Do Not Think It Strange — Alan Martin

Let's pray together Father by your grace and your long-suffering in your Mercy and your persistence and your ability You enable us to learn you teach us your ways. You grant us the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of you and I just ask I asked not only for the grace All right knowledge father the grace that Receiving anything from you has been wrought by but I ask for more grace today the same amount of grace To communicate in your spirit and by your spirit Your truth so that the ministry of your Holy Spirit can produce what you long for in us your life And your righteousness we know that human instruction and the best minds and Organizing thoughts Are empty and vain and powerless.

But because you desire to strengthen the inner man through your spirit in our within us. So that we can be as a people rooted and established in love we could have power from you. Power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ?

So that we can be filled to the measure that you desire to fill us to. So that the world out here, so Frederick town out here Can see a people full of your Holy Spirit. They can see true disciples of Christ disciples that look like and live like their teacher and you could have in this community sons that have been conformed to your image.

A Group of people that where your name is honored. Where the unity of your spirit and the bond of peace and the love which is the bond of perfection is? Evident that love among us by your spirit and that oneness of your spirit that demarcates us from the world and indicates that we are truly your disciples and that would enable the world to believe that you were sent by the You sent your son.

Grant us father that your ability which you can by your ability ears to hear. Open the eyes of our heart help us understand the riches. So we can know what the riches of your glorious inheritance in the Saints are.

Give us your understanding and grant grant us an atmosphere father grant us your presence a presence your presence here. For wholesome effectual instruction and strengthening and encouragement. Cause your light to shine into our hearts give us the light of the knowledge of your glory.

These things I ask in Jesus name. Amen you know there are times when When we don't understand something we can say like the psalmist said in Psalm 73. For my foot had almost slipped. Because why I Envied the wicked if we're not careful.

It can seem like their their lives are carefree. It sounds like the psalmist at the time his own life was not not exactly carefree but difficult. And he said I tried to understand all this and it was oppressive to me.

He ever felt that way. You try to understand what's going on and why things are so difficult and why they're just not working out the way it would seem to be if God loved you. And if you were if things were right in your life you try to understand it and there's just this oppression this oppression from failing to understand and Says but he went on to say until I entered the sanctuary.

Then I understood and if God grants us that to morning this morning together. Not that this building or even our assembly is a sanctuary. You know what a sanctuary is. It's where God is. And if he will grant us his presence this morning, I Believe you he would explain to us and teach us his ways.

So that we will not be oppressed by lack of understanding. Some things if you let's start in 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 13, I guess we'll. Let's look at verse 12 since it flows into this passage.

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold or silver precious stones wood hay or straw each one's work will become clear. For the day will declare it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is the.

The word here for test is the Greek word document or document meaning it will prove it it will prove it what what it is and What's the what's the means in this verse of the proving? Fire and and and the Greek word here is is pyros man or Pyro, you all heard that before a Pyro maniac we use it in even in our language.

It's a person fast fascinated or crazy about fire. So there is a process of testing. Which is a firing? To reveal whether something is Approved. Now what's the nature? What quality is being looked for.

How do we know in these verses? If we've read them all the way, maybe maybe we haven't read that verse yet, but look in verses 13 and 14 and answer this question. What quality is being looked for? What determines whether it will be approved?

Yes, if it if it if it remains if it abides. Isn't that what Jesus said. You've not chosen me but I've chosen you to go and bear fruit and He qualifies it fruit that will Remain now, we don't normally use the word remain.

Comes from the Greek word minnow. We don't say yeah, let's see if it remains. What do we say in English? Let's see if it lasts. Let's see if it lasts. There's another way. Let's see how Durable it is.

See can it in door. What's its duration? Does it have durability? Because if it doesn't have Durability, it will not be approved God now. This is spoken of this Durability is in as a part of a test look in James chapter 1 if we understand that God is looking to produce a durable a durable quality within us James Then exhorts us with this understanding in there in James chapter 1 verse 2.

My brethren count it all joy whenever you fall into various Trials fires trial same word fires testings. Because what knowing that the testing of your? Faith produces what. Guess what guess what it produces it produces?

Durability. Here the word minnow is added with the with the prefix hoopoe hoopoe minnow. God is testing. What is he testing? Faith to see its durability. Is your faith durable. That's what's being tested.

