THE TEST OF FAITH (PASTOR DAVID BOWMAN) 11AM

amen all right question how many of you love tess okay i had like one guy who was like he had his book open you could tell he's a studious bible student he was like yes i do nobody in here likes tests how many pop quizzes you like those two okay all right all right well i don't like tests either they give me a lot of anxiety because the first thing i want to know is what's going to be on the test why didn't you tell me about the test sooner maybe you're one of those kids that whenever the teacher starts at the beginning of the year they want to know all of the tests what chapters to study they don't they want to know it all so they can be prepared because who wants to fail a test does anybody want to fail nobody goes into a test with an affair we want to pass i want my mama to put my paper on the fridge but we face tests all the time don't we we do if you have children or grandchildren your faith has been tested your patience has been tested your self-control has been you've been tested haven't you children will do that to you if you are any educators in the building any educators okay you guys get tested so much if it's not the teacher if the other teachers it's the faculty the staff or them parents not you guys of course not you guys of course not of course not but we all get tested don't we and if you've been in this virginia heat your ac has been tested every time i get in my car and i turn it on i say thank you jesus when that cold breeze hits me because you don't want to see i'm a big guy and big dudes sweat and we you don't want to see that you do not want to see that so we endure tests of all sorts don't we at all times whether we like them or not we're tested today the question for you is will you pass or fail the ultimate test the test of faith which is the title of today's message the test of faith turn in your bibles to the book of james chapter one verses two through eight james chapter one verses two through eight we're going to read it in its entirety and then come back and mine all the gold that's within it starting at verse two it says my brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of god who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind for let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the lord he is a double-minded man unstable in all his ways these are the words written by james james is the eldest brother of jesus and he's known in history some have called him camel knees and the reason why he received that name is because he was known to be such a man of prayer that he spent so much time on his knees his knees began to resemble that of a camel a man of prayer yes a great man of prayer a man who knew where to find wisdom in his time of testing a little bit more about james will be discussed later but know that he is our author and who is he speaking to he's speaking to jewish christians at the time of this writing the christian church was filled with mostly jewish christians it wasn't filled with gentiles yet they did not take make up the most of them and he was speaking to those that had been scattered abroad due to persecution later in history in 80 70 jerusalem itself would be destroyed and so james is writing at a pivotal time to encourage believers and to inform believers of how to handle the tests that come and that's the two-fold purpose of today's message number one do you understand the tests of faith that you face every day do you understand the exam and two i want to encourage you that you can pass the test of faith it is possible and god wants you to pass that's precisely why he gave us this word in james chapter one two through eight so let's look at verse two and three and begin to dive a little deeper into what james is saying he starts off saying my brethren consider it all joy or gladness when you fall into various trials understanding and having an awareness that the trying of your faith produces patience or faithful endurance or what many have called perseverance but what are trials if you've been here long enough pastor tony has explained this to you trials and temptations are two sides of the test coin so to speak a trial is sent by god and why is it given it's given so that it can produce something in us it is a constructive or productive test but then there are temptations temptations are not sent by god for god tempts no one neither is he tempted by sin james would later go on to say but satan sends those he sends those because they're destructive in nature it wants he wants you to fail to bring destruction in your relationship with god and with others and to separate you from god those are the two types of tests we face trials and temptations and so he's saying here my brethren counted joy when you fall into various trials falling into various trials this speaks of unexpected trials this is not i sinned and now i'm feeling the consequence of my sins so i'm in a trial that's not a trial that's you experiencing the negative consequences for sin that's not a trial but trials are when you're trying to follow the lord and something happens you find yourself in a place of pressure where holding on to jesus seems to be more costly than it used to be when being a christian and being bold about your faith is coming under fire it's when holding on to the vows you made to your wife or your husband it's what being that parent that god has called you to be it's when being that faithful light in a dark place begins to become hard that's when you're in a trial and the trial is there to expose what's really inside because god wants you to pass he wants you to grow in perseverance the