Suffering for the Christian is normal, not strange, and should be met with rejoicing, not distress, as it serves to test the genuineness of faith. The sermon emphasizes God's sovereignty, drawing parallels between Daniel's declaration of God's rule and Peter's exhortation in 1 Peter 4:12-15 to rejoice in trials. It argues that hardships are not a sign of God's absence but a divine tool for refining believers, urging them to trust God's plan and behave according to their faith, finding joy and strength in Christ's sufferings and God's faithfulness. The message concludes by highlighting that obedience and trust are the keys to experiencing God's presence and blessing through all trials, as promised in Isaiah 43:1-2.
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during the day and I'll end there. Thank you. Good morning to all of you. Now I don't hear very well, so you have to speak to just a wee bit louder. Good morning to all of you. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. I bring you greetings from the Saints at Decatur Bible Chapel and I do trust that together as we... I missed my cue. Let me say it again.
I bring you greetings. All right? On target. Thank you very much. Greetings from the saints at Decatur Bible Chapel. And I trust you'll have a great time together as we focus our attention on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are living in critical times, times of course, not unknown to our Father, but to some of us we think it's the worst of times. We don't talk much about the good old days before, as some people do, but it may not hurt for us to talk about the good old days, if there ever was such a thing as the good old days. Today, I understand that our theme is from First Peter, chapter four, and I would just like to read a few verses, beginning at verse twelve.
First Peter, chapter four, verse twelve. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fire of a trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you. unto you. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of America, Happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God rested on you.
On their part is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But if you suffer as a believer, Oh, I'm not reading that correctly. Let me read again. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet, if any of you suffer as a Baptist, or brethren, or Presbyterian, or anything, let him glorify God.
on this behalf shall we pray father we do thank you for giving us your word and from this word we learn that is already settled in heaven as we read it help us to believe it but beyond believing it enable us to behave it And as we gather together today to magnify your name, may it be in spirit and in truth so that our witness might have its impact upon those who are without God, without Christ and without hope.
May we see him and may we learn what it means to worship him in spirit and in truth. for His own name's sake. Amen. There are many mistaken ideas in our world today. And I am convinced that even among us Christians, there are some mistaken concepts as to what Christianity is. I believe what some of us would call abnormal, the Bible may call normal.
And one of the teachers, I don't know where he got it from, but one day in the class, one of us in Glasgow, he came and he said this, talking about Christianity. He says the Greek philosophized it. The Romans... corrupted it. The Europeans cultureized it. And the Americans made it big business. That's a misconception. And as I listen, and as I travel, I'm not so sure that we are ready to get back to the basics and find out what Christianity is all about.
Well, if we're going to talk about the sovereignty of God, which is stamped throughout the book, I think that must have some effect on us. Part of the problem, I believe, is we are comparing ourselves with others. We are measuring ourselves by ourselves. And the Apostle Paul said, that's not wise. And I don't want to give you any illustration of this because I want you to think of it where you are and think of how sometimes we spend days just zeroing on other people and other things and then we never come back to the book and says now how do I stand in the light of this revelation from God?
In the light of this infallible book how do I stand before a God who is no respecter of person. I have a friend in Atlanta and we ministers together some time and I remember one occasion when the NRB were in Atlanta and they asked us as black men to come on the platform they wanted to talk with us about a few things. That's when the civil rights movement, provided that I'm talking about, was in vogue. And I remember him saying That day, I never forgotten it. He says, you know, many of us talk cream, but we live skim milk.
Now, that's my mind. I want to know, are we only talking cream or are we living cream or are we talking cream and living skim milk? So, as we talk about the sovereignty of God, My question is, are we only believing it because I'm out of words or are we behaving it? It's always good to define what you're talking about, even if you're wrong. So let me tell you what I'm talking about when I talk with sovereignty. I'm not talking with Chalvin, five points, no ten points.
I'm not discussing predestination, I'm not discussing foreknowledge, I'm not discussing any of those things. But I'm discussing the fact that God is sovereign. And if he is sovereign, it simply means he is the supreme ruler. I believe that. I believe He is the sole possessor of heaven and in earth. He made them. He owns them. He governs them. He consoles them. It is. And He doesn't ask us permission to do anything. We are responsible beings. God made man and man is responsible to God his Creator, but God is responsible to nobody, not even Americans.
