North Campus | Another In The Fire | Connor Bales | Prestonwood Baptist Church

((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) Heat up here. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) Hey, good morning church family. Come on, stand up across this room. You are in for an amazing treat this morning. God's power, his presence is here. Let's declare this truth. I ((applause)) believe I believe there is one salvation, one doorway that leads to life, one redemption, one confession.

I believe in the name of Jesus Christ. Yay. Come on now, you sing it back. I believe. I believe in the crucifixion. By his blood, I have been set free. I believe in the resurrection. Hallelujah. His life is dest. Amen. All praise to God the Father. All praise to Christ the Son.

All praise to the Holy Spirit. Our God has overcome. The King who was and is and ever more will be. In Jesus mighty name. I believe. ((music playing)) Come on, let your heart sing today. I believe. I believe in the hope of heaven. He's preparing a place for me. Far beyond what hearts imagine.

Ears have heard or eyes have seen. I believe that day is coming. He's returning to claim his right. Like the altar, keep it burning. See the lamb who rose the ((music playing)) roaring. All praise to God the Father. All praise to Christ the Son. All praise to the Holy Spirit.

Our God has overcome the king who was and is in Jesus mighty name. I believe yeah I never be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How could I ever walk away from the one who saved my life? Sing it strong. No, I never be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How could I ever walk away from the one who save my life? No, I never be ashamed of the goel of Jesus Christ. I walk away from the one who save my life. All praise to God the Father. All praise to Christ the Son. All praise to the Holy Spirit.

Our God has overcome. The King who was and is and ever more will be. Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) Come on, let's celebrate as a church this morning. We believe in Jesus and his gospel. There is hope in his name. Hey, before you're seated, turn to somebody you're standing next to.

Say good morning. Shake a hand. It's so good to be together in God's house this morning. ((music playing)) So good. We've got baptism scheduled in all three services this morning. So turn your attention now to the baptistry and let's celebrate with these that are coming to be baptized today. Well, good morning church.

And uh as Rick said, we're baptizing across all three services. And this is one of seven um people that will be baptized today. And this is my friend Tyler Roberts. Yeah. Uh Tyler uh actually has Tyler grew up in a in a Christian home where he was involved in church uh most of his life and it was as an infant he was baptized.

And um in fact uh a few years ago, Tyler was a part of the construction crew that was here doing the Proclaim Initiative work that we've seen and the the remodel that we've done here. And as a result of that, started attending church after they completed the project.

And um being here and hearing the the word spoken and and preached, he came to the realization that I need to get baptized on the right side of my salvation. And so he is here today to make his declaration of Jesus public today. Okay. So, Tyler, are you getting baptized because you know that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life?

Yes. Was based on that public profession of faith in obedience to Christ's command. I get to baptize you, my brother, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to walk in units of ((music playing)) life. Amen. That never gets old, church, does it?

We thank God for life change, and it is a joy for us to celebrate that. Uh well, welcome to worship here at Prestonwood. If we have never been formally introduced, my name is Connor Bales. It's my joy to serve as the pastor here at the north campus of our church.

And on behalf of our entire church family, I say welcome to everyone and especially to our guests. We are just so delighted uh to have you here with us today. We would love uh to have a record of your being with us because we would like the opportunity and privilege to connect with you.

So, if you would just text that word, that's it. Just text connect to the number 55125. That will prompt us as a church family to be able to follow up with you and prayerfully get you connected into the life and ministry of our church. And there is so much life happening in the ministries of our church, including what we celebrated Friday night, which was our special friends prom.

Did you know that on the north campus we had over 700 people that were a part of our prom? It was so much fun. And just for those of you that are curious, yes, your pastor still got it. I I got it on the dance floor. It was so easy, Josh.

And we had so much fun. If you weren't sore from dancing, for sure you were sore from smiling. Turn your attention to the screen. ((music playing)) Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) It was so much fun and we had such a great time. I want to express a very heartfelt thanks uh to all of you that helped make prom such an amazing success.

You know, at our church between our two campuses, almost 1,500 people participated with us. So, we uh just appreciate you and your willingness to embrace this incredible ministry here within our church. It is an incredible ministry for nothing less than God's grace uh to us, but also in large part because of the vision of our very own special friends, minister Kathy Kovalic.

So, I'm going to ask Kathy could come to the stage and would you guys help me celebrate Kathy and show her some appreciation this morning. Today is Disability Ministry Sunday and it is an opportunity and privilege for us to be able to celebrate what God is doing in uh and through the the life and the ministry of Prestonwood.