trials that james is writing about are situations that come without premeditation or planning it's oh man the fridge is out oh the power's gone and in our christian walk sometimes we get sideswiped by things don't we those are trials and maybe you're sitting here or you're online and you're in a trial right now i didn't see this coming i got a diagnosis i just heard some news about a family member a friend my own child there's something going on in me and lord why didn't you tell me this was coming listen just because you find yourself in an unexpected situation doesn't mean god has left you as a matter of fact he's providing this message to encourage you that this trial don't think it's strange it's there to produce something no matter what you think no matter how hot and heavy it is this is going to be constructive in both our temptations and our trials we can receive strength to endure and continue on knowing that we're not the only ones remember in verse 2 it says my brethren one of the great comforts i have as a christian is knowing that my trial is not just my trial there are many other believers that have gone on have been in history past that held on to jesus in the darkest of night and in the hardest of circumstances we don't have to think that far back there are people that came to this country that received oppressive treatment yet they held on to jesus a jesus that they weren't allowed to fully embrace yet they held on to him not having great theology but they held on to him nonetheless it encourages me that even though i know my brothers and sisters in afghanistan who i'll never meet are losing their lives their heads their children for the sake of the gospel they're holding on there are people in haiti and other parts of the world that are experiencing devastation as we see continuing storms to brew out in the caribbean and everywhere else whenever our believers our brothers and sisters suffer know that you are not the only one this isn't to belittle what you're going through but you should gain confidence knowing we all are going through and you're not alone in that that should give you some comfort and show some solidarity first peter chapter 5 verses 8 and 9 says be sober minded be vigilant because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lying lion seeking whom he may devour resist him steadfast in the faith and here it is knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world when you isolate yourself as we've heard many times from this pulpit it makes the pain it makes the pressure that much harder but when you know that it's not just me and as you worked in their lives you can work in my life it know it begins to relieve the burden a bit because you realize this is not sim that's some new test some new cruel and unusual punishment lord no this can be surmounted it sure can james is encouraging the brethren to respond to their trials that suddenly come upon them with joy but how is this possible how can you get a diagnosis how can you hear about a child being sick or god forbid dying and you respond with joy in the midst of grief how do you do that it's because you focus your eyes not on the problem itself not on the trial but on the end products changing your perspective will help you to turn that test into joy and gladness first peter chapter 4 verses 12-13 says beloved do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you but rejoice to the extent that you partake of christ's sufferings that when his glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy god is not trying to punish us when he puts us through a test that test is seeking to purify your faith to make it better faith it's there to give you the ability to believe for even greater things we move from faith to faith right we don't stay in the infantile stage of faith and faith is always at stake in our issues and problems no matter where you're facing your trial today if it's a trial in your marriage a trial in your family a trial on the job i don't care what facet of life you're experiencing this pressure to hold on to jesus christ your faith is what is at stake your faith is what is at stake when we look beyond the trial to the end product that's when i can have joy god you're going to produce something i know this looks destructive but you're actually trying to produce something in me i don't want to shortchange myself but how are you looking at your trial today do you see your trial as an opportunity to grow or do you see nothing good can come out of this pressure nothing good could come out of this heat you know how diamonds are made don't you pressure but when we shun the pressure we never get the byproduct of the pressure we can never be made into that which god wants us to be why does god test our faith he tests our faith because tess you know any test is given to discover value and worth and authenticity how do you know that the things that you have are authentic how do you know that a coin is authentic you got to test it how do you know that currency is authentic you got to test it how do you know the love in your marriage is authentic it's got to be tested it's very easy to impress somebody on the first date isn't it you dress well you smell good you paid for dinner hallelujah but give that relationship some time and some some scenarios some problems all of a sudden we begin to see the true nature of that bubble to the surface pastor tony has used the metal purifying process he's talked about that often that under the heat the metal impurities come to the top and you're able to skim that off so that you can have truly pure gold so if you're going through pressure in your life