I'll let you say amen. Thank you. When we talk about sovereignty, we mean that He is the Creator, He is the controller of things in heaven, on things in earth, the planets. Oh my goodness. Is there anything that He doesn't control? Is there anything consists without His permission? Does He really know the end from the beginning? Is He God? Or is he a God that we have made for ourselves? Is he God alone, eternal, infallible? Is he? If he is, then I think our behavior, our conduct, our outlook should be different from those who do not know him as their Father.
Is he a provider? and sparing provider for all His creations? Is He the protector of His own purchased possession? Is He the source, the only source of true wisdom? Is He really the ultimate in power, in knowledge? Now, let me ask you a question. Please respond to me. Your well-mannered people, and from the South, I like people of good manners, Is he really what I've been saying? Okay, let's have a bit of confirmation by turning to Daniel.
Now I know we are people of the book. I say to the people in our area, we have on the outside of our buildings, when we build them, Buford Bible Chapel, Berean Bible Chapel, Community Bible Chapel. Decatur Bible Chapel. What's the middle word? Bible. So we go to the Bible for affirmation, we go to the Bible to find out if we are on solid rock or if we're only chasing shadows. So I turn to Daniel chapter four and I find these words in verse That's what I'm looking for.
Daniel four and verse seventeen. Listen to these words. This matter is by the decree of the watchers and the demand by the word of the holy ones. To the intent that the living may know that the most high ruleeth. in the kingdom of men, and give it to whosoever he will, and set it over it the basest of men.
Now let's pause. Are you still with me? Is he still sovereign? Do you say amen to this, or do you say I have a question? Come on now, look at him. I mean, notice me standing up here and talking to myself, I have people in front of me. I mean, that doesn't make sense. Church isn't the place where you go to sleep. Church isn't the place where you come alive. The question is, does he have that right? He does. Now, beloved, you please forgive me. And I want you to pity my ignorance, but I want some answers. I want some help. Because in my area, I am crying aloud that my God reigns, my God rules.
And when I look around me, I wonder, I say, but I wonder if it's true. So what do you mean, Brother Flowers? Now that you have Daniel, verse seventeen, let's go back to the text. And the text is in first Peter four. And if I am reading first Peter four correctly, I am asking myself some questions, because according to First Peter four, something that seems to be normal in this text is considered abnormal in our society, among saints.
Listen to the verse again. chapter four verse twelve and peter addresses us as beloved it's only mentioned twice in first peter beloved and i need not remind you of the theme of first peter you hear it every day first peter the theme is suffering and what glory suffering and glory now my question is is that really true if that is the theme have we accepted it Are we allowing the theme to control us? Or it's only a theme because it's there and it has no relevance to reality. What is the story?
Now, if this verse is credible, If this verse is going to be accepted, then I think we must come to grips with one or two things. And the first thing I want you to understand is simply this. If this verse is credible, if this verse is inspired, then suffering for the Christian is normal. Normal. Normal. Normal. But Peter is saying, and if this is normal, don't get jittery.
Don't become upset when you see things happening that doesn't fit in with your plan. Remember God is not working with the UN plan. He is not working with the Russian plan. He is not working with the British plan. He is not working with the American plan. He is working with his own plan designed in eternity past. So don't get any funny ideas about what God is doing. He is doing as he determines and nobody can stop him. Now, until we begin to believe this and behave it, we are wasting precious time and the world just looking on having a good time laughing at us because we don't know what to believe and they don't know either.
Now, I trust I'm not being rude to you. I want you to understand what I think I see in the scriptures and I think what God is saying to us, be my children. Be my pick chosen representatives of the new humanity. Be the people who are indwells and governed and regulated by the Holy Spirit. And that's normal. Not abnormal. Never befall the hardships. It's difficult to read the Bible. You know, I know you'll read your Bible. But the point is, what you read in the Bible, does it have any place in your performance?
Have you heard about the word cross? Does it mean you have a bad disposition? Have you heard people say, she is cross today, you know what I mean? You better don't cross her path. Is that the only meaning the word cross has to us as Christians? It should not, beloved. The cross brings a message to perishing humanity that says, This is what you deserve. But instead, God punished the sin and removed them as far as the east is from the west. blooded them out as a sick cloud, buried them in the depths of the deep sea, and God now declares, you stand before me just as if you've never seen.