You follow See the finished work of this testing is. So that we it says in verse 4 to allow Durability or endurance is a little Greek word Endurance to have its perfect work so that you might be mature and complete wanting nothing, nothing missing nothing lacking completion.

And it's not surprising then if this is if if your faith being tested is proven durable and it Endures, then you can understand what our Lord Jesus said he who? Endures to the end. The same shall be saved the person with A Durable faith in this is what Peter also says it look if you're still in James turn to first Peter.

Just the next book First Peter chapter 1 and let's look at verses 6 and 7. I'll read verse 5 just to kind of go with this first Peter chapter 1 verses 5 6 and 7. Who are kept by the power of God through faith?

For salvation ready to be revealed in the last time in this you greatly rejoice. Though now for a little while if need be you have been grieved by various trials that the Genuineness of your faith being more Precious than gold that perishes though.

It's tested by fire. May be found to the praise honor and glory. At the revelation of Jesus Christ. So what again is being tested? The quality of your faith is it? Durable. Will it will it last will it endure testing?

Now, do you realize that that faith that is durable risk is what? Receives glory honor and praise at the revelation of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul said if you want to turn there. 2nd Timothy chapter 4.

2nd Timothy chapter 4. I'll read verses 7 and 8. 2nd Timothy chapter 4. Verses 7 and 8 here's what Paul said. I Have fought the good fight. I Have finished the race and I've done what I have kept the faith.

Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. Which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only. But also to all who have loved is appearing. Paul fought the good fight.

Paul finished the race. Excuse me. He kept the faith and he received he anticipated receiving glory and honor and praise from the Father. He fully expected to hear. Well done thou good and faithful Servant he endured to the end and he fully expected the reward to be Praise glory and honor.

He lasted now. It's interesting these trials by fire. You know Jesus spoke of that didn't he? Trial by fire. John said of Jesus he who comes after me the thongs of which. The sandals which the thongs I'm not even worthy to untie.

He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and Fire. Fire you mean Jesus is going to baptize us in testing. Hmm. You want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? I'd like to see that preached and invite people to come up and be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire.

You want to sign up for that one? But that's a baptism Jesus had to undergo himself in Romans 5. It says that this testing this trial by fire not only is strengthened or proven by by. Or that is the the approval.

This durability is not only found out by the testing. It's actually produced by the testing. The testing is part of what Accomplishes the durability look in Romans chapter 5 verses 1 through 4 Romans chapter 5 verses 1 through 4 Romans 5 1 therefore having been justified by faith.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ to whom also we have access by faith into this grace with in which we stand and We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, but not only that we also rejoice in what?

Well, there are various verses in the Greek. It's Philipses so you can rejoice in your Philipses or you can rejoice in tribulations. Call it tribulations. Call it difficulties. Call it troubles. Call it sufferings.

Call it hardships, but you rejoice in them. Why. Knowing that this tribulation produces what? Endurance it Produces durability it not only reveals whether faith is durable. It's a part of the process of making faith durable.

It's part of the way. You realize it's a part of the way. It's actually designed Jesus. Didn't he say in Matthew in a turn there? Look in Matthew chapter 7. It's the way the same word here Philipses trouble hardship.

Difficulty suffering here in Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 and 14 Jesus said tells us enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. You know what the thing Philipses has this idea of being pressed and squeezed notice something about the broad way.

No trouble there. Freedom. Hey, you guys want freedom not me. I Don't want that kind of freedom. I want to be Restricted. I want the tribulated way because he goes on to say small is the gate that leads to life and Tribulated is the way Tribulated it's a way of tribulation.

Do you realize that when you follow Christ you are following the way of? Tribulation that's the way that's the way that leads to life. Tribulation Leads to life you realize that that's what even James says in James 1 12.

He says we consider him who endures to be Blessed. Blessed is the man who endures Tribulation for he will receive the crown of life. In during tribulation is the way to receive the crown of life. Do you want a crown of life?

You want it without a tribulation? There does not exist a way there is no way Outside of the way of tribulation for faith to be proven. It's the way. But did you notice there was a new word in? Romans chapter 5 verse 3 enters at tribulation.