maybe god is trying to show you an area that still has impurities so that you can be made pure in that area so in verses two and three what have we seen the product of the test focus on what the test is going to produce not on the fierceness of the test itself and you'll see that you're able to see you're able to have joy and even gladness in it not in the test itself remember i don't rejoice in pressure but oh what it will do what god wants to do in it look at verse four it says but let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing allow in other words allow this working out of your faith to continue until you become mature and complete lacking nothing or no good thing the bible tells us that he withholds nothing good from them that walk uprightly god is not trying to keep things from you he's trying to give things to you the question is are you able to receive it are you going to allow patience or perseverance to have its perfect work are you going to allow it to grow or in the middle of the heat in the middle of the pressure lord i'd like to hit the eject button please i'd like out of this marriage i'd like out of this relationship i'd like out of this job because i don't like discomfort but we just read that the discomfort is there to produce so if you leave god will let you leave but what will that leave you immature it'll leave you lacking it'll leave you without perseverance you won't have the grit to be able to commit to anyone else it's interesting to me that when we counsel people who constantly leave relationships that they can confidently enter into new ones by what basis do you feel confident that you can be consistently faithful to this one you didn't show yourself faithful in this one or this one or this one but this is the one [Music] it is possible to shortchange your growth and maturity due to impatience and as a result you will remain immature and incomplete in your faith many of us we don't walk a victorious christian walk because we keep jumping ship every single time it gets a little rough we're looking for comfort we're not looking to be perfected or made mature some consider this idea of being perfect and lacking nothing pointing back to the sacrificial system whenever someone would want to bring an offering to god that was acceptable it that the sacrifice had to be taken and examined and that that animal could only be sacrificed if it was without spot and blemish if it was exactly what god prescribed if it was a perfect sacrifice then they would slay it and god would accept it our very lives are supposed to be sacrifices to god and so he's constantly going to show us areas where we're still missing the mark not to hurt us or harm us or belittle us or discourage us but to say look here's an area i'd like to clean would you allow me to do that would you like me to get rid of that blemish or do you or do you not want to go through the blemish cleaning process if it were not for the trials and tribulations i have faced in my own life and i'm talking negative situations i stand before you a man who has is the product of very hard circumstances at times i've experienced things inside of church that would have made many leave the church and it's not because of my great faith but because i had confidence in god i've had parents and employers and friends disappoint me countless times but god will tell me i didn't disappoint you they did don't impugn my nature my character when men and institutions and the promises of people fail you i haven't lost i've never failed you god doesn't want you to be immature and so maybe he's allowing you to experience this pressure so that you can have faith that'll be pure so in verse 4 we see the purpose of the test the purpose of the test is to complete you is to help bring you to maturity and if you keep running from the test you only hurt yourself let's look at verse 5. it says if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of god who gives to all liberally and without reproach and it shall be given to him we just read that it's god's will in our trials that we should persevere and become mature believers that lack nothing however i love how practical james is here because he knows in when you fall into various trials there's one thing that's glaringly true i don't have the wisdom for this because i didn't have time to prepare for this lord so anytime you're in a trial what's the one thing that you should do is to seek wisdom somebody said pray that's exactly right how many of us is that our first resort how many of you decide to go on google or youtube and look up a video or talk to your best girlfriend or best guy friend you hang out with the boys maybe you drink it away and he said you know what this problem's really bad so i'm just gonna numb it and make sure it goes away and maybe when i get sobered up it'll disappear when you face insurmountable odds and pressure and heat of trial it's going to be glaringly true that i don't have wisdom i don't have wisdom i don't understand how to a perfectly applied knowledge in this circumstance this is when you need to ask of god and why do we want to ask of god because he gives to all liberally and without reproach what does that mean he gives openly he gives freely there are no strings attached if you want the wisdom you can have it he's not like some of our parents who had limited funds who had limited resources limited time for us he's not like friends who are there only when it's good god is open all the time if we would only come and it says that he will not resist you he's not going to say you came again you need more help you need more wisdom you're so needy that's the