And so, Kathy, tell us a little bit about this special treat that we are in for here today. Yeah. So, let me also just echo my thanks and my gratitude to everyone who served at Special Friends Prom and and highlighting and spotlighting our Special Friends ministry. But we're not done yet.

So, today is Disability Ministry Sunday. And every Sunday, I have the privilege and the honor of being back in our suite where we serve from preschool all the way through adults individuals who've been impacted by special needs and their families. And so today during one of our songs, they're going to join us here at the front of the stage so that you can see the impact that your church has in the special needs community.

I am so grateful for a church that sees value in every person because the gospel is for everyone. That's exactly right. And this is such a joy. Yeah, you can celebrate that. No doubt you've already uh seen and and been blessed by uh our guest worship leader today, Isaac Reese.

Isaac and his family are here today. You'll get to hear more of his testimony just a little later in the worship service. But in addition to not only uh featuring our disability ministry, we're going to have some that are a part of that to lead us uh uh in this service.

So, I'm going to let Kathy introduce a very special guest, but I'm also going to ask our ushers if they would make their way forward as we prepare to receive this morning's offering because we are going to be led by a very special guest. Kathy, tell us about that.

Absolutely. If you guys would, I'd love to introduce you to Callie Pew. Callie is being brought out by her parents, Bobby and Cassie. Callie is Isn't that smile great? That's Does he have a great smile? Callie is part of our special friends ministry and um she loves pizza.

She loves to giggle and laugh. She loves to plan parties and Callie loves to write stories using her communication device. The best ones are the ones that Miss Kathy is in. Callie, right? Yes. And so Callie's going to share a prayer that she wrote using her communication device.

We call this their voice in the suite. this is their voice. And so she wrote this prayer and she's going to share it for us now. So if you guys would join us in prayer. Dear God, thank you for today and for our church where we learn about you.

Thank you for our special friends ministry and our teachers. Thank you for all the friends I've made here. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Church family, would you please stand as we continue to worship? As Kathy said, we are now being joined by our special friends, partners in ministry that will help us lead this song.

Christ is my firm foundation. Let's sing it from the bottom of our heart today. M Christ is my firm ((music playing)) foundation the rock on which I stand when everything around me is shaking. I've never been more inclined than I put my faith in Jesus cuz he's never let me down.

He's paid for generations. So why would he fail now? He won't. ((music playing)) he wants. I've still got joy in chaos. I've got peace that makes no sense. So I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength. Cuz I built my life on Jesus and he's never let down.

He's faithful in every season. So why would he fail now? He won't. He won't. You won't fail. You won't fail. Christ is my ((music playing)) foundation. The rock on which I stand when everything around me is shaking. I've never been for glad that I put my faith in Jesus cuz he's never let me down.

He's faithful to generations. So I would ((music playing)) now. Thank you Jesus. He won't. He won't ((music playing)) fail. He won't fail. Let's proclaim this verse together. He's a faithful father and he's with you through every season before this thing to stop. Rain came, wind blew, but my house was built on you.

I'm safe with you. I'm going to make it through. Rain came blue, but my house was built for you. I say with you I'm going to make it through when you my house was built on ((music playing)) you. My you are going to make I'm going to make it through.

I'm going to make it ((music playing)) through you. Yeah. I'm going to make it cuz my house is built for you. Christ is my foundation. ((music playing)) which I stand when everything around me is shaking. I never f Jesus never let me down to generations. No, I would be there now. ((music playing)) You ((music playing)) won't you won't ((music playing)) f you.

((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) Amen. Amen. Let's give all the special friends another round of applause, y'all. So amazing. Praise God. Amen. Well, Preston one, it's such a blessing to get to worship with you all this morning. Um, but before we continue in worship, I would love to share my testimony with you guys.

So, before I was born, um, I was diagnosed with an extremely rare bone condition called osteiogenesis imperfecta. And what that means is my bones are extremely fragile. And the doctors actually told my parents that I wasn't going to survive past birth. And they were so confident in that that they told my parents to abort me.

And they told my parents that if I even ended up surviving past birth that it wouldn't be for very long because my ribs were going to be too weak to support my lungs. And my parents, they were devastated, but they knew that the Lord had the final say.

So they went to their pastor at the time and they prayed together. And in that moment of prayer, God revealed to them that not only would I survive, but they had a great calling calling on my life. And sure enough, I ended up surviving past birth. I had a few broken bones, but I was in ICU few for a few hours.

And I was breathing on my own. And I used those very ribs that doctor said would be too weak to support my lungs to sing to Jesus. Amen. Before we continue, let's pray and then we'll continue. Lord, I just thank you for your presence. I thank you for this church family.

