Sermon for Lord's Day March 26, 2023 Sifting and Sanctification Pt 1 (Exhortation and Encouragement)

Sifting and Sanctification in the Face of Trial

Lord. Let's begin with prayer. Lord, the psalmist said this, O Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. How true that is. This morning, God, I come as I've been begging of you and asking of you throughout this week, Lord.

I'd ask you to help the people of this body, Lord, to strengthen them in their minds and in their hearts, to stand fast in the face of tribulation and trials that they face. And Lord, as I come, I recognize, Lord, that as bad as it hurts my heart that I'm unable to do anything for them, Lord.

I know that your word can. And so, Lord, I would ask today that you, by your Holy Spirit, would do a work of renewal and revival and encouragement and exhortation in the lives of your people in this place today, O God.

Please do this, Lord, for the sake and for the honor of your blessed and your holy name. For it is in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Stand with us if you would. We're going to read from Luke chapter 22. And actually, we're going to read verse 31 and part of 32 down to where the sentence ends in 32.

This is the word of the living and the true God. Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you that he might sift you like wheat. But I pray for you that your faith may not fail. As far as the reading of God's holy word this morning, you may be seated.

In our confession, 1689, London Baptist Confession of Faith, chapter 18, in the chapter that we're actually on in the evening, speaks to us about the assurance of grace and of salvation. And in paragraph four, this is what it states.

True believers may in various ways have the assurance of their salvation shaken, may have it decreased or even temporarily lost. This may happen because they neglect to preserve it or fall into some specific sin that wounds their conscience and grieves the spirit.

It may happen through some unexpected or forceful temptation or when God withdraws the light of his face and allows even those who fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light. Yet, they are never completely lacking the seed of God.

They are never completely lacking the life of faith and they are never completely lacking the love of Christ. And they are never completely lacking the love of the brethren, never lacking sincerity of heart or lacking conscience concerning their duty.

And it is out of these graces, through the work of the spirit, this assurance may at the proper time be revived. And in the meantime, they are kept from utter despair through them. If you are taking notes today and you want to put a title on the top of your notes, you can put this.

What we're going to be talking about this morning and tonight is sifting and sanctification. Sifting and sanctification. The sermon today, although this is out of the ordinary, the sermon today will be in two parts.

The first part I will preach this morning and the second part I will preach tonight. This morning will be an exhortation to encouragement and tonight will be an exposition of the text itself. I want to speak to you today in loving and caring and gentle terms.

My dear children in the faith, and I'm just reading you what I've written. My heart has been broken this week, not because of any wrongdoing, but quite simply because it hurts my heart to see y 'all suffer.

I wish that I were able to take your heartaches and your troubles away, but I know that I cannot. But what I can do is give you the word. Sifting and sanctification, we understand and we know sanctification is a difficult process.

It is almost always painful in many ways. And yet, church, the benefits of our sanctification, the benefits of sanctification to the believer himself is inestimable. We are taught in the book of James that the trying of our faith works patience.

The trying of our faith, our sanctification is intended to produce in us patience, along with many other benefits that demonstrate that we have been set apart, that we have been sanctified for one purpose, that for the honor and for the glory of God alone.

The apostle Paul writes to the church at Rome in chapter two, and he says these words, concerning God, he will render to each one according to his works, to those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory, seek for honor and immortality.

To these he gives eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and those who do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also to the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek, for God shows no partiality.

Now, does this mean that Christians won't suffer hardships and great trials of our faith? These are important questions. I encourage you to write these questions down, to think about these things. Does this mean that Christians won't suffer hardships and great trials of faith?

I will answer resoundingly, it most certainly does not mean that. What it does mean is this, church, that your trials are purposeful. It does mean that how we as believers suffer trials is different than the way the unbeliever faces hardships.

And the difference quite simply is this, as Christians, church, we have hope that this world does not have. We, as one of the old songs says, have an expectation of a land that is fairer than day. And by faith, we can see it afar, for the Father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling place there.

Church, I would ask you today, Christian today, does your hope lie in the resurrection of Jesus Christ? For according to the scriptures, because he lives, we also shall live. We shall be raised from the dead with glorified bodies.

