life so that they can help others. There are things that I haven't gone through. But maybe that you have that I can point someone to you. Hey, why don't you go talk to this person? They've already been through it. Last how it is that they've got through. Who it is that they depended on All of us have gone through trials of many kinds, of different kinds of we can help others go come and come alongside of them to to be their partners, to help them. Hope has a basis in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians fifteen, and if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless, and so is your faith. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile. You are still in your sins, if only for this life, we have hope in Christ. We are to be pitied more than all men. The reason for our hope is the truth of the resurrection. See, because Jesus Christ rose, we believe that we too, one day, will rise to be with him. Hope is confirmed in the Holy Spirit. May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. How can we have hope when we face trials? The holy spirit of god. The holy spirit of god. Who resides inside of us and instills us with that hope and then hope is the defense against the enemy, against the enemy. First Thessalonians five eight, but since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation, as a helmet, when Satan attacks us and tries to tempt us to sin, our hope, and god, our confident expectation of his working in our life, to provide salvation is a sure defense, an that protects us and keeps us safe so that this is just a little explanation about hope. The basis of hope, Peter answers the question, why do you have, we have hope? He answers it in verse one, because I am chosen by god. You and I have been chosen. You and I are not here by mistake. We're here for a purpose and we have all been chosen by god. Peter, an apostle Jesus Christ, the god's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithnia who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of god the father. This concept of election of god's choosing is one that theologians have tried to understand for thousands of years and though even though we don't understand it, we simply believe it. Election means that god chose us. It was his doing. It was god's design God loves all of us Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me so, right? That was one of my our one of the songs that I sung as a kid. We all sung as a kid. Max Lucado wrote this, god is fond of you. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning Whatever you want to talk, whenever, sorry, whenever you want to talk, he'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe and he chose your heart. Face it Friend, he's crazy about you By the way, it may be difficult for you to believe that god knows your name but he does. Written on his hand, spoken by his mouth, whispered by his lips, your name Our hearts are not large enough to contain the blessings that god wants to give us you are a gift to the world, a divine work of art signed by god, you were knit together, you weren't mass produced, you were in a, you you aren't an assembly line product. You were deliberately planned specifically gifted, and loving, lovingly positioned on this earth. By the master craftsman. He thinks you are the best thing to come down the pike in quite a while. Turn to the sidelines. That's god cheering you your run. Look past the finish line. That's god applauding your steps. God is for you. Had he had a had he a calendar, your birthday would be on it. If you drove a car, your name would be on his bumper if there's a tree in heaven, he's carved your name in the bark. Maybe you don't want to trouble god with your hurts. What he cares about you. He is waiting for you to embrace you where whether you succeed or whether you fail. Your heavenly father is very fond of you and not and and only wants to share his love with you. You wonder how long my love will last? Watch me speak your language sleep on your earth and feel your hurts. Find your answer on a splintered cross on a hill. That's how much I love you. When we face trials of all kinds, we need to first remember that god has chosen us. We are hit on his team. We are his first ring. We are on the starting lineup. See, in the Jewish culture, all little boys, they would go to school to train in the law by a teacher but then after that, those who were good enough would would be able to seek to train under a rabbi and the student would follow the rabbi around and ask to be trained by him and the rabbi would then question the student if he was good enough and smart enough, the I would agree to train him and the rest of the boys who never made the great ended up going about their family businesses, fishermen, and carpenters and tax collectors and and etcetera. And and so when we think about the twelve disciples, these men were the little boys who weren't good enough. To go on to become a rabbi but what did Jesus tell them? John 15 16, you did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit. Jesus says, you are good enough. I choose I choose you Peter and then next, Peter tells us, we are born of god in verse three, in his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope to the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is the mercy of god that is needed. Why? Because god is choosing not to count our sins against us. What do we all deserve? The truth is this, we all deserve eternal damnation. What do we receive? We receive god's mercy. To think that all of our sins are forgiven gives us hope and then Peter also says, we are destined for good, to be with god forever. God has already put aside an inheritance for us. His last will and testament is already made out. You and I, we are one of his heirs if we receive him and know him as lord and savior of our lives. Verse four, it says, in his great mercy, he has given us a new birth into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade kept in heaven for you. Think. Think of all that god possesses and all that comes to us. Romans 8seventeen. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of god and co heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. When you think of all god has in store for you. You can put up, I I would hope that you could put up with a few problems here in this life. See, because on the other side of this life, there will be no more problems. There will be no more suffering. There will be no more crying. There will be no more pain. There will be no hospitals. There will be no nursing homes. There will be no wheelchairs. no crutches, no cancer, no there will be nothing but perfect. In heaven. So, I would hope that we could put up with a few trials in this life in order to grow in our relationship with god and become co heirs with him. So, that one day, when he looks at us, he will be able to say to us, well done, good and faithful servant. You may enter into my kingdom. When you think of all that god has in store for us, we can put these few problems in our life aside. Peter says, your inheritance won't fade out. It won't be used up over time. Maybe, maybe you've had a pension or an investment in this world that at one time was worth something. It's probably not anymore. If you look at the way things are going, but understand something. We aren't meant for this world. Here for a short time. So, where are you truly putting your investments Some of you, you're storing up earthly things. Some of you are storing up money. Some of you are storing up weapons. Some of you are storing up food. Some of you are storing up a gold and silver. Things that will perish and fade away. They will mean nothing in the end. Everything in this world is going to be gone. Where are you keeping your treasures? Are you keeping him here in the earthly things that you have or are you keeping them in Jesus Christ? See, we get so caught up in in wanting to keep everything that we have and god says, it all belongs to me anyways. Doesn't belong to you. Belongs to me. I'm the one who gave it to you. There is no ruin in our inheritance in heaven. Nothing can mess it up. There is no rod or decay in heaven. It will never be marred. It is being kept secure for us. We are shielded by god's power. In verse five, who who through faith are shielded by god's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. Peter tells us, we have a group of soldiers in the protective power of god. The word for power is the word we get our English word dynamite from. So, Peter is saying, god is protecting us like a troop of soldiers with hand grenades. Now, that should make us feel a little bit safe, shouldn't it? God on control. God is the only one truly keeping us safe. Remember that no matter what trial you face that god gives you the strength to get through it. First Corinthians 1013 says, no temptation has seized you except what is common to man and god is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Sometimes, I wonder. Sometimes, I say, god, how much more do you expect to be able to take and then I realized he's bigger than me and he knows what's good for me and what's not and I just have to give it over to him. Each and every single day So, understand this, when you are faced with temptation, when you are faced with trials, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. So, that's the basis for our hope. We are chosen of god, born of god, destined for god, good, and shielded by god's power. And then, Peter goes on to tell us that blessings of hope. He answers the question. What does hope bring us? We've already said that trials are controlled. They're here for a reason. So, what is god's intention? Peter reminds us of two things, joy First, to remind us that trials cause us to turn to have joy. It is not an act of faith to be joyful when everything is going your way. But when you face trials after trial and you choose to have joy, that's an act of faith. That's an act of faith. It's easy to have joy when everything's going good, isn't it? But how about when you wake up in the morning and everything is going wrong? Are you still going to have joy? Are you still going to worship? Are you still going to praise? God? Because that's what true faith is all about In spite of the trials, in spite of what's going wrong, we give, we, we, we live in joy knowing who god is and what god has done for us. In this, you greatly rejoice though. Now, for a little while, while you may have had to suffer grief and all kinds of trials, we are to choose to have joy, not to be happy, that we are facing trials. I'm not saying be happy that you're facing em. But in the midst of them, choose to praise god anyways Peter tells us the trials will bring growth In verse seven, we see that trials establish our testimony. They have come so that our faith of greater worth than gold which perishes even though through though refined by fire may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. The idea of proving used here is that of of a goldsmith, he puts the gold in the fire so that all the impurities come out. The the fire refines the gold and makes it pure. The trials we face, They refine us and help us get rid of the rough edges that we we have. Peter writes more about this in 510 and the god of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. Peter says that after you go through the trials, four things will happen. We become more like Christ. Not sinless. But we are finished, completed, completed the rough edges are gone and the reward word restores the the one used in Matthew 421 when the disciples were mending their nets. All the gaps in us are fixed by going through trials. If we lack if we lack faith, god will let us face desperation. If we need patience, he will send us trouble. I must need a lot more patience. That's one of those things that I've lacked a lot in my life is patience but I've learned it. I've I've learned it a lot over the last few years. God knows exactly what we need and he uses the trials to perfect us, to become more like him, become more like When we we become secure, the word firm is one that means to set fast. Peter knew that going through the trials was one way god helps make us firm in our faith. In our faith, firm in our faith. We are strength in the word strong is one that means to fill with strength. Instead of being in the spiritual 90 pound weakling. We become the weightlifter who can handle any weight. How do you get strong spiritually by going through all types of trials? They make us strong and forth. We are grounded. We are grounded. The word steadfast refers to having a good foundation just like a house that has a solid foundation. It does not shift or crumble. What keeps us from becoming a basket case when we face problems, We are grounded and steadfast by going through all types of trials. So this morning, you may be facing some trials ahead this week. But that's good. You may not like me saying that. But it's good. Because God is with you and he wants you to have hope. Because he loves you and he protects you and he wants to use the trial to be a source of joy and growth in your life. The question is, will you choose to have hope? Will you choose to have joy in the midst of the trials? It's the encouragement that Peter has for us. It's the encouragement that god has for us. They're going to come. The question is, is what are you going to do with them? How are you going to grow from them? How are you going to grow in them? How are you going to grow through them? Trials are not always easy. But they sure are needed. Because I understand this, we all need to be refined by god. To become the people of god. So that we can spend eternity with god. If you would stand with me this morning. Dear heavenly father, we come and we thank you for your word and for your truth and we thank you even in the midst of trials. Knowing that you are there with us. That you are growing us in our faith. You are growing us in our joy and in our hope. And I pray as we go from this place that you would go with us and be with us. Until we can be with you once again in your house. In your precious name we pray. Amen.