1 Peter, 4:15-19

Alright, well we're looking in 1 Peter chapter 4, 15-19. So I'll read this to you, and then you have your papers and you can follow. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evil doer, or a troublesome meddler. But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but to glorify God in this name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. Well, we've been on the subject of suffering for a little while here, and I'm sure some of you would like to move right on to something a little more pleasurable. I'm looking forward to that too. But this is, as we've seen, is part of life.

You know, someone has said concerning marriage, it's three rings. Engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. So we're not studying suffering in marriage today, but necessarily. Was it some famous woman, I don't know if it was Billy Graham's wife or someone, they asked her, did you ever think of divorce? She said, no, but murder, yes. Well, here we're not talking about that specifically.

But Peter lists four sins here that Christians are capable of committing in the midst of sufferings. Now this may be a little shocked if some of you think that a Christian could murder someone. I mean, when I was talking to my wife about this, she was a little shocked, you know. Oh, Christians murder? Okay, we're going to talk about that. The first three of these sins deal with the violation of the laws of the land. And the last sin can be found in people relationships.

So, he starts off here saying, make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer. This word suffers here. It speaks of disgrace. Make sure that none of you are disgraced or discredited or blamed for the sin of murder. And so this word simply means a murder in the Greek. And so murder cannot be justified. We know that even though someone may have killed her own family.

The sixth commandment, of course, says thou shalt not kill, and cruel treatment is no reason for us to return cruel treatment to someone else. We are not to play God with someone else's life. But the potential of committing any cruel crime lies hidden within any Christian, if they are walking in the flesh.

Jeremiah 17.9 speaks of our old nature's heart condition. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and who can know it? This NASU version says desperately sick.

1 John 3.15 says everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. This word hates means to detest or to persecute.

And Ephesians 5.29, for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it as Christ does the church. This is speaking of the marital relationship there, where the husband is to love the wife.

Galatians 5.15, but if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. So when you think of murder, we think of it as one of the worst sins that a person can imagine. But Peter sees the possibility that some Christians might go this far under the suffering they were going through during that time. And of course we know that today even it could happen. Now in what way today do you think people, a Christian can murder another person?

Ruined their reputation? Yes, yes. We have a dear friend, she's not as close to me as to Bev, who lives here in Colorado. And some years ago, her husband, he just mistreated her throughout the marriage. Even though outwardly he preached and taught and discipled and But he was treating her at home just terrible, and finally there was a divorce. I don't know who initiated that, but this woman's life was just devastated. And I happen to know her husband enough to know the type of man he is, and he certainly had a way of Even with individuals sometimes coming across like, you know, he's looking down on them and better than thou, holier than thou attitude, that it was it was not a loving attitude. I didn't sense that loving attitude so much from him in my relationship with him. But this woman's life, she's sad, you know, she's. Her life is practically ruined.

And then I'm sure some of you have seen experiences where, like when I was in Florida ministering, working at the Florida Bible Institute, there was a wonderful lady there. I taught her children piano lessons, and her husband was an elder in a church, in the church we were attending, and he left her for another woman. And this woman committed suicide, this dear Christian lady. I think that he murdered her.

He, you know, he he's the one responsible because it just devastated her. So sometimes, you know, just hatred towards somebody, you can just ruin their lives. And so I don't think that you normally hear of Christians. Have you ever heard of anybody murder a Christian, murdering someone?

Oh, you have. OK. A missionary who ran over his wife on purpose. Okay, alright. So, I guess you do hear of it. So, it can happen. I mean, the flesh is something that we are not to trust, you know. Put no confidence in it. And thank the Lord we have the opportunity of walking in the Spirit and not walking in that hatred toward other believers.

Yes? Yes, yes, you would. But are you saying that the Christian cannot commit murder then? No, I'm not saying that. Yes, but you'd question it. Yeah, I mean, under circumstances that would be possible. Yes. But normally not. Yes. No, let's say this. No Christian who is abiding in Christ, who's walking in the Spirit, would ever do that.

And I think that that's what John has talked about when you read that verse over there in 1 John 3.15. I didn't put that entire verse, but the way it reads in the King James, you get the idea that no Christian would ever commit murder. You could interpret it that way, but that's not what he's saying.

When you look at the overall picture of the scriptures, you know that We're not perfected yet, except positionally. And so there is the flesh still there that we have to put off, put off the old man with all of its deeds. And we read in Romans, you know, these terrible deeds in Romans 1 29, we read of all those terrible things, and I believe murder is listed there. So, all right, let's go on to Or theft.