The apostle John said it this way in 1 John 3, see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God. And so we are. And he went on to say, the reason that the world does not know us is because it does not know him.

Beloved, we are God's children now. And I love what John says, and what we will be has not yet appeared, but we do know this, that when he appears, we shall be like him. Because of this reason, we shall see him as he is.

And everyone, everyone who thus hopes in himself, purifies himself as he is pure. Concerning sifting, what Jesus said here, again, the greater exposition will be tonight, but that term sifting, I want to give you the definition of this.

That word sift means to make a close examination of all the parts of something. A close examination of all the parts of something in order to find something or to separate what is useful from what is not.

Figuratively speaking, it is inward agitation to try one's faith to the verge of overthrow. And I know I don't know, hearts, and I know I don't know your minds, but I do know it may seem like on the inside that you're agitated to the point of the overthrow of your faith.

But I want to encourage you today and remind you that greater is he that is in you than he that is in this world church today. So my next question for you is this, saint, is it saint, that you only see your trials ending in defeat?

And my next question is this, why should we be afraid to look to God for hope? Listen, there are charlatans who give Christianity a bad name by presenting and putting forth false hopes, but that does not change the fact that there is a God that is living today to save, who still has the power to deliver, who still has the power to heal.

Why should you be afraid to look to God for hope, to look to God, to look to God, to heal the bodies of our sick brothers and sisters? I'll tell you why. We think if we do and we get our hopes up. Did we get any qualifiers for this sermon when I got up here today?

I've got the word of the living God. The apostle Paul said this to the church at Rome. And he said this in context of the people's suffering, of the people's facing death itself. This is what he wrote in Romans chapter eight, verse one.

There is now therefore no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done. God, how did he do this?

By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh. And for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh. Why? In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but walk according to the spirit.

For the apostle Paul goes on, for those who live according to the flesh, set their mind on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the spirit, set their mind on the things of the spirit.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law. Indeed, it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. If in fact, the spirit of God dwells in you. Strong statement there. If in fact, the spirit of God dwells in you.

Does the spirit of God dwell in you? Have you been born again? Are you saved by the grace of God? If so, the spirit of God dwells in you. And the spirit of God is in you, a well that springs up into everlasting life.

Paul goes on and he says this. If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. That is a certainty. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

For all who are led by the spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The spirit himself, thanks be unto God, the spirit himself bears witness with our spirits. What does he bear witness that we are the children of God? And if we are children, then we are heirs. And we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

And then Paul makes this statement. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us for this reason. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in pains of childbirth even until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who had the first fruits of the spirit, we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons.

What do we wait for? The redemption of our bodies. For it is in this hope that we are saved. Now hope that is not seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he knows what is the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for the good to those that are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son.

Why? In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined, he also called. And those he called, he also justified. And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? What shall you say to the things that you have just heard the word of God? What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

For it is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died. And more than that, the one who was raised. Who is at the right hand of God and who indeed is right now interceding for us.

This is what we read in the text. Satan has desired to sift you like wheat, Peter. But Jesus said, I have. But I have prayed for you. Christ Jesus is the one who died. More than that, he is the one who was raised.

Who is at the right hand of God, who is interceding for us. What shall separate us or who shall separate us from the love of Christ? You should write that question down. That's a good question for you to ponder.

And then go to the book and find the unequivocable answer here. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword or height or death?

Shall death or life separate you from the love of Christ? Did things separate you from the love of Christ? The answer is this. No, nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Next question, church. Why should we not ask of God to do great and mighty things? Why should we not ask of God to do great and mighty things? Certainly, it would be foolish for us to look at, sir, for any of us to go to, sir, and say, sir, would you run around in the parking lot and do four cartwheels in a row?

That would be a foolish question. It would be a foolish thought for any of us to ask any of the rest of us to do that, except for maybe these kids. Why should we not ask of God to do great and mighty things?

Why shouldn't we plead with God to heal our sicknesses? Again, no qualification needed. If God does it, hallelujah. If he does it, his will, hallelujah. But why should we not ask? You do not have because you do not ask.