Say, folks, you should be jumping up and saying, Hallelujah. Because that's a fact. If somebody has a ball or a park, he'll do it, won't you? Well, no ball or a park saves you. Look to me like God isn't getting a break. The fellow who could swing the bar gets the break. The fellow who could dunk the ball gets the break. But when a trice, holy God, for ruthless rebels like we were gave the best that he had to reclaim us, to cleanse us, to put us now on the rock, and we can cry ever, Father, we say, Amen. Same on you. See, Bella.
I don't know. Folks. God intended us to have problems. Don't bring that sudden faith. Will you get in the Bible? All over the Bible. Have you read this verse before? Listen to it. And call upon me when the economy is good in America. Call upon me. He doesn't say that. They said, call upon me in the day of trouble. God is going to make sure you have problems. trouble. And in America we are making sure that nobody has trouble.
But you, my friend, are versus. And if we listen to our politicians and we are more tuned into politicians than to God, no wonder we are missing the vote. Do you know if you believe Daniel verse seventeen, you don't care who is in control in Russia? Billograms. is one of my favorite preachers. But I used to listen to him years ago, and every Sunday night he comes on, and the first thing is over, Communism. I said, Billy, God is you, or God's great man, but Billy, forget Communism. Communism and no problem to God. And you see what happened to it, did you?
And you see, all they do, we're getting into Communism. We're looking at the problem, but we are looking to God. That's my problem. Who are you to come from the South that tell us that? Michael Flowers. God's representative. And I'm not telling you, I'm saying from Michael's benefit, I'm saying that God the Holy Spirit would awaken in us to see who we are in Christ, put on the armor and go forward conquering and to conquer, knowing that in the worst of time or the best of time, we can be more than conquerors.
But all we are doing, belly aching, about the troubles, about the economy, Don't you think God knows about that? Don't tell me yes. Don't you tell me yes. I dare you tell me yes. Because if you believe that God is sovereign, God is not ignorant of what's happening in the world. Why are we acting like it? No, no, it's God. Still on the throne. Still working out his purpose. And problems and difficulties and hardship are normal for us Christians.
Somebody says to me, what result? I mean, after all, why do we need problems? I mean, I brought some statistics. I don't, maybe I have it in my lesson in my Bible, but I brought some statistics about, maybe I have it here, let me see, about some of the things that are happening. There are thousands of our young girls. Oh, listen to this. Listen to this. Maybe you've seen it. In one day in America, you have twenty-five hundred and fifty-six babies born under a wedlock. Isn't that good? I'm asking you an intelligent American question. Isn't that good? One hundred and sixty kids stay away from school because of fear of intimidation.
One hundred and thirty-five thousand children, this is daily now, bring guns to school. Isn't that great? Twenty-nine hundred and eighty-nine children see their parents divorced. That's great! And yet, with all that, there is no need for you to come unglued. That is, if you believe in the sovereignty of God. Tell me something that has taken God by surprise. We were all surprised when communism toppled.
But do you think the omnipotent God was surprised? I don't think so. But then why are we having all this problem? Turn to First Peter chapter one. And I'll give you some more statistics, but I make you kind of sick. Cross my head to a swing, but I don't know what to do with it. But listen to First Peter chapter one. Look at verses six. But let's read verses maybe six and seven. Listen to these words. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Did you hear that? All right. Now you know the background of first beauty and all about it. So let's look at this.
That, the trial of your faith being... much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. If you have the NIV version, it says this, it is to prove the genuineness of your faith. Now if your faith is in genuine, mysterious, and the test and the trials and the difficulties of the way will find you out as to whether you are genuine or you're only faking.
Now you know why you have problems. Now you know why you have that daughter or son. And you're a Christian. You're a lovely Christian. You love the Lord. You support missions. You support your assembly. And yet your own children who are not saved yet, they're giving you a constant headache. What can I do? Don't fear. You hear, save them. Let them right there. God says, you call on me. Folks, folks, I don't know who started it. But although Christians are saved, the children have no special dispensation. Now, I'm sorry I have to tell you that, but I feel if I'm going to be an honest preacher, I'll have to tell you that. I have two children, and they were born in a Christian family.