None of you suffer as a theft. Now, the word in the Greek, kleptase. Now what word does that remind you of? Kleptomaniac. Okay. An obsessive impulse to steal regardless of whether you need the money or not. I mean, it's just this impulse to steal. And so any Christian is capable of becoming a thief.

If a person thinks that they're beyond this, then look at 1 Corinthians 10.12. It says, Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. And so the potential for stealing lies within each of us.

I was at one of these short order places sometime at the end of last year, and I had a $10 bill, and I got my whatever it was, and a Spanish girl. You know, you almost have to speak Spanish these days at these short order places. There's so many Spanish workers.

And I gave her this 10. I thought it was a 10, anyhow. It looked like a 10. Handed it to her. She gave me change for a 20. I started driving off, and I thought, hmm. Oh, that's change for 20, not 10. And so the Lord convicted me, you know, okay, you better take it back. You know, I was a little tempted there. Well, you know, she made a mistake. Well, I went back around and gave the money back. But there was a little temptation there, you know.

And so, you know, that's where we can be tested sometimes on little things when the grocery clerk or someone gives us the wrong change. And that's a great opportunity, by the way, to acknowledge the Lord, you know, that he has, you know, to God be the glory. They say, well, it's nice of you to do that. Yes. Oh, yeah, we had in Florida, we had a choir and I was the choir director. And so, a minister of music. So this dear lady, she's the sweetest woman you'd meet in your life. I mean, the sweetest woman you could ever talk to, except for Bertha.

And well, she would steal from the ladies' purses on Sunday. So they eventually had to lock up the room where the purses were during the choir time because somehow Somehow she would get back in there if she could and take from their purses. I don't know what all she took, but they had to lock that room up. And of course, I guess in most churches today, they do lock up the purses while the choir is while they're singing. But at that time, this is a little country type church and wasn't anything big. Yes. But she was so sweet and nice and loving. And she was a good soprano, too, I'm sure. Yeah. All right. So we have to watch out. Yes, sir. Go ahead. You're going to get us on another rabbit track. Yes.

What we call the Lord's Prayer is actually a combination of two traditional Jewish prayers. So no, it was not written for Christians. It was two traditional Jewish prayers that were written together. But we know that you're tempted, bud, so you better... So you best pray. You know, the best thing is to put on the Lord each day, you know, by faith, and be led by His Spirit. But, you know, I don't think the Lord of mine is saying, Lord, today, lead me by Your Spirit. And we know, of course, He is not going to lead us to being a thief. So, but there will be temptations and that's part of life for Christians.

Then he says here, well I guess, did I look at Ephesians 4.28, he who steals must steal no longer. But rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need." So no doubt some of these people that he was writing to, Peter was writing to, had had some of these sins that he's talking about. And so he's telling them not to do it anymore. Alright, then he speaks of an evil doer. This speaks of a bad doer. Not door, but a doer.

John 18.30.

This same word is used in John 18.30. It speaks of malefactor. And of course, I believe that's where Christ was being accused there. An evildoer is a person who engages in doing that as bad. Of course, we know Christ was accused of being troublemaker and all kinds of things, but it wasn't true.

So Peter is saying here, like in 1 Peter 2.12 that we've already studied, that to keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, and that's that same word, they may, because of your good deeds as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Also, 1 Peter 3.16 says, having a good conscience, that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed that they falsely accuse you, or accuse you of your good conversation in Christ.

So, if we're going to love the Lord, then we need to hate evil things, and we see these verses, some in the Old Testament, like Psalm 97.10, hate evil you who love the Lord.

And in Proverbs 8.13, the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. So pride and arrogance and the evil way. And the perverted mouth, I hate, the Lord says.

So an evil doer cast aside the rights of others. We think of that, you know, when we're driving, don't we? Someone who cuts us short or does something, they're taking advantage of our rights. Have you ever taken advantage of someone's right and you didn't do it on purpose?

I did one time. Well, more than that once, I'm sure. had all kind of signals and signs and wonders to show me. I ran a four-way stop sign. He thought I was taking advantage of him. I took advantage of his rights. And I didn't do it on purpose, but still he was quite angry. You know, that's what makes people really upset is when you take advantage of their rights. Yes, murdered. I could have been. I thought he didn't chase me down. I did have a woman chase me one time in her car because she thought I mistreated her rights when I was driving. She finally quit chasing me. I tell you. So, watch out there. Don't take advantage of people's rights. You may provoke them to evil work. Scripture does say, provoke not one another to wrath, you know. Okay. Now we move on to troublesome meddlers.