Because that we talked about being approved document docu-mia. We had talked about pyrosmo in the way of testing tribulation is introduced there and we talked about now. Jesus has said it do you realize that this tribulation it doesn't only strengthen and result in This durable quality of faith.

Do you realize? It has the opposite effect at times. Look at Matthew 13 and see what Jesus warned about Matthew chapter 13 verses 20 and 21 20 and 21. Matthew 13 20 and 21 says this. But he who received the seed on stony places.

This is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself. But his duration. He endures his duration is only for a while when Tribulation or Persecution arises because of the word he immediately does what he stumbles.

He falls away. So receiving the word with joy, but lacking root in oneself results in being a Seasonal believer. Mm-hmm a fair-weather saint. Whenever tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, you know what happens Immediately what fall away now?

I'd like to say something here. That didn't say anything about being permanent falling away. I Believe this is a cycle many of us live in continually. We do fine as long as there's no tribulation and Tribulation comes and immediately.

What do we do? We fall away Immediately, we follow it. We murmur and complain. We woe is me. No Thanksgiving. No rejoicing. No steadfastness and we recover we repent we come back to we're gonna stand again till tribulation comes again and it happens.

There's no indication here in the original text that this is a one-time permanent falling away it just he's describing what happens To a faith that's not durable. That's what happens. If you fall away when tribulation your faith is not durable.

Like it. Now Luke says something. Luke 8 add something to this same parable if you want to turn to Luke chapter 8 verse 13. Luke chapter 8 verse 13 same parable. But the ones on the rock are those when they hear they receive the word with joy.

These have no root who believe for a while and in the time of temptation they fall away, but This is where the original language is clearer than your English because Luke uses a different word in Matthew and Mark they both use the word scandal ezo to stumble to fall away, but Luke uses the word office-time time a feast and I actually to a feast on time.

Which is the word a paw away from an east to me to stand together. And it's a it's a middle voice meaning they literally stand themselves away. Or you know how we would say it they apostasize themselves when trouble when tribulation comes and someone has a faith that's not durable in the situation they apostasize themselves.

They stand away from the father instead of drawing near him and Peter. Peter tried to warn the Saints he was writing to about this tendency and we don't I don't think we recognize it. Look with me in first Peter Chapter 4 Verse 12 this standing away first Peter 4 verse 12.

You know why many of us apostasize in? These moments while we stand away from the father well, it's because we think it's strange. We think something strange is happening to us. Why should it be strange that tribulation is happening to us if if tribulation is the way.

If that's the way that leads to life, what's strange about tribulation? But if you think it's strange, you know, what's gonna happen you're going to become and Estranged. What does it mean to be estranged.

When do we how do we use the term? To people who were close, but now they are estranged and. In other words, they're no longer Familiar. What's familiar? What's the root of familiar? Family. God doesn't seem like your father anymore because a father wouldn't send me Tribulation.

The father is all about love and comfort. He's all about making my life easy to remove the difficulty when the difficulty comes. It's not daddy. I. This feels strange and you find yourself standing away.

Because if the father sent the tribulation and you leave you're getting away from the tribulation. Who are you leaving? You're resisting the father himself, and I don't think we understand this. This is what this is what Noah Webster described a strange.

This is his definition of estranged to keep at a distance to stand away. To withdraw to cease to be frequent. You're no longer on the same Frequency. Now look at what do you do? What are you supposed to do when you're in these situations and the Tribulation is happening.

The father has sent it but you it seems strange to you. The the biblical writers who knew our father and knew our Lord gave us an answer for this. This is what we are to do when this begins to happen.

Look with me in Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12 verses 3 Through 7. I want to read the whole passage that 3 through 7. Hebrews chapter 12 3 through 7. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

You've not resisted to the point of shedding blood or in other words. You've not resisted. You're still alive, aren't you? You're not a martyr. You're not just resisted to the point of Shedding blood and you're striving against sin and you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons.

My son do not despise the Chastening of the Lord nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him for whom the Lord loves he chastens and He scourges every son whom he receives if you endure chastening.

God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not chasten now this Verse 7 particularly is Can be translated one of two ways in verse 7 some of your Bibles say if right. But some of yours say something different.