My wife, the school teacher, and clergy, Michael, the Father, is supposed to be a preacher. Yet, God says, their heart is just like yours, and like everybody else, is deceitful. Above all things, and it is desperately wicked. Christian children have no special anything. The only thing they have special is the honor of being born to Christian parents in a Christian home. But unless they are caught, unless they are given direction, unless they have the example way of emulation, they can say to Jesus Christ, forget it and go to hell. Now don't you sit there thinking that you're not going to go to heaven because you are a Christian. But listen, do you really have faith? Do you really know how to go to God and plead his promises?
That's why you have the problem. Now that's not the American way. I thought I'll inform you about that. But we are not dealing with the American way. We are dealing with God's way. And what's the difference between God's way and the American way? As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways. There are no ways. Just let us be friends. Is that true? That's true. Does God love your children? Yes. Does God want to save them? Yes. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Now, if I have genuine faith, and if I believe in the sovereignty of God, if I believe God cares for me beyond my ability to express it, what am I going to do when troubles come?
Let me read you verse thirteen again. Or let me read you verse thirteen. Listen what it says here, brothers. But, why don't you read verse thirteen for me? Your Bible may be different from mine. Verse thirteen, together. What? Wait, wait, wait, wait. I made a mistake. I didn't know, perhaps. Are you allowed to read? No, no, we don't want to break a new truck off there. I'm not here to start World War III. Is it all right if you read? Well, please, let's read. Verse thirteen. But... Let me, while I'm here, give you three words in the text.
When I'm having trouble, that's all of my head. When my brothers and sisters in the faith don't understand me because I'm standing firm for truth. When the neighbors who are pagans harass me. When the nation and everybody is against me, when everything goes against me, what am I to do? Listen to this voice, rejoice! I bet you didn't hear that. What do we do? We say, yeah, yeah. And everybody's in the morning. That's not God's way. Whichever replies, are you for real? You judge.
Listen to the word of God, brothers and sisters. Let me read it to you. But rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of crisis sufferings. that when His glory shall be revealed, you may rejoice with exceeding joy. Why? Why must I rejoice? Because I accept the suffering, the hardship, the difficulty in my path as designed by God. And I am accepting this as from His loving hand.
And I'm looking at it and I'm saying, God, this is more than I can take. And he says, tell me about it. But God, why are you sending it? To test the genuineness of your faith. And I want you to know, listen to this, that privilege of being a child of God does not in any way act as a penalty. does not wipe on penalty. Your suffering for Christ is a privilege, not a penalty! We don't believe that. Now listen to this verse in fourteen. Not only does it say you must rejoice, it says here in verse fourteen, isn't it?
It says something, if you be rejoiced, be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. What do you say must do what? Be happy? What are you talking about? Happy? Yes. Now here are the three words. In verse thirteen, the first part it says, Rejoice. In verse thirteen D, he says, Do so be glad with exceeding joy. Well, do you think Peter knew what he was talking about? Do you think Peter had a bad night before he wrote this? I mean, is this the word of God or is this something somebody grab up from some street?
Is this inspired by God? And God, you are telling me to rejoice? You are telling me to be glad and to be joy? God. So, have you remember who cried out, my God? My God, why? Who was that? Did, do you think God loved him? Do you think God loved his son? You're not sure. You're beneficial. God said from heaven, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And yet, bearing my load, bearing my punishment, the son says, My God, my God, why?
Have you come to that place yet? And when you come to that place, he says, because I want to test the genuineness of your faith. You won't be illiterate that for you? No, you don't. Listen. You remember the man called Abraham? Remember how young he was? Old man having a son? You know how you're born with children, don't you? Yeah, I'm learning now because I have three grandchildren. My wife's just crazy about them. But anyway, Abraham has a son. And Abraham has a son having a great time in the park. And I hope one plays baseball, field play football. Anyway, God said to Abraham, Abraham, I'd like to have Isaac.