I just thank you, Lord, that your spirit is here right now. Lord, I just pray Lord that this morning that we would surrender all worries, all burdens, all fear, all hurt, whatever it is that the enemy has been trying to use as a stronghold over our life, Lord.

I just pray, Lord, that you would break every chain, break every stronghold, Father God, and that we would worship you in spirit and in truth, Lord. That we would remember that you are a God who will never leave us nor forsake us. that you are a God whose power is made perfect in our weakness.

So I pray that this morning that we would release everything at your feet and we would worship you, Lord. And it's in your name we pray. Amen. ((music playing)) The Lord is my shepher and he is everything I need. So I will not ((music playing)) worry. I will not fear the enmy.

He said that he loves me. He said that he's with me. Even though I walk through the valley of shadow and death and still I know he has good plans. He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in deserts and he has good plans. He has good plans. for me.

If I know my father, I know my father has good plans. Thank you, Jesus. You have good plans. The Lord is my savior. So why should I doubt my victory? Why would I question the rod and the staff that comforts me? He quiets the waters. He quiets the storm inside of me.

So what could be better than walking with him when I believe? He has good plans. He has the place for me. So I won't take God in deserts and God is he has good plans. He has good plans for me. If I know my father, I know my father.

He has good plans. He has good plans for me. So I will take heart in this God is he has good plans. He has good plans for me. If I know my father, I know my father. ((music playing)) Thank you, Lord. You have good plans. Oh, we believe. We ((music playing)) believe.

Surely your goodness and mercy will follow after me. So be well by me. Cuz I'll be dwelling in the house. Show me your goodness and mercy will follow after me. He will find me in the house. in the house of God. Truly your goodness and mercy will be by me.

He has good. He has good for me. ((music playing)) for me. If I know my father, I know my ((music playing)) father. Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) If I know my father, I know my father could ((music playing)) we praise the Lord. You may be seated. ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) Heat up here. ((music playing)) What a morning. I am unwell. I'm going to be honest with you.

It has been so emotionally uh powerful. Uh what a great uh day of worship uh for our church family. And again, hear me. I uh I just want to express a very heartfelt thanks for your willingness to embrace uh our special friends in disability ministry uh church. You are moving the needle in a way that will echo in eternity.

And I just thank God uh uh for you. It has been so much fun uh not only Friday night celebrating at prom uh but then this morning uh what you have witnessed here today with Isaac's leadership and uh all our special friends uh uh being able to be a part of the worship service today is such a great day.

If you brought your copy of God's word, grab that and we're going to continue to build uh upon God's goodness and grace as we open his word. And that is to first Peter chapter 4. 1 Peter chapter 4. As you're making your way there, I will remind you that Easter is not very far away.

And so, uh, I just want to share with you to make a reminder to yourself to make your plans now in anticipation of that weekend. Don't let it sneak up on you because we have so many services and ways for your family to celebrate the resurrection uh, with us Easter weekend.

The first thing I'll draw your attention to is as you are dismissed today, you'll notice we have a resource, a 21 uh day guide of prayer uh readying us and preparing us uh to encounter God in in a profound way on resurrection weekend. And then for Easter itself, uh our celebration will start on Friday morning of Good Friday uh with a father-son men's Bible study at 6:30 a.m. right here in our worship center.

And then our Good Friday service, which will include the celebration of the Lord's Supper along uh with believers baptism, is at 6:30 p.m. on Good Friday night. And then the first of what is six Easter worship services will start on Saturday at 5:00 and we have another at 6:30 p.m.

And so if you are worried at all about crowding on Sunday morning, uh then my encouragement to you is to take advantage of Saturday night. So, Saturday we'll have two Easter resurrection services. One at 5:00, the other at 6:30, and then on Sunday 4 beginning at 7:00 a.m.

And so at 7, 8:30, 10, and 11:30. And here is my pastor's request of you as it relates to Resurrection Weekend. Please prayerfully consider attending a service and serving another. We really do need your help. Although we're not having life group ministries, we are having preschool ministry uh that weekend.

And we will need so many volunteers, not just in preschool, but in parking and greeting and all these other ways in which we want our uh campus to be hospitable uh for that incredible weekend celebration. I also want to ask you to prayerfully consider attending the 7:00 service with us on resurrection morning.

Uh if you think about it, we're all up that early every weekday morning, so it's really not that big a sacrifice. But I am asking that you would consider attending the 7:00 service. Uh we know we are going to be very very crowded uh throughout the morning on Easter Sunday and so if you would consider getting up earlier with us and attending the 7:00 service especially those of you who are regular attenders and a part of our family of faith it is going to be a great weekend indeed.