What does it say? Verse 7. Yeah, there's no if there why is that in some. Because there is two Greek letters Epsilon and iota and if they stand by themselves it means if. But there's if you add one letter a sigma to epsilon iota sigma you have the Greek preposition ice and it's a preposition that meaning unto and I think that those manuscripts with the segment have it right because the word Chastening is in the accusative and ice the preposition can receive its object in the accusative.

Don't you understand? Amen. It may not mean much to you, but it's glorious doing it just the Holy Spirit chose these things. But here's what here's here's the practical Bread and butter for us in that it is unto chastening.

God is dealing with us as sons. He's dealing with us as sons deeper it's unto chastening. That's the way the father trains his children to be sons. When God is Chastening you when he sends tribulation.

He is training you to become. That's what he's doing now. Why does it I said? Why turn here now, let's go back and see verse 3. What are we told to do when we're confused when the tribulation seems strange and it doesn't seem like Daddy has sent it.

What is the first thing it says to do in verse 3? Hmm consider him why him? What's it say about him Ryan? The next word. How who how how does the Holy Spirit inspire the writer to mark him? He's the one who No Endured he's the one that's perfect duration.

He endured every temptation he's the most durable thing in the universe that heavens will be rolled up like a scroll and He'll remain the same. He is durable he endured and it's a perfect passive participle in the Greek consider the one who perfectly is Endured and is still enduring.

That's why you're to look at him because guess what? How was he made perfect? You know it says in Hebrews 2 8 that it was fitting that God Through whom all things exist should make the author of our salvation perfect through suffering.

That's how Jesus Christ was made perfect because it says although he was a son What did he do? He learned? Obedience from the things he suffered and once made Perfect. He became the source of eternal salvation.

When it doesn't seem right to you When the tribulation seem strange you're to do something now the Greek word For consider is an interesting term. It means it the Greek word itself is analog exist a and Analog, it's come comes from the word analog.

It's oh We get an English word from it Analog or Analogy. Here's what here's what you need to do when tribulation is coming you need to look steadily at Jesus Christ looking away unto Jesus and make an analogy and Here's the analogy you need to make God the Father perfected his son by suffering.

And he overcame for the joy set before him. What did he do? He endured and you're to look at the one who endured perfectly and realize nothing strange is happening. God is treating you just like he treated his son.

Don't think it's strange and this this quotation here. Is it versus? Six and five and six of the quotation and you've forgotten that exhortation which Speaks to you as sons. My son did not despise the chasing of the Lord nor be discouraged when you're rebuked by him.

For whom the Lord loves he chastened and he scourges every son whom he receives. Where did that quote come from? What Proverbs? So who wrote Proverbs 3? Solomon you think Solomon. You think Solomon is the one who knew realize this God reveal it to Solomon or do you think is it possible that there was another servant of God?

Who knew this and Solomon learned it from him. I love these things. The servant that Solomon learned this from Was the meekest man on the face of the earth. He learned it from Moses. You want to see where this verse is first quoted.

I don't know why our Bibles put it in Proverbs because it's an exact quotation of Proverbs there like Steve said but turn to Deuteronomy chapter 8 and see. See the person that God chose to reveal this to Moses was no ordinary prophet.

Because God didn't speak to Moses and dreams and other ways God spoke to Moses as a man speaks to his friend. Face to face and Moses is here going to explain in this Deuteronomy chapter 8. He's going to explain the purpose of a place called The wilderness, you know what happens in the wilderness.

You know when we get in the wilderness many of us become be Bewildered. I mean really do. I mean it's a play on I love words. It's a plan where you become bewildered because it doesn't seem like God the Father your father would be treating you this way, but I want you to look at a Revelation that God had given Moses about the way God dealt in this Deuteronomy chapter 8.

I'm gonna start right at the beginning of chapter 8. It's probably all through their events, I mean it's probably but I'm gonna start anyway at verse 1. Okay. Now notice what he says. Be careful to follow every command that I'm giving you today so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land.

That the Lord your God promised on oath to your fathers and then he tells them to remember. What remember what's the first word? No. Well, I say that I get. I'm guilty of doing this this is the communication my Bible puts it this way the first word after remember in the NIV is remember how and That's critical.

How did God do it? Remember how God led you and there's another word there. All the way. It is a key. God chose to do it a certain way. And Moses is reminding the people to remember how God chose to do it and by the way.