Now, fathers, I don't want to get you in any kind of trouble. I mean I'm a married man myself. I don't want to get you in any kind of trouble. But you know what I'd like me to do? I'd like me to go home this afternoon and say to your wife, honey, we are going to take our three-year-old and sacrifice him. You go out if you're big and bad and bold. Do it. But Abraham, I'm going to take that message home. Take your stuff to see if the seriousness of that. Abraham, I brought Isaac and the Bible says early in the morning he took Isaac and he wasn't kidding.
He laid Isaac, he bound him, he laid him, I lay him, lift his hand, God says, I know the genuineness of your faith, Abraham, call it quick. Now you're like me, you're saying, I ain't gonna get that far. But folks, Abraham made business. Abraham believed that God was able to bring his son from the dead. Is that faith? Do we have that kind of genuine faith in the infallible, ever-living, eternal, faithful God? Well, stop talking about you believing in the sovereignty of God. Act it out. Behave it.
Rejoice. We're joyful. Now, where do you think Peter may be God, that information? Now, don't turn to it, because you can repeat it, but I want to read it for you just to refresh your memory. Now, all of us believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is a master teacher. We have no qualms about that, right? We believe the testimony which says, Never man spake like this man. We believe that, don't we? Now, listen to Matthew speaks. He said this. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And don't give me any dispensation here now.
Don't do that. Don't say that game on me at all. Okay. Blessed are he when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for being a murderer, trying to kill your son because somebody told you to do it. Listen to what he said. Rejoice and be exceeding glad. For great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted are the prophets which were before you. Brothers and sisters, did you hear that? Words from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Would you mind if I read another one for you? Turn then to Acts chapter five. Act chapter five. And remember, these believers didn't have the privilege that we have. We have two thousand years on our side. Is that true? We have two thousand years. We can look back and we can see that this Jesus is God's son. He is for real. And we have the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans fifteen. And whatsoever were written aforetime were written for our learning. Listen now to these words from Acts chapter five and verse forty one.
Again, you know the background. So just listen to the word. And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. Did you hear what the scripture says, beloved? They became excited that they had fellowshiped with him in his suffering, and they were counted, they were honored to be a share in it. Now, does our Christianity keep that, or do we look for the easy way of writing to your congressman? Uh-oh, are you there?
What would you have done? Call your congressman. Here's the eight hundred number. Call him. And if we stop looking to Washington, we may get some help. because my health comes from the world, the maker of heaven and earth. Now, don't misunderstand me. I believe in order. I believe governments out of God, and we must obey our elected leaders. But I'm saying we are Christians, and we have a greater royalty to Jesus Christ who created us, and then recreate us and you and his Son. Does that mean I don't respect the presidents? Not on your life. If I disrespect your president, I am at logaheads with God.
Will some of you stop cussing him? Now, I'm amazed at how some of the Christians freed the president. You know, the president is not a Christian. How do you know that? I don't know. There are people talking about him and say, yes, but I don't know that sort of. But here's what I want you to know. Don't you think it's a more profitable if you spend time praying for him? Do you believe he came to save? Save? A man like that? Save? Let me tell you one thing. There was a man west in the present who was saved. And he wrote a goodly number of books in the New Testament. I mean, he killed Christians.
And yet this gracious God, this God of all grace, stopped him in his truck and said, Hey buddy, why are you persecuting me? You know, who are you? Jesus. Jesus. I thought we did him in, didn't we? And if you were Jesus, you must be somebody, Lord! What do you want me to do? I said, okay. Who wrote Ephesians? Who wrote Romans? Who wrote Galatians? Who was he? Let him tell you. A persecutor. A vagabond. A rascal. There's nobody beyond the grace of God. God can save anybody. The only person who'll never be saved because salvation wasn't designed for him is Satan.
So don't look at the people who said two bodies. No, no, no, no. Nobody too bad to be saved. You believe in the suffering of God? Believe that. Start acting it out. Don't give up anybody. Okay. You're tired with me and I'm going to school. Okay. But folks, I'm trying to get this point across. If you believe in the sovereignty of God, He is working... Let me read this verse in Ephesians, then you may believe it. Ephesians chapter one. Boy, we love the book of Ephesians, don't we? It's a fantastic book. It's a book that gives us God's model for His people.