Now we are continuing this journey through first Peter. We know that uh pastor Peter the apostle is writing a letter of exhortation and encouragement to persecuted Christians in the first century men and women suffering for their faith. They're occupying a culture living within a context that holds to convictions that are running in opposition to the ordering of God.

And so it's costing them something for being men and women of faith. And and now you're going to hear the tone of the letter shift a little bit because in our context today, Peter has spoken boldly. And he's not going to seed that in the conversation we're going to study this morning.

But what he's going to add to that is a a pastoral tenderness like you're going to see the heart of the shepherd here this morning just in his language. He's leaning in. It's a living room conversation. is his arm around these brothers and sisters that are suffering uh for being identified as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And and so in this conversation, Peter wants his church, he wants our church to be reminded of this fundamental truth. In fact, I would say if you're a notetaker, this is the theme of what we're going to read and study today. Peter wants his church to know when suffering shows up, you can always trust God in your trials.

No matter what, when suffering shows up, you can always trust God in your trials. Now, let me be clear. You can't always trust your trials, but you can always trust your God in your trials. So, 1 Peter chapter 4, we're going to start reading in verse 12. Read through verse 19 and then we'll unpack it together. 1 Peter chapter 4, start with me in verse 12.

If you're there, say, I got it. He begins by saying, "Beloved." Now, beloved is a term of endearment. And so, when I told you a moment ago, you kind of get to see the heart of the shepherd here. This is what I mean. Like, he's now leaning in.

He's changing the tone of the of the conversation instead of just saying to the church uh uh generally. It's like he's talking personally like he is really wanting to shepherd and to encourage and and to be tender toward these brothers and sisters. Why? Because Peter knows their suffering.

Peter's not an absent shepherd. He's a shepherd that smells like sheep. He He knows his people are suffering. He knows there's heartache. He knows there's heartbreak. He knows there's hurt. He knows there's pain. And so now he leans in and you can hear it in his tone and he says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you.

But rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you're insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a medddler.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will come of the ungodly and the sinner? Now watch verse 19. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. This morning, for the purposes of our conversation, I'm going to ask us some diagnostic questions that I think are important when fiery trials show up in our life.

And here's a fundamental truth you already know. And that is this. No one gets to escape suffering. Fiery trials are a reality that every person everywhere has to endure because we all live in a world that has been fractured, that has been broken through the introduction of sin.

Now, we don't all suffer identically the same way. But we all suffer. Everybody experiences difficulty, hardship, and pain. Everybody has at least one fiery trial. And and so here's some diagnostic questions for us to ask. And the reason I think questions are helpful is because often when having a difficult conversations that are beneficial for personal growth, I think this is true.

Questions are better than statements. So parents, my counsel to you and grandparents and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters and employers and employees, when you're having a hard conversation with someone that you love, my counsel to you is ask a lot of questions. Guard yourself from making a lot of statements.

Because when you make statements, immediately you put people on the defensive because they know you've already arrived at a conclusion. But when you ask questions, then you get to hear from them and perhaps in their explanation either your heart changes toward them or their heart changes about what it is that they have decided to do.

And so let's ask ourselves some questions because no one escapes fiery trials. The first one is this. How do I respond to suffering? This is very personal. How do I respond to suffering? Look at verses 12 and 13. He says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed."

This is an important question for us to ask. And here's why. Because inevitably when suffering shows up, when fiery trials are upon us, we run to one of two questions. The first question is, why is this happening to me? Or what am I supposed to do now? Those are not bad questions.

I'm just wondering if a more redemptive question is, how am I supposed to respond, God? What is it that you desire for me to do? How do I respond when suffering shows up? We need to understand ourselves as it relates to our response inevitably when we endure our own fiery trials because evidently that was something Peter was concerned about.

He was concerned about two things. One is the possibility of surprise. So these believers are experiencing fiery trials and they're shocked by that. or that there's an absence of joy, which I'll acknowledge seems to be somewhat strange when you think about enduring hardship. But let's talk about one at a time.

The first is he says, "Don't be surprised." That word surprised. It can be translated as astonishment or bewildered. And so it's the astonishment about suffering, particularly suffering for being a follower of Christ. But what Peter says is listen when that fiery trial comes upon you and in particularly because you belong to Christ.

Don't be shocked by that. Don't be surprised when you are tested with a fiery trial because you are faithful in your commitment to Christ as though that's strange. That's not strange. That's not weird for the Christian. That is normative. It is to be expected. And remember, when we are not prepared, when we are shocked and bewildered and astonished, when not everybody loves us because we love Jesus, then we are ill equipped to learn what God wants us to in that fiery trial and we are unprepared to steward whatever God is doing for our good and his glory through it.