In the Greek, this speaks... What? I was afraid you were going to ask me that. And you know, that is such an easy thing to pronounce that I know that our brother Doug can pronounce it. It's so easy. Pronounce it for us. Alot-re-epi-sco-sus. Was that good? Is it coppice? Well say it for us. It's okay. It's my southern accent. Okay.

The King James Version says busybody and other men's matters. We can only guess as to what kind of meddling Peter has in mind. The folks that love to meddle in people's affairs. Some people do, you know. And so, look at 2 Thessalonians 3.11, for we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies.

1 Timothy 5.13 says this, and at the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies talking about things not proper to mention. Too much idle time, probably, for these folks, huh? And when that happens, there's time to be a busybody in somebody else's affairs. So if a busybody can't find someone to talk to, then it kind of stops things, doesn't it? So that's probably the best response for us is to not give them a listening ear. Some things are best left unsaid, even though they may be true and accurate.

Bev, she likes to read the paper. So last night she was reading last Tuesday's paper and she read. She keeps up with everything. She found this guy that I used to work with. And I'm not going to go into details on this, but I didn't work with him, but just we were not friends or anything like that. But he would come in and substitute for me or teach for me. Found out that this man has done something bad. So the tenancy, you know, I wonder I mean, who I could pass this word on to, you know?

But what this young man needs, I say young, he's in his 40s, he needs someone to back him up with prayer and trust that he'll repent of what he got into. But the tendency is the flesh is wanting to, you know, let's take her out and see, let's give some prayer requests, you know, you know, concerning and to the wrong people, you know, there's not everybody's going to pray for sure. It's just not a real prayer request. Your prayer request can turn into gossip sometimes. And some of you have probably been in churches where the prayer request list looks, I mean, it could be a gossip list, really. And so.

It's so wonderful the way Nancy does it here. She does it out that way. Yeah, it's called a prayer chain, it's what she's talking about. And it can turn into gossip, you know, like the old game gossip, and I tell you, and then you tell her, and she tells her. By the time it gets to the end, it's not the same prayer request.

But the way we have it here is really good. You're doing great. If you're not on the prayer list that receive directly from the horse's mouth. I mean, pardon me. See this lady here, Nancy, she'll get you. Yeah, I like the way we do it. It comes more direct. One person sharing. That's good. Prayer change. Problems. OK.

Just as an aside with that, if somebody sends me an email with a prayer request in it, sometimes that's just for Vern and me. And so if you ever have something like that, I usually try to request the person. I get back to them, do you want me to put that on the prayer table? So if it comes to you, it's by your request, not because I think it just got to go out.

Okay. So, Nancy's saying that when she receives a request, some are personal and some others, you just send it right on to us. That way we get it directly from that person. I like that. That's good. Yes, Tom? The buck does stop there. Okay. The buck stops there. Yes, that's good. That's good.

Yes, anything else on that? Buccaneers? Buccaneer? Oh, really? Okay. You Nebraska people, I don't always understand you. Kansas, that's right. Kansas. Okay. I've got to get this on the tape, what you said. We're Jayhawkers. Jayhawkers, okay. And what was the word you used concerning what we're talking about? Buck? Buck moose. A buck moose. Tell us about a buck-meat moose. I don't know about that. Oh, they're tricking me. OK, here we go. Let's get back on these rabbit and moose trails. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. OK, so.

Proverbs 10, 12, hatred stirs up strife, but love covers up all transgressions. And that should be our attitude, isn't it? With those negative things that we may have to pray about our problems is not to just spread it around, but cover it with love and with prayers and hope that the person can be restored who has fallen into sin. Then Peter goes on to say here, but if anyone suffers as a Christian, He is not to be ashamed, but to glorify God in this name. The word Christian here is Christianos, and we remember, I'm reading a quote now from Chester McCauley, and he says this, the word for Christian is Christianos.

We must remember that the cult of Caesar was the state religion of the Roman Empire. People obeyed the law not only as a civil duty, but as a religious duty as well. This, of course, preserved unity in a widespread empire. Those under Roman system were Caesaranos, and so those of the opposite who served Christ were Christianos. Rome considered Christians as challenging and defiant of its leadership and authority. Their answer was ten bloody persecutions. in many cases meant death. So we know the emperor was worshipped as God and so people were required to obey the law and to worship him.