The book of Ephesians. Now here's what verse eleven says. In whom... Also, we have obtained an inheritance. Do you have that? Bro, you have that inheritance? You have an inheritance. How much is you pay for it? Nothing. But you have obtained it, right? Being, listen to this, predestinated. That's a big word for theologians. Predestinated, how? What's the measure? According to the purpose of Him. Who is that Him? the sovereign God, who work at some things after the counsel he gets from the United Nations.
Folks, you better get yourself ready to believe God. You better put yourself in position where you can hear God, and then defy all these counselors and say, Sir, I believe God. Who cares there are new rock climbers? Who cares there's a storm? Who cares if the ship are going down? I believe God! He said, Brother Paul, you need to make all that noise. Yeah, more than that! Because nobody is listening. Well, let's go on because the clock is a... Did Paul suffer, beloved?
Now, please don't get mad. Please talk to me. Did Paul suffer? accused us within and without. Yes. And if he had stopped, we wouldn't perhaps be sitting where we are today enjoying what we're enjoying. I don't know if you're enjoying it, but hearing what you're hearing.
But did he have an easy time? Two scriptures. Second Timothy chapter two. Second Timothy chapter two, reading from verse Now chapter one, reading from verse eleven, listen what Paul says. He says, Where unto I am appointed, listen now, he is a preacher, he is an apostle, and he is a teacher to the Gentiles. That's a whole heap, isn't it? But listen to this man who is an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles. Listen to what he said. For which cause I also suffer. These things, nevertheless, I'm not ashamed.
Are you ashamed because your neighbors laugh at you for praise? What I don't understand is why that people who do not pray at home want to go into the chapel and steps and have prayer meetings. Shame on you, folks. You don't pray at home. You don't read the scripture to your children at home. And yet you want them to read the Bible in school. No! No! Begin where you should begin. Go back to Deuteronomy and see what God says about the fathers. Teach them! Teach them! Teach them! You got pagan school teachers? You want them to teach your children about God?
Why aren't you teaching them? You believe in the sovereignty of God? Can God keep your kids in the schools? He can. Keep us in this world. It's a rotten world. It's an evil world. I suffer, says Paul, but I ain't ashamed. Let's go to Second Corinthians chapter six. Let's go to four first. Second Corinthians four. Reading from verse eight. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair.
We are persecuted by the liberals, but not forsaken, cast down because of the state of the economy, but not destroyed. Always, always, at home, at school, on the job, bearing about the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our mortal flesh. Reading from verse four, But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonment, in tumult, in labors, in watching, in fasting, by pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering.
by kindness. Oh, kindness. When are we going to learn to be kind one to another? Kindness by the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, by love, on fame. Now, brothers, if we believe in the sovereign of God, we will remember that he is concerned about us and nothing can touch us without his permission. Now a question. Are we only believers intellectually, my words, but we are not behaviors.
When we are persecuted, when we are misunderstood, do we draw swords and fight back? Or do we do, as the Lord Himself did, committed Himself to Him to judge it righteously? Please let me take off my glasses to ask your question. What do you think will happen among the saints if we learn to do what the Bible says? Why not take wrong? Have you heard that one? Yes. Why must I justify myself? Isn't the righteous judge? going to take care of this, that the judgment is afraid. But I can't wait. Who is asking you to wait? We're asking you to obey Him.
That's what we ask you to do. We're asking you to wait for anything. Obey Him. Obey Him. Live that the world outside would be able to say, these Christians, they are suffering. Meaning, they're not just ordinary men, they're extraordinary men and women. Why? Brothers and sisters, we need to show to this decadent and corrupt world the glorious virtues in Jesus Christ. Go back to First Peter. Showing forth the excellences of him who brought us out of darkness into his marvelous life.
Remember the girls who worked to you, next desk to you? Remember the teacher who's teaching in the same classroom as you are? How do you meet them? How do you approach them? With a smile or with a hidden dagger? And who are you representing? I beg you, tell me, pray, tell me, who are you representing? Are you representing school or are you representing His Majesty Christ Jesus? Who are you representing? Are they seeing Christ in us? Or who are they seeing when they see us? Now here are some things we must not do if we are Christian. Listen to verses thirteen and fourteen.