And so, we need to pay attention and we need to ask ourselves, why am I shocked by this? Of course, not everybody's going to like me because I'm committed to Christ. And and just so you'll know, as it relates to the persecuted church, we we don't really suffer much persecution where you and I live, but there is great persecution globally to those who belong to Christ.

According to the ministry, Open Doors, there's approximately 380 million Christians currently suffering persecution for their commitment to Jesus. Last year there were 4,476 followers of Christ who were martyed for their faith. Last year globally there were 7,676 churches or Christian organizations that came under some type of physical attack for being devoted to Christ.

And in the UK last year, a teacher was fired from her job in her school for her unwillingness to teach um the LGBTQ ideology and maintaining a biblical sexual ethic and she was fired from her and watch this Christian school. And so what I'm saying is we can't be surprised by that. like Peter says, like that's not strange.

Of course, there's going to to be contradiction to your commitment to Christ. But instead, not only do we not exercise surprise, but instead we embrace joy. In verse 13, he says specifically, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings. Now again, it does at times seem strange to have or to uh find joy in the midst of of suffering.

But for the Christian, I don't know that it really should because God's working in that. Isn't this what James says in James chapter 1 and verse two? He says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds." We rejoice in our suffering because suffering is a primary mechanism by which an individual is connected to Christ.

Have you ever heard of the term the fellowship of suffering? Have you ever experienced the bond that is forged between you and maybe someone you don't know so well because you have shared in a season of difficulty? You have the commonality of hardship. You have the a shared experience of of pain.

Like I I I don't know the Ree family very well, but even just this morning as I was talking with Isaac's parents and his sister and and with Isaac and we were sharing some of our story, immediately there is this bond that's forged. There is this connection that's had.

Why? Because we both acknowledge that we have suffered hardship in these similar waters of suffering. I've seen it with couples that are in marriage crisis and when God redeems them and rescues them out of that, then they become an instrument of redemption in his hand to serve other couples that find themselves in a season of marital crisis.

I've seen it with couples that have miscarried and now they have a an opportunity to talk to other couples that are suffering miscarriage. I've seen it with individuals that are navigating crisis of diagnosis and then God rescues them or delivers them or walks with them through that season of health uh concern and then they're an instrument in his hands to come alongside of someone else and there is immediately a bond.

There is a shared connection. There is a forged understanding. Why? Because we can all acknowledge I've bled too. And and when you suffer for the name of Christ, do you know your connection is most closely to his. And so that's how you find joy is because you get a little closer to Jesus who suffered for all of us.

Peter says our suffering binds us to Jesus and it brings us his glory. So the first question, how do I respond to suffering? Here's the second question. What is the reason for my suffering? The second question, what is the reason for my suffering? I'm going to show this to you in the text because uh Peter wants us to examine and ask ourselves what's going on.

In verses 14- 16, he says, "If you're insulted for the name of Christ, you're blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But watch 15, sandwiched right in the middle. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a medddler.

Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, there it is again. Let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. Again, I appreciate Peter's heart here. He's already called us beloved. We know he's leaning in. And now he's saying, so there's two types of of suffering that Peter wants to differentiate uh between for the sake and the health of the church.

Now, it's not an exhaustive list of all the reasons for all of the suffering. We've talked about that in sermons before, but I think Peter knows there is an important understanding that the church must have in differentiating between at least these two types of suffering. There there is some suffering that Peter says verses 14 and 16 that is commendable and then there is another type of suffering that Peter sandwiches right in the middle in verse 15 that is consequential.

So let's talk about both of those. First is the commendable suffering. That is suffering for faithfully following Jesus. That's commendable suffering. That is suffering for faithfully following Jesus. In verses 14 and 16, Peter commends those who suffer for Christ's name. He gives a huge encouragement to those who are legitimately paying the price for remaining steadfast in their commitment to Christ.

And I would just say this to be clear. While Peter acknowledges the general suffering within our world that is fractured and broken because of sin, he is specifically in this moment addressing the suffering that comes as a result of a commitment or a belonging to Christ. In fact, this is not something that you and I can as easily relate to.

But in the first century at the time when Jesus was writing, the man in charge of Rome was an emperor named Nero. And history has told us that Nero was a great persecutor of Christians in the early church. In fact, one of the ways in which he would hope to dissuade people from remaining committed to Christ was a public form of torture and humiliation.