And the Christians, of course, refused to do that. As we think of this, it comes to mind speaking of being ashamed to glorify God. Remember Peter, how he denied the Lord three times? He cowered before the Romans, you might say, or Rome, and denied the Lord there in his early days of, you know, his following the Lord before the crucifixion.

But after the resurrection, and when the Spirit of God came into him, he was Peter the Rock, you know. He would never have denied the Lord after that, after he had the Spirit of God dwelling in him. And you know, tradition says, of course, that he died a martyr. And so he would never have denied the Lord as he was in the Spirit, when he became walking in the Spirit.

So now we come to the phrase, for it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. That with, in the Greek, is from the household of God. So we could read it, for it is time for judgment to begin from the household of God. Discipline and testing, as we've already talked about last week, are just part of the Christian life. The Lord said, for unto you is given not only to believe, but also to suffer.

Philippians 1.29, for it has been granted for Christ's sake not only to believe, but also to suffer for His sake. So, we are quick to hear about God's love and mercy, but we tend not to want to hear about God's judgment and justice. The Word of God is full of warnings about the result of disobedience.

Therefore, we need to be considered of the importance of these warnings. 1 Corinthians 11, 31 and 32 says, But if we judge ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. Once I worked several times as a baker. Got up, had to be there early.

I remember I was also doing cooking and I got there. I forgot what time it was, but I remember so well that this man that worked there also evidently was there before I got there. And someone else had asked me, what time do you get here? And I didn't give the correct time. This other man who had been watching me and watching the clock knew exactly what time I came in. Well, I didn't give the accurate time.

And he hollered out at me, you liar. So it was a way of the Lord to me. If we judge ourselves, we will not be judged. It was a way of me being judged that I wasn't being accurate, you know. And so sometimes the Lord will use even non-believers, which I think this man was a non-believer, to judge us, you know, when we need to be straightened out on something. So I began to learn to speak more accurately. Yes. It's any possibility, but it certainly helped me and provoked me. And I felt like that, you know, it was the way the Lord is correcting me, you know.

And so my point is that sometimes the Lord will use other people to set us straight. If we've got a problem with lying or something, that he'll get us in a situation and we will get caught. You know, and I think some of these preachers that have been caught in their problems that they have, I think it's God's chastisement. I don't think it necessarily means they're not believers.

I believe that God's judging them, you know, or allowing others to put the judgment on them of catching them and training them. Yes. Ananias and Sapphira are kind of a direct idea. Ananias and Sapphira, most certainly. That's good. Very good. That's good. So, the judgment of believers is not an accident, but assurance of God's sovereign control and love, isn't it?

Whom the Lord loves, he chastens, scourges every son whom he receiveth. I like what W.R. Newell says concerning the gospel, because this word gospel is in this phrase, those who do not obey the gospel. Concerning the Gospel of God, he says, it is God who loved the world. It was God who sent his Son.

Note our Lord's continual insistence that in the Gospel of John, he says 19 times, Christ said constantly, I am not come of myself, but my Father sent me. It's absolutely necessary that we keep fast in mind as we read in Romans the awful facts about ourselves. that it is God who is leading us up to his own good news for bad sinners. So he's speaking here of the fact that this is God's good news, the gospel of God, that phrase there. And so when you think of the gospel, what is the gospel?

Well, we think of Paul's words. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried. That's the proof. He rose again the third day, and the proof of that is that He was seen. And we need to make that very clear as we present the Gospel.

I had an opportunity this week to officiate at a funeral for a blind man. Dear man, love the Lord. And he was a drummer. and was able to play drums as a blind man, and evidently did a great job. And all these band members were there, and their families and people, and I'm sure there were some unsaved people there.

So what I gave them, the Gospel, 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4. I want to be sure to share the Gospel. That's the power of God to salvation to everyone who does what? Believes. Alright. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved. And that's what they believe.

Alright, and then Peter goes on to say this, and if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will be the godless man and the sinner? So God has seen fit to allow testing and discipline to be part of the believer's life, and this being so, what is the end of the unbelievers? The constable in his commentary says, in this verse, Peter contrasts the intensity of the two experiences of suffering by disciples now and by unbelievers in the future.

It is with difficulty that righteous people pass through this phase of our existence into the next phase because this phase involves suffering for us. Saved here means delivered in the sense of being delivered from this life into the next. Yet it will be even more difficult for godless people to pass from this phase of their lives to the next because they will have to undergo God's judgment. Of course, we know at the Great White Throne Their future suffering will be more intense than our present sufferings.