point you know some of us we're so scarred up from the way we were born raised that we go to god and we treat him like an extension of mom and dad he's gonna he's busy up there and i don't know if i should go and ask him stuff that's what he's doing that's who he is he is the way the truth and the life he is not just an a answer to your problem he is the answer and so it should behoove us to go to him yes so where do we get god's wisdom number one in prayer number two through his word see the jewish christians of this time didn't have a bible in all these different translations and digital and paper form no but we do and we have his holy spirit we just sang about holy spirit the holy spirit of god the spirit of truth will teach you all things you don't even need a personal pastor tony or pastor david to come into your situation you just need to go before your god and his word and he will lead you when you put your faith and confidence in him he will show up it doesn't need to be church service for him to show up in god and in his word we have an inexhaustible source of wisdom knowledge and understanding for the greatest of your challenges and that should be reason alone to make god your first call not your last resort you see god knows where you put him on your priority table he knows whether he's first fifth ninth he knows where he stands but when you make him the first course that's when he'll show up it's a shame how often we've gone to everything else been disappointed and then we may got our final resort but he's ready and willing the first moment of trouble so in verse 5 we see that the problem in the test is that when we are confronted with a test and we lack wisdom where will you go to get that wisdom the wisdom of the world the wisdom of your friends the wisdom of some website or will you go to the lord himself in his word let's look at verse 6 verses 6 through 8 but let him ask in faith with no doubting for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind for let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the lord he is a double-minded man unstable in all of his ways in these verses we see why so many people okay they got the first couple of points they're like okay i'm in a crisis i'm in a i'm in a pressure situation i'm trying to hold on to god so i'm going to ask him because he gives to all liberally and without reproach pastor david but um i came away empty when i prayed why verses 6 through 8 tells us it's because you begged you pleaded but you doubted what does that mean you doubted is it a moment of unbelief no it's when you go to god and you say i'm asking you for this but i also at the same time in my heart believe that you won't show up it is what is called being double-minded meaning two souls it means yes i believe but yes i don't believe and god can see that we can fool each other in here how faithful we are but under the heat of the of the test and of the trial that's when we really know what's really in us we know that faith is not just mere belief faith is the greek word pistes meaning assurance grounded confidence having trust in god's word his character and his ultimate plan when you get that call when you experience that negative situation often christians well-meaning will go to prayer and say god i believe that you can heal i believe that you can restore i believe that you can just they're putting belief in one set of probabilities they're saying god i believe in this outcome but not in this outcome what did the three hebrew boys say when the fiery furnace was turned up many times hotter they said our god can deliver us but even if he doesn't we still aren't bound to you what did they show faith in they showed true faith not in a set of particular outcomes but in god himself i want you to get this point so bad many of us have faith in god for particular outcomes in life we do not have faith in god himself we don't understand how god can take an l and make it a w paul knew that i rather boast in my infirmities i rather boast in my afflictions that christ may be glorified in me for when i am weak then i am strong some of us will never experience that because we can't bear to be weak at all we can't bear to take an l in life why does he give us those losses why do we suffer and lack so god can show you that he is the supply christians we have to believe in god in his perfect character that he always has what's best in mind for us if you failed it was his will that you failed you see some of you can't say that well my god is a guy he's a he's a conqueror he'd only he'd only be there if i succeed really what do you call the cross okay i'll leave that there we'll visit it again later when we ask god for wisdom but inwardly doubt his word character and trustworthiness you can be assured this scripture passage is saying you will receive nothing don't even ask if you're going to ask double minded hebrews 11 6 says but without faith it is impossible to please god for he who comes to god must believe that he is that god exists but then that he is also a rewarder of those who diligently seek him how would you like it if your kids came up to you and in one hand one side of their mouth said i believe that you can give this to me mom can i have this but then out of the other side of the mouth they say i don't believe that you're going to give this to me that would be strange wouldn't it children never display this double-mindedness because they're not sophisticated enough to doubt and believe at the same time like adults are when kids ask for things they truly believe there's a money tree in your backyard and you just pull money off of it they just believe that