And so often it was said that what Nero would do when he would uh uh catch a Christian who refused to recant their faith is he would have that individual bound to a wooden stake. He would dip that individual in tar and then he would have that individual posted up along the colonade leading to his palace and at night they would light the torches.

So Christians burning alive igniting their way to Rome. Now that's a hard thing for you and I to grasp. But if we're being honest in a much simpler and subdued way, because we too live in a secular progressive culture, it's quickly moving further and further away from the ordering of God.

Then our devotion to Jesus is likely going to cost us something, too. And here's what Peter means for us to see. And if it does, good for you. In fact, I don't know if you've ever watched a television program or or seen an experiment about uh the mining for raw minerals, but often the way in which that process works is those raw minerals are dug up and they're covered in secondary materials.

Sometimes it's a the soil known as overburden or sometimes it's other materials that just aren't uh uh the value of the particular mineral that is being mined. And so the way in which that precious commodity is is is refined is first it's cleaned and then it's processed and then often times as a part of that proc process extreme heat is applied and in the application of extreme heat it will burn off the impurities. family.

What I would want you to know is that uh the church should always uh pay attention to those seasons of extreme heat because what it usually indicates is that God is refining us. He is molding us. He is removing the impurities that exist within us and around us so that we can look more like he has called and in Christ equipped us to be.

So there is a certain amount of suffering that comes for faithfully following Jesus. That's verses 14 and 16. But in the middle in verse 15, Peter says, "There is also suffering for folly and personal sin." It's right there in verse 15. And I think it's fascinating that right in between his commendation to Christians for suffering for their faith is the consequential reminder that some of you are suffering just because you have been foolish and done things that are definitively wrong.

He says, "Let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler." Now, immediately when I read that, I'm like, "Not me. Don't judge me." But what I was saying is according to the words of Jesus, if anyone has harbored hatred in their heart towards someone else, then they have committed the same thing as murder.

And so, that's all of us. But the NLT even helps us understand what it is that Peter is saying so much more. It says murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people's affairs. Oh, snap. Now, we can all relate to that. And yet, sometimes, listen, sometimes, especially here in the soft western church, there is a temptation for some of us to want to think that the bad that is happening to us is simply because, well, I am a strong believer in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

No, you're a thief. You're a gossip. You slander people. You have taken advantage of others when you thought no one was looking around. You're being punished because of your folly, not because you follow Jesus. In fact, in your folly, you're a poor representation of him. In fact, I read a story not long ago about a CFO for a large company.

He was a professing Christian. He held to Christian values publicly within his place of employment. He was ultimately terminated by leadership for cause. He was convinced that he was being persecuted for his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So he filed a suit against the company for wrongful termination based on religious discrimination.

As evidentiary discovery began to take place prior to heading to mediation, it became abundantly clear that he had been terminated for cause because he was embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the company where he worked. But he wanted to cry foul as though he was being punished for following Christ.

No, he was a thief and a poor representation of Christ. And so he was terminated for that. So there is some suffering that you can't just say, "Oh man, I'm being persecuted." No, you're just dumb. It's catching up to you. And that leads me to the third question.

Do I recognize God's sovereignty over my suffering? Do I recognize God's sovereignty over my suffering? Read with me in verses 17- 19. For it is the time for judgment to begin. Notice where he starts at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

And if the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? Now watch 19. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. Here is what Peter wants his audience to know and what I believe God has for some of you to hear today as well.

And that is this. You ready? God's got this. And if you belong to God, he's got you because he's got this. Notice when Peter says this work of God through suffering begins, he talks about it starting in the church. It's fascinating to me how bad theology has crept into the church.

And so we immediately assume that just because we're suffering difficulty, hardship, or pain. It must be it must be an external excuse for that. Well, perhaps it's an internal reason that God is refining from within so that we would look like those who belong to Christ on the out.

And so a couple of things, observations as we recognize God's sovereignty in our suffering. The first is this. He's always working in our trials. This is a word for someone here this morning that God is always working in our trials. In verses 17 and 18, it says that God is working through hardship and specifically within his church to the people who belong to him.

In fact, it is our suffering specifically for our faith in Jesus that serves as an evidence of our belonging to Jesus. And if we don't get this right, then we don't trust God's word. If you don't believe that God is working in the midst of your trials, then you are proving you don't trust his word.

Because Romans 8:28 only makes sense if this is true. For those who love God, he works all things together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. Not some things, not best things, not wealthy things, not healthy things. He works all things together for good.

All things. That means your pain, your past, your hardship, your failure, and the failure that has been done to you, God's not wasting it. He's working in it. He's working in and through your trials. If you've ever been in a car accident, you know that because of what it is that you have suffered from that car accident, you drive differently.