And it's not a cut-off thing, it's continual, right on throughout eternity, separation from the Lord who is life, who is light, who is everything. So, when he uses the word next, therefore, it brings together these thoughts to a conclusion and introduces a command in view of them. So, therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God.

That's quite a statement, isn't it? Suffering is, I see that as saying, it's God's will. So, Josh Billings once wrote this, Life is a grindstone, and whether it grinds a man down or polishes him up, it depends on the stuff he's made of. Concerning this statement above, Dwight Edwards said this, I think this accurately portrays the path of each man or woman's life.

As the grinding edge of undeserved suffering makes close contact with our lives, our response will cause us to become either a more polished vessel, in other words more Christ-like, or else it will mar us with a deeper root of bitterness. In short, we will either become holy or bitter depending on our response to undeserved suffering.

I'm sure many of you have run into bitter people. I was at Multnomah School of the Bible working there and there was a lady in the kitchen there that had no, in my thinking, had no business there. Such a bitter person. Bitter, bitter, bitter. Just kind of reeked, you know, like garlic. Bitterness! You know, and you see these folks, and I don't doubt that she's a Christian, but the fruit of the Spirit was not there. She's just bitter about something. You know what takes care of bitterness? What is it that takes care of bitterness in a Christian's life? What can take care of it, you know? What? Forgiveness of not only forgive the person that you're holding against, whatever it is, Forgiveness. Yes, that really helps.

Forgiveness. And of course, the cross itself. When we begin to see we are to forgive as God has already forgiven us. He's already forgiven us. And so, it's not forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. No, that's not the New Testament church teaching. We've already been forgiven, the scripture says. And so it's a matter of us realizing, go ahead and forgive them.

As I've told you before about this friend I had, I've worked for, and he forgave me before I ever asked him to forgive me. He had already forgiven me. Had he held that against me, that attitude that I had, that bad attitude that I displayed toward him, had he held that for those years, he would have been bitter for ten years or so, because it took me ten years to come around and say, please forgive me for that. Bitterness can be healed by taking the forgiveness we have from Christ, what He's done at the cross, and go ahead with life. Forgive the person and go on. And hopefully they'll repent one day, whoever it is that you're holding something against.

All right. So we've got this. Shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing what is right. Entrust. This word is a banking term, and it means to place on deposit. This is true security. Where can we deposit anything in a more safe place and secure them with the Lord God?

Psalm 62, 5 and 6, My soul wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and salvation, my stronghold, I shall not be shaken. The word in trust and faithful bring out that we are dealing with things that are a matter of faith. Suffering righteously calls for faith. As I said last week, the world looks at it as rags. It's worthless. But we talked about the value of it. It's not that. And we talked about those things that it's valuable for. And we'll get to that in a little bit again. We'll review that, I hope.

Hebrews 11.6, but without faith, It's impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them who seek Him, those that seek Him. So, Lord Jesus gave us a good example. He entrusted His Spirit to the Father.

1 Peter 2.23 that we've already looked at says, And while being reviled, He did not revile in return. While suffering, He uttered no threats. He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. You know, we can be so misjudged. Why? Men judge by what? The outward appearance.

But God looks on the heart. Luke 23, verse 46, And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit. And having said this, He breathed His last. The apostle entrusted himself to the Lord. 2 Timothy 1.12 For this reason I also suffer these things, Paul says, but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted, there's the word, entrusted to him until that day.

So Peter describes God here as the faithful creator. I love that phrase, don't you? Faithful creator. This is an unusual designation because this is the only place in the New Testament where God is called as Christus, creator, founder. In other words, it's speaking of God. The combination of faithful and creator reminds us when we're going through trials that God is faithful and in control.

Peter wants us to know God meets the needs of his people. It's wonderful to know there is no temptation taking you, Paul says, but what is common to man. But God is faithful. Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear. So we have His promise. He's faithful not to allow us to be tested above that what we're able.

Philippians 4.15-20 Paul says, You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but you alone. For even in Thessalonica, you sent gifts more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.

But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance. I am aptly supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your need, according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. He found it so that God provides needs.

I had someone tell me one time, now God doesn't provide today like He used to, like He provided for the guy with orphans. What's the orphan guy? Mueller. He doesn't provide like He provided for Mueller things. But let me tell you, the Lord does. I found that so, you know, that He provides for our needs. It's amazing.

My first wife, we didn't have insurance, we were in ministry for different ministries and different organizations, and no money, nothing much, and people would give us things. We had a missionary, a poor missionary died. and who didn't have family. She sent us, I think it was $1,800 out of her poverty and her death. She gave us that $1,800. It came just in time when our son needed money for a trip to go to Russia on a mission trip. Just in time. I mean, I could go on, I could write a book about how the Lord has provided when we trust Him.