they believe that you have all the gas in your car to go to bush gardens every weekend and that you have nothing else better to do oh the faith of a child which is exactly the faith we should have in him not in a particular set of outcomes where i'm holding god on trial and i'm trying him saying your only god if you do this this and this your god no matter what you do no matter what you do the bible says that the kind of person that is double minded is tossed about like the waves of the sea by the wind unstable and lacking solid faith and trust they are further described as double-minded meaning having divided interests or opinions god i trust you no i don't god will make a way nope i better find a better way sometimes it takes the heat of trials to show us what kind of faith you really have and notice that it goes on to say that a double-minded person is unstable in some of his ways no all of his ways the worst believer to be around is a believer that is double minded not only will you have instability in certain areas of your life you'll have instability all over your life because you have one foot on the solid rock of jesus christ on the other foot it's on your way of doing things you are unstable in all of your ways you'll be unstable restless and inconsistent because you fail to put both feet on the solid rock of christ mark chapter 9 verse 24 a father who was a need set a father who needed healing for his child cried out and said with tears lord i believe help my unbelief do you notice i believe help my unbelief listen god understands that you're struggling with doubts in whatever area it is right now and he can help your unbelief god don't leave here feeling discouraged instead bring your unbelief to jesus he will show you that i'm willing put both feet on me put your whole weight on me trust me with all your heart lean not on your own understanding i got you so only if you only have one foot on him it's okay he doesn't want to cast you aside he wants you to come it is a sobering reality even as an assistant pastor when i come to realize how little my faith really is but does little faith matter to jesus yeah it does look at matthew chapter 6 30. it says now if god so clothes the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven how much more will he clothe you oh you of little faith matthew 8 verse 26 says but he said to them why are you fearful oh you of little faith then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm matthew 14 31 it says and immediately jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him oh you of little faith why did you doubt it's amazing how you can be with jesus see the miracles of jesus hear the teaching of jesus and yet countless times jesus was like why is your faith so small why do you doubt still how often we we ask god we say god if you would do this then i would believe oh we don't hold faith very well our vessels leak all the time don't they and this is why we need to constantly fill ourselves up with faith and where does faith come faith come by hearing and hearing by the word of god this is why we come to church y'all it's to refill our tanks this is why we fellowship with one another because my faith begins to leak from here and there when i see things on the news when i see things in myself and i need to make sure that my the cracks in my vessel are sealed up so i can hold a little faith as little as it may be so we see in verses six through eight failing the test is when doubt seeps in and corrupts true faith for true faith is a two-footed faith it is standing totally on jesus not just on a particular set of outcomes because james was talking to jewish christians some of them were going to be martyred some of them were going to be tortured and some of them weren't going to experience any of those things necessarily but no matter what is your faith today on jesus doing a particular set of things for you or is your faith based on what he's already done on the cross for you already done today we looked at the test of faith we discussed the purpose of the test what is the purpose it is to produce something in you many times we want a blessing but a blessing comes out of the testing are you willing to endure the test these did the old folks say you can't have a testimony without a test are you rebuking the test are you cursing the test that god has given to produce greater faith in you right now are you saying god i want a more comfy christianity listen things are getting hard they've always been hard but they're getting harder i'm seeing it on the tv screen i'm seeing it in social media it's getting harder and harder to hold on but you know what he's doing he's sifting he's sifting he's saying look if you if you're down for me this is what it may cost if you'd like to leave the door is open i'm not going to beg you to stay with me i'm also not going to drag you into heaven either because if you truly don't want to be with me if you truly don't believe in me you don't have to be with me but you know what the alternative to that is we saw the product of faith today the product of the test i should say which is that god wants to bring completion and maturity no parent worth their salt wants their child to stay a baby on the baba right he wants you to grow he wants you to become strong he wants you to be just like jesus is that what you want or maybe you're good where you're at god wants to push you ahead and how by adding another plate on that barbell i'm with you i'll spot you but you need this extra weight because i want you to see me in an even greater esteem you never knew me as healer so i have to bring a situation where you need