You are more grateful for the safety of the journey every time you take it after that. And then when you see someone else spun out in the ditch, you're more quick to pull over and offer assistance. This is the evidence of God's working. I never imagined that Mary and I would be the special needs couple.

But it just turns out that because God has entrusted to us these two amazing and yes, very medically fragile little girls that now we are equipped to serve other families that are navigating similar waters. It's because God has wrecked us out and been brought us out that we are able to pull over and see others when they're spun out in the ditch.

This is the way in which God is working through our trials. And the second truth is this. He's always worth trusting with our trials. He's certainly working, but he's always worth trusting. I always encourage you to write in your Bibles, but perhaps never more than this morning. Because in verse 19, it deserves your highlighter and your underline.

Because after acknowledging the work of God in the difficulty of our fiery trials, Peter says, "Therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good." It's interesting to me that the adjective Pastor Peter would choose to use in this living room conversation when describing God's presence in our pain.

It is not savior, although he certainly is. And it's not king, although he certainly is. He describes the God who can be trusted in our suffering as our faithful creator, reminding us that he is the author and sustainer of our lives and that he is a God who is going to care for you and me from beginning to end.

Therefore, he can always be trusted. And there are some of you who are here this morning and you're in your own season of difficulty and hardship and pain and you are wondering if God can be trusted. And the answer is definitively, biblically, and historically yes. Wayne Grudum talks about this passage of scripture this way.

He says, "Upon reflection, there's no better comfort in suffering that can be found than this. It's God's good and perfect will. For therein lies the knowledge that there is a limit to the suffering both in its intensity and in its duration. A limit set and maintained by the God who is our creator, our savior, our sustainer, our father.

And therein also lies the knowledge that this suffering is only for our good. It is purifying us, drawing us closer to our Lord and making us more like him in our lives. In all of it, we are not alone. But we can depend on the care of a faithful creator.

We can rejoice in the fellowship of a savior who has also suffered. We can delight in the constant presence of a spirit of glory who delights to rest upon us. There is an incredible story in the Old Testament. I would encourage you if you're unfamiliar to just make yourself a note now to go back and read it later today or this week in Daniel chapter 3.

Uh the history of the moment is that uh Israel, the Jewish people had been uh captured and exiled into a foreign country called Babylon. And the king of Babylon at that time was a man named Nebuchadnezzar. Not a nice guy. And a way of indoctrinating Babylonian culture into these foreigners that are now living within Babylon was uh to uh uh teach them or uh to cause them to abandon their faith in God in Yahweh and to see that Nebuchadnezzar as the king as the ruler of uh all of Babylon was the only God that could be worshiped and deserving of these people's praise.

And yet there were several Jewish people that actually had occupation within the palace of Nebuchadnezzar that refused to abandon their faithful uhness to God and they refused to adopt this Babylonian culture of worshiping Nebuchadnezzar as king. Three young Hebrew boys in particular, one named Shadrach, the other named Mach, and the last one named Abednego.

And these three Hebrew boys are actually found out because when Nebuchadnezzar wanted to indoctrinate the people's allegiance to himself, he actually fashioned a huge statue of gold. It was like a likeness of himself. It was an idol, if you will. And he wanted everybody uh to worship that large statue of himself.

And and so multiple times a day there would be a signal that was made, a sound that would be heard. And then everyone was required to bow down and to worship this golden statue as a way of worshiping Nebuchadnezzar as king. Yet Shadrach, Meach, and Abednego refuse to bend their knee.

So immediately they're sold out by the other Babylonians around because they can't have anybody within uh the palace that is refusing to submit uh uh to Nebuchadnezzar. And so Nebuchadnezzar executes a horrible judgment. He has a large fiery furnace. Think about like a a large oven, if you will.

And he has that fiery furnace uh uh for the singular purpose of burning people that are at odds with a Babylonian rule. And and so for this particular punishment, he instructed his staff to make it extra hot. In fact, they made it so hot that some of the attendants that are nearby are actually consumed by the fire itself.

And so, in one fail swoop, he throws Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into this fiery furnace. They are now facing judgment uh facing execution because of their singular devote uh devotion to to God. And Nebuchadnezzar is walking by and he's peering there within. and he notices that these three these three Hebrew boys are not being consumed by this fire.

And he sees something else right behind them. There's a fourth man standing in the fire. Here's what I would tell you this morning, church. When they pull those three Hebrew boys out, they're struck that not only are they alive, but they have no smell of smoke. And some of you are in a fiery trial right now.