When my first wife died, we did not have money for, you know, she had cancer. And we didn't have money for the hospital and all that she had to go through with. There was some man that donated to the organization I was working under, the Christian organization. He donated $1.7 million, as I understand, to the organization and said, I want you to take care of Sandy Fuqua's medical expenses and all that's concerned.

I tell you, I found God faithful. A faithful creator. It's so good to know we have a God who cares. And He just keeps on caring for us. The Lord is prepared by goodness for the poor. If you're going through poorness, that's not a bad thing. It gives you a chance to trust God. I remember when I was out of a job one time, and I was thinking, oh Lord, it would be so nice if I had some fruit to take home to the family. And I got home, and the neighbor had bought a big bowl of fruit over. I was sitting on the table. You know, the Lord hears the desires of our hearts. You don't even have to pray it. He hears the desires. This blind man that had his funeral the other day, I don't know if I told you about him, but one time he was thinking, you know, he couldn't get out and go shopping.

They're way out there and Peyton or Falcon away from Colorado Springs, way out in a trailer. And he said, I'd sure like to get something for my wife's anniversary. I think it was her anniversary. And he just had that desire. Well, there was a radio program on and said, if you call in, you're the one of the first callers we'll send. You can have guests from this florist shop or something to that effect. He called in with the right answer and they delivered a bouquet of flowers. As I remember, it was something to that effect. And yeah, that was I meant to tell that at the funeral the other day and I forgot about it. There's so many good things coming up about this man. But God is so good. He's alive and he cares for us. And so he is our creator.

And the early Christians knew this. In Acts chapter 4 verse 14, I believe it is, or maybe it is 24, Acts 4 24, he said, you know, Peter and John were released from jail. So they said this, and when they heard this, the disciples that they went back to, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said, Oh Lord, it is you who made heavens and earth and sea and all that is in them. They recognized God's care, that God is a God. Even the universe is so huge, and here we are on this little planet, and this huge universe, and we've got a God who cares for us. It's wonderful, isn't it? Great.

1 Thessalonians 2.24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. And He also will bring it to pass. I love that verse. Faithful is He who calls you. Isn't it wonderful? We have a faithful Creator who's taken care of all the sin problems. Sins and sin and the whole thing. And He's provided so many good things. And good people. Aunt Bertha. It's wonderful.

But you know this suffering that God takes us through with folks? You know what I've been learning, and I'm sure some of you have been learning this. One of the things He's teaching us is the otherness of Christ. He's other than us. He's different. His ways are higher than our ways. We would never want to put our kids through suffering, would we? Would we? No, not in the flesh.

But in the Spirit, sometimes I think, Lord, we'll hedge them in. Shut them up to faith, Lord. Can you help mature them, Lord? Bring them to the place where they hunger for Your Word, the place where they want You. The other thing the Lord teaches us is the impossibilities of our ever being what Christ is in ourselves. Of ourselves, we'll never be that. If you don't know that, you've got some real suffering to go through with. Some real trials.

Because the Lord has ways of getting you off of the thing. Well, I can do it. You don't have to worry about me. Take heed. If you think you're going to stand, you're going to fall. And sometimes that can be some real hard suffering. And then the Lord teaches us how is His way. Finally, we learn it's by His Spirit. His way is by placing us in Christ.

We used to sing that old hymn, Higher Ground. Do you remember that song, Higher Ground? I'm pressing on the upward way, new heights I'm gaining every day. What's the rest of it? It ends like this, Lord plant my feet on higher ground. But you know what? He answered that prayer song. Now, we wouldn't sing that song probably here because all of you are on higher ground, right? But we used to sing that prayer song and I thought, wow, the Lord answered that prayer song. The Lord lifted me up and let me stand. He lifted us up to heavenly places in Christ. And even in the immaturity of that gathering and singing that hymn, you know, the Lord has been faithful to bring us to that place, you know. It's wonderful.

Let's thank the Lord. Thank you, Father, for this good time. And we don't understand, but we trust you concerning suffering, concerning the trials, concerning the very environment that we're each one living in today that causes us sometimes to try to doubt you. And, Lord, we know that that's not a view, that we need to be people of faith and to trust you right through the conflicts and trials and know that you've engineered and allowed situations for us to be mature, to grow, to be able ministers, and to be just real people, Lord. We thank you for this time now. In precious name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.