my healing how do you know i'm your provider if i never put you in a place of lack how do you know i'm a sustainer if i never put you in a place of instability how are you ever going to know me in a deeper way if you never have to go through any deep pain at all many of us want to put our children in bubble wrap keeping them from anything negative no negative words no negative scenes you just want to keep them wrapped up but eventually they have to grow because that is natural nature tells us that growth is what occurs god wants you to grow we saw the problem of the test and the problem is where will we go for wisdom when you're sideswiped by a situation or a circumstance in you your spouse your children wherever it may be right now you know where the pressure is hottest in your life right now where are you going to go to get the wisdom and answers are you going to look into the word of god and in prayer or are you going to find another way your own way try to figure it out because you're smart no the christian that dwells close to jesus realizes how feeble we are and how weak and how not so smart we are and that i need more than knowledge i need more than information i need wisdom and wisdom comes from god we looked at failing the test failing the test failing the test is when we ultimately doubt god and never put both feet on him believers i want to encourage you today to hold fast if it gets hotter and hotter in your life and heavier know that your reward is closer as well it's not just that god wants to produce greater faith there's a reward remember he that comes to god must believe that he is and that he's a what rewarder of those who diligently seek him what if your blessing what if the ultimate reward you're looking for is just around the corner and god is asking you to hold fast to me don't leave that job don't leave that relationship don't leave that husband or wife hold fast to the word of god don't leave the faith just because a few christians messed it up we all fall short of the glory of god where have you been placing your eyes on the problem or the product that's going to come forth from it if you're a believer i pray that you would heed the words of james by changing your perspective stop meditating on the issues stop meditating on what the red and blue politics tell you the real issue is they don't know what the real issue is they just keep bringing up new ones the real issue has always been that man is separated from god and you can't have your faith tested if you don't have faith at all so if you're a believer today and he's testing that faith he wants that faith to come back stronger and stronger embrace the test and you will pass the test not because you enjoy the pressure but because of your trust in the one who brought the test and allowed it in your life my father would never bring me anything to destroy me he would only bring me things that would bless me that would help me that would strengthen me yes how do i crucify my flesh because i get into situations where i realize my flesh is futile and i'll gladly let go of it maybe maybe what he's doing in this world right now is he's making the taste for this world distasteful that the things you used to enjoy he's removing those things why because he wants you to only desire him imagine if this world had everything you wanted we wouldn't desire him at all you'd want to make utopia here and that's what we're seeing today good is being called evil evil is being called good and people are trying to build their kingdom here on earth but even while that is happening there's a kingdom that god is building in heaven above and our names are written so be encouraged today to hold fast hold fast to your vows hold fast to your commitments hold fast to your faith and if you're in the midst of a test recognize your inability recognize your weakness embrace your weakness bring it to the altar god wants to give you strength today and if you're a skeptic or a doubter you've never placed your faith in jesus you don't think this faith is worth anything at the end the ultimate test of faith is when this life is over because we're going to see how good the faith that you placed in whatever else is you've placed your faith in your own abilities you've placed your faith in your pedigree you've placed your faith in whatever science haven't we seen over the last year and a half or more that health sciences fail you science fails you leadership fails you you fail you where exactly are you putting your faith today doubter skeptic i don't say that to malign you i say that because james was a doubter james at one time doubted jesus was even who he said he was it says in the scriptures that even his brothers didn't believe in him but something changed james from a doubter to a believer and a martyr oh yeah james went on to fall to be thrown while he was in the temple from a high place and he fell to the ground and when he fell to the ground he wasn't dead yet and he was found praying saying forgive them for they know not what they do james had a deep transformative experience because he saw jesus resurrected and he would not relinquish the truth no matter what happened to him i pray that we will have that kind of faith that no matter what comes because our brothers and sisters around the world that choice is very real for them that prospect is very real and i pray that we will have the courage built upon jesus's death burial and resurrection did he die on the cross was he buried and did he defeat death and pop out of that grave if you believe that then what pressure what heat what trial is going to shake you from those truths you should be able