Do not be afraid. Ask God to give us peace. If he won't give you healing, ask of him peace, and he will give you peace that passes all understanding. Look, if our Lord can calm the raging sea, the raging lake, when he's out on a boat with the disciples and the storm comes up, then certainly he can calm the storm in your life.

Certainly he can give you peace to his children today. And let me be so bold as to ask this question. What makes us think that this sickness is unto death? Oh, because that's just normally the way it goes.

Well, the man born blind, it was just normally the way it goes until Jesus passed by, made clay out of the mud, spit it, rub it on the man's eyes. Was this sickness because of the sin of his parents, but for the glory of God?

That's what the word of God tells us. Let's assume that our sickness is unto death when there is a possibility that it is an opportunity for God to demonstrate yet once again, that for God to demonstrate once again to all creation, us included, that he is Lord.

He is Lord over sickness. He is Lord over the raging storms in your life. He is the Lord of all kings. I can today speak with absolute certainty and tell you, dear Christian brothers and sisters, that there is hope for you.

Please write this down. And if you want to put a date by this, brothers and sisters in Christ, there is hope for you. And spell this next word like this, capital B, capital O, capital T, capital H. There is hope for you in life and in death.

Beloved saints today, to keep your eyes on Jesus, to obey the imperative command given to us in Hebrews chapter 12, when the apostle writes, look unto Jesus. Not a suggestion, a command. Look unto Jesus.

He's the beginner of our faith. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, who despised the shame, but he sat down at the right hand of God the Father. Word of God. Listen to what the writer of Hebrews said back in chapter 11, Hebrews chapter 11.

The writer says this, these all died in faith. If you're gonna die, the writer says, not having received the things that were promised them. Oh, brothers and sisters, before I go any further in that, let me say this.

There have been exceeding great and precious promises that we enjoy as believers today. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth for people who speak thus, make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

I'm looking for a city that has foundations, whose builder and whose maker is God. Amen. And he said this, if they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.

But as it is, they desire a better country. That is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city by faith. Tested, offered up Isaac. And he who would have received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son of whom it was said through Isaac, your offspring shall be named.

He considered that God was able to even to raise him from the dead, from which figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith, Isaac involved future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith, Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, how bowing in worship over the head of his staff.

By faith, Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw that the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

By faith, he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. A whole different hope between the lost and the saved. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

By faith, Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. And what more shall I say, the writer states, for time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak, of Samson, of Jephthah, of David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, who through faith obtained promises, who stopped the mouths of lions, who quenched the power of fire, who escaped the edge of the sword.

They were made strong out of their weakness. They became mighty in war. They put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release so that they might rise again to a better life.

Others suffered, mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, mistreated, of whom this world was not worthy, wandering about in deserts and mountains and in dens and caves of the earth.

And all these, all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised since God, oh good news here, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Corporate Prayer for the Afflicted and the Church

Stand with us if you would saints today. I would like for us to have corporate prayer this morning for everyone that is able to get around together here in the front and for us as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Let me state it this way. I'd like to encourage you, if you know of a brother or sister that's going through a trial, through a troublesome time right now, gather with them. Corporate prayer is not intended for us to be arm's length from one another, but for us as a body of believers to unite around one another and to hold one another up unto our God, unto our Savior, so that we are together.

Sir, would you lead us?

Lord, that you would bless us. Lord, all of us here that's gone, Lord, we ask you to help us, Lord. Encourage, Lord, no matter what our trial is, what our trial of faith is, Lord, we don't say we don't have the church to be disbanded, but Lord, Lord, we are looking up to the King of kings, Lord, Lord, that died and was risen again and makes intercessions for us all.

We praise you, Lord, and ask you for strength, dear God, bless our pastor, dear God, stand before us, help me to preach the true words of God in the Spirit, in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the power of the Word, Lord.

We bless your holy name and ask you to go with us and help us, Lord. I know all the trials of the people here, Lord, are round about us, dear God. I know we've got lost loved ones, dear God, we'd love to see saved, Lord, gone down to show them and open their eyes that they might see, Lord, and save their soul.

We bless your holy name, Lord, and ask you to have your precious will done, bless the Lord, Lord, by your name, and use us, by the power of the Lord, for it's in Jesus Christ's name, we pray. Amen.