Listen to verses thirteen and fourteen of First Peter four. Yes, First Peter four. Verse fourteen. Verse fifteen. But let none of you suffer as a murderer. or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other man's matters. Now, beloved, I suppose we only give one application to this. But do you know we may be murdering some brother with our tongue, killing him dead, dead, dead. Do you know? Please, I hope there are only assembly folks in here. Let me, I want to say this seriously. I am from the Bahamas, originally.
And the brethren of the Bahamas have some problems. And I invited a brother from another island to come and speak for us. Here the first thing that fellow did when he got on the platform, he said, you know so and so and so. Now the people in Atlanta doesn't even know that people exist. But the problem with us visiting, traveling evangelists. Why are all brethren preachers evangelists? Any other pastors? Oh, I'm sorry. You think it's a bad word? A lot of things may be bad, but you know what's bad? That tongue may be bad too. Listen to this. They didn't know a thing about him. But most preachers, traveling preachers are troublemakers.
They come to your assembly and they say, you know, heaven down here is the word of flowers. Do you know what he's doing? He got this. And they're singing from this book under him. Is that your business? I pray you tell. Mind your own stinking business. Amen. You know, I thank you very much, Mother. And then don't break bread until twelve o'clock. Now this is who, when I do this. Is that your business when I break bread? I am remembering my Lord at a time convenient for us to be most effective. Is that your business? When I was in England, I stayed here for seven years, and I see myself to come together like tigers and tigers.
Simply because one brother said, my wife and I prayed every night together. And if you walk at the conference, then Birkenhead, Liverpool, the person who was preaching was doubly divine. I was there and I saw him and I heard it. Brothers, but those spiritual, they walk up. And I say to you, if you and your wife shall pray together, put your name down and we have a time of prayer and fasting for you. And so I'm the only one who knows what's going on in the meeting. So I said to him after the meeting, I said, Bro, God has given you a tremendous gift. And I think you should challenge the saints, but not to worry about other people, challenge the saints to be godly, to be godlike.
I said, now, I'm the only one who knows what's happening. And we're about to be interested because that's the matter for the elders in their assembly. But you see what we do, I come here, and I know you believe strange things, and I say it, so you can tell that I fell in love. Call flowers and stuff. No, no, no. I'm not for S-A-I-L. I'm not for S-A-L-E. I'm here to preach the word. And I'm saying to you, brothers and sisters, watch your tongue. Watch the damage you do with your tongue maliciously and deceptively. Watch your tongue. Don't do it. Don't be a murderer. Don't be a thief. The fellow's character may be a thief. Leave him alone. Command him to God.
And God can change him. God can humble him. Do I hear an amen? God can do it. What about an evil doer? What about a busy body? Most of the latest. Okay, that's like jugs on fire anymore. But see of this. I'm very serious. Say, beloved, do you realize the damage we can do? Don't. Do it. Now here's my closing word to you. And if we believe in the sovereignty of God, we will talk about that later. If we live in the sovereignty of God, I want you to know something about him.
Verse nineteen says, He is a faithful creator. And if He is faithful, You can commit your whole life to Him no matter what others say. So my question to you is, are we going to behave or only believe? We're going to go through fiery trials. But I want you to listen to the promise in Isaiah forty three, verses one and two. And since you know it, I've got to quit. Yeah, I got to quit, but you know it.
You say, when you go through the waters, I'm going to turn your back on you. Is that what it says? No, I better be. I have time. I got six old minutes. I'm going to go to Isaiah forty-three and make sure I read it to you. Isaiah forty-three, I'm going to take verses one and two, and we're closed. But let me give you this warning. Listen to what he says here. But now thus says the Lord that created thee, O Jacob. And he that formed thee O Israel, fear not. For I have redeemed you. Are you redeemed? Are you redeemed? Are you redeemed? Thank you.
But you who redeemed, daughters or not, you who redeemed, here is the promise. I have called thee by my name. Thou art mine. Is he a faithful creator? Will you release those that he redeems? No. Now listen to that verse. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon you. Brothers and sisters, we have a great God.
We have a gracious God. We have a good God. And He will not in any way go back on His word. If He said it, He will do it. He loved us. He saved us. He is preserving us. And when we have gone all the way, accepting what He sends in our past, we're going to discover that only two words were necessary. Trust. and obey. And obedience is indeed the ground of blessing.