to endure it all so i pray today that you'll be encouraged there's no greater foundation to help you to sustain you under the heat of trial than jesus christ and his word let's go to the lord in prayer lord i thank you that you gave us these words through james to encourage us to inform us that lord the test of faith is of the most importance lord i pray that right now that we will consider what has been said and that lord that your holy spirit will go and convict hearts lord i pray for those who are god that have failed lord they've looked at their lives and they've seen where they've messed up where they have failed to test the faith time and time again i pray that lord that they'll know that you're willing to pass them because of your shed blood on the cross lord we all have fallen short in the area of faith we have had one foot on belief and one foot on unbelief i pray today that we will fully stand on the rock of christ i pray lord that your people will come to the altar seek you in prayer confess their sins and that you will cleanse them from all unrighteousness and i pray for those who are god that are outside of the faith right now that don't know you as lord and savior and they see the instability in their lives they see the shifting sands that they've placed their confidence and trust in i pray today that they will believe on you believe that you truly lived a sinless life on their behalf that you died on the cross for their sins and that you rose triumphantly from the dead if they place their trust in in you and what you've accomplished they will be saved i pray that they will ask for your spirit the power of god to do the work of god to do the will of god and i pray lord god that each and every person under the sound of my voice will be encouraged to embrace the the test not because of the test itself but what it will produce in us oh god whether it be a diagnosis whether it be lord god instability in a marriage whatever it may be that is pressuring them right now to move away from you i pray that they will hold fast just like you held fast carrying that cross and dying and fulfilling everything lord god that you said you would leaving no step of obedience unturned lord i pray that they will plant their faith once again firmly on you and they will pass the test of faith in jesus name amen can i have any of the prayer people to come up to the front we want to make sure that you have an opportunity to do what the scripture said if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask of god who gives to all freely and without rejecting you it doesn't matter how many times you failed the test you can come forward and you can receive strength and encouragement to continue on no matter how hot and heavy the situation may be look the world is passing away and the things in it but they that put their trust in the lord will by no means pass away we have a great future we have great rewards to look forward to and for everything that looks bad out there there's a great greater work that god is doing in us so don't hesitate to come forward and if you want to receive jesus christ as lord and savior don't leave this place trusting in anything else than in the death burial of jesus christ it's the only means by which we can be saved god bless you [Applause] you guys can stand as we go in and close out as he just stated the altar is still open so if you need prayer you can come up anytime feel free [Music] um [Music] where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone [Music] your presence holy spirit holy spirit is [Music] you are welcome here come flood this place and fill the atmosphere your glory done is be overcome by your presence [Music] [Music] we need your presence [Music] let us become more aware of your presence let us experience the glory of your goodness let us become more aware of your presence let us experience the glory of yours let us [Music] let us [Music] let us must [Music] [Laughter] the glory of your goodness holy spirit you are welcome here comes this place and fill the atmosphere your glory god is what our hearts long for to be [Music] [Music] [Music] holy spirit you are welcome your glory god is what our hearts by your presence [Music] [Music] thank you god for your presence thank you for your guiding holy spirit thank you for reminding us that there is blessing in the testing we pray lord that we never stray far from you thank you for being able to give us wisdom when we ask we pray as we go through this week that we don't forget what we were taught today and we lean ever closer to you and keep our ears ready for the word that you have for us we thank you for all things in jesus name amen amen amen have a blessed week the altar is still open so if you need any prayer feel free to come on up [Music] message thank you for joining us today if you made a decision to follow jesus click the link we have a free gift we'd love to share with you as well as some information about next steps in your walk with jesus there's also a link if you simply want prayer or want to share some exciting news that god is doing in your life finally if you've been blessed by the ministry at calvary chapel newport news consider partnering with us financially you can click the giving link below or you can text calvarynn to 77977 your financial gift helps us to continue to reach the world with the gospel of jesus christ god bless you thank you for joining us and continue to reach up in around and out

Channel: calvarynn

Views: 315

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Id: cxopbZCYVmY

Length: 45min 29sec (2729 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 29 2021