You are in a furnace of diagnosis. You are in a a furnace of marital uh strife. You are in a fiery season of a mental health crisis. You are in a fiery season of suffering because of a financial difficulty because of a sin that you have committed or one that has been committed against you.

You are in the midst of your own fiery trial right now here this morning. There are way too many of us in the room for me to know every story. But God does. And what I would tell you is the same way there was with those three boys then, there is here for you right now another one in your fire.

You are not alone. You are not there is a God that is in the midst of the flames standing next to you. And you may think, well, no one reached out and no one knows and no one called and no one's checked in. But God's been standing there the whole time.

He has never abandoned you and he will not abandon you now. And so what I'm going to challenge us to do for our invitation today is we are going to petition a faithful creator with whatever season of suffering we find ourselves to have. And so this morning, if you are carrying a burden or someone you know and love is, then I'm going to ask you to come forward in just a moment and pray with our ministry staff and entrust to a faithful creator whatever it is that your fiery trial is causing you to bear because there's another one standing beside you.

And so if you are here and you don't know if you have a relationship with God and you need one, come forward and let's pray. If you are here today and you know you need to be baptized like Tyler, you made a profession of faith and now it's time for a public display, then come forward.

If you are here today and you are in a season of suffering and I've watched enough of you wipe enough tears away to know that there's some pain that's being felt in this room now, then come forward and entrust that to one of our ministry staff and together we'll go before the throne of the faithful creator who promises that he will be with us from beginning to end because God God's got this.

And if you belong to him, then he's got you. So, I'm going to pray and when I say amen, we'll stand and we'll sing and the invitation and the opportunity for prayer will be yours. Father, in Jesus' name, right now, as we enter into this time of prayer and petition, Father, I pray by the power of your Holy Spirit, you would move in our midst.

I pray right now, Lord Jesus, for those who are hurting. There are some who are facing a medical diagnosis or a marital crisis. There are couples who have miscarried and their hearts are breaking. And there's others who have yet to be able to conceive and their hearts are heavy.

Father, there are some who are facing mental health issues and they're battling depression and anxiety. It was all they could do to get here. Father, there are some that are fa facing a financial difficulty, a problem at work, a fractured relationship with a friend, a prodigal child, a prodigal grandchild.

Father, you know every need. You know all of the reasons for the fiery trials that we have. So, I'm praying right now that we would see as you were with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you would be the other man in the fire with us. We love you and we trust you and in faith we ask this from you in Jesus name.

Amen. Let's stand. Let's lift our voices. This is your invitation. Please come forward and pray. At the cross. At the cross. I surrender my life. I'm in. If you're in a fiery trial, you come in your love. If you're in a fiery trial, you come. If you're in a fiery trial, you come.

((applause)) ((music playing)) I hope. If you're in a fiery trial, you come. Here I found here. I found here. Arms open wide. Here you save my life. If you're in a fiery trial, you come here at the cross. At the cross, I surrender my life. Chris, can you help me? ((music playing)) You take away ((music playing)) your wash.

If you're in a fiery trial, you come. I want to cross and I might pray. If you're in a fiery trial, you come all over this room. There's another in the fire. You come ((applause)) ((music playing)) here. Come on. You're not alone. There's another in the fire. Come on. ((music playing)) You save my life here.

I ((music playing)) Come on. If you are in a fiery trial, you come. Let us pray with you and let us pray for you. You come. My life ((music playing)) ((applause)) I cross and the cross I surrender my life. We'll wait for you. ((music playing)) We'll wait for you. Heat. Heat. Heat. ((applause)) ((music playing)) If you are in a trial, we will wait.

We will pray with you ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) today. At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in all of you. I'm in all of you. Where your love ran away and my sin washed white. I owe to you. I owe to you. If for any reason you didn't come forward today, but you would like to have a moment of prayer with a minister from our church, then just come forward as soon as we're dismissed or meet us at guest central right in the middle of the atrium.

Uh it would be a privilege for us to be able to come alongside you and encourage you in your own uh season of suffering. Uh I want to also remind you that this Wednesday night is our next Wednesday worship service. so much in the same way that you just experienced here today.

We will spend an hour together Wednesday at 6:30 right here in this room petitioning the throne of God's grace and lifting uh our worship to God in praise. And uh church family, I love you more than you know. And I thank you for loving us and so many like us being the hands and feet of Jesus.

And I pray you have an awesome rest of your week. God bless you. You're dismissed. Heat. Heat. ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) ((music playing)) Heat Heat ((applause)) ((music playing)) ((applause)) up here. ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing)) ((music playing))