Every step of the way all of it was God. It wasn't Moses Misleading the people up wrong turn. God fixed it, but God wouldn't have led us out here into the desert. There's no water. God wouldn't let us this way.

There's no food God would let us this way. We're trapped the seas in front of us. The Egyptians are in the back of us. Yes, all of it. All of it was God. God. God did it and more than that you're about.

I hope your ears can handle this. You're about to see how God chooses to treat sons. Read with me some very very difficult things. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these 40 years to do what first thing.

To humble you now that is I put this in my note. Humble here is a translators way of trying to soften soften a pretty rough word. Because in the Hebrew it has the idea of browbeat. To afflict to oppress to put down that's bad enough in the Hebrew.

The Greek is even Stronger the Septuagint has this word in it. It is the the Greek word noun. Kakas means bad or evil. It's that it's the verb form kaka. Oh God chose to do you bad? He chose to put the hurt on you.

He chose to put you down. This is God. This is how God chose to lead them. That's hard to hear in it. You know in the wilderness God and you say well, how does that make sense? Here's how it makes sense in the wilderness God does things that we think are Bad you see how?

He's from our perspective, isn't it? Is it bad? But it doesn't it seem bad to us. God does no evil. And he does no wrong. But he will do things that seem bad for you. Or that seem hard to you and you need to understand that.

You need so you don't become discouraged. So you don't become estranged because you don't think daddy would be doing this, you know, Paul told Timothy he uses the same word in the Greek this this cacao.

Bad or evil he says that the servant of the Lord must bear evil. You must learn you must learn to bear evil. It's a part of the way now he said. There's a question arises. Why would God do things to us?

That seem bad to us to put us down to put the hurt to us to seem like to harm us. Why it says so what's that? What's why does he do this? To test you. Yeah, I like what the the Greek word here the Greek word is.

The trial by fire or to trial by Russell, but it adds the preposition ek out of. You know what? I get out of it why he does it he wanted to try you out. He's gonna try you out. How you gonna do what do you see what they trying out.

He's trying out your faith. He's doing he's gonna find out what's in that way in that in what the next word says. To know what was in their heart. Isn't that what God's he Led you in this desert to put you down to humble you in order to try you out.

To know what was in your heart now. The Greek the Hebrew word for no means to so that he could ascertain by seeing. Literally God wanted to see how they would respond. I Like the Greek better though because the Greek is this word.

He wanted to diagnose they. You got it you realize. Thousands of years later and it's almost the same sounding word. Yes, God wanted to diagnose them so you know what he did he designed his own stress test.

Isn't that what doctors do they want to know how will this heart respond under? Strain under pressure. God Always test the things he wants. He was only the best. He's not taking junk to heaven. Those who overcome will inherit all this those who endure to the end shall be saved.

We don't even keep things that don't last. Aren't durable. So how in verse 3 now. Switch, how did God design his stress test? Let's look at that. How did he design his stress test? Here's the same word again for humbled.

He did he cacao them he put them down. He he hurt them. He did what seemed to them bad. He put the hurt on them. Not only that he he what? After that causing them to hunger and. This in the in the said to agent.

It uses the word Lemos. Which means famine? He famished them the word Lemos. Mm-hmm. Developed over time through Latin and English and the European language is into a word limit. You know what God will do many times to us.

It severely limit us. Caught make us hunger for something. We don't have in ourselves. It's a way he deals with people in the time of testing in the way of the wilderness and. Then it says feeding them with manna, which neither you nor your father said no, and he did this to teach them something.

What did he what did he teach them in this? Hmm. Have you heard that somewhere before? He literally calls them to become so hungry and then he fed them with manna so that they would learn. That man does not live by bread alone, but so that we could sing this cute little song.

Verse two is seek ye first the kingdom of God. No, where have you heard this before? When did Jesus say this by the way? Oh, he was in the wilderness. Oh after what? 40 days of fasting and. During the whole time.

What was he being done? He was being tempted tested and at the end it says he was famished. He was hungry and he was weak and Satan came to him and said you're the Son of God make these stones bread and.

And Jesus understands the way the father deals with sons. And he said no no, I'm not out here to get that food. This has happened that I might I might live by every word That comes from the mouth of God and my father hasn't told me to make these tons of bread.

Just like your father will never tell you to murmur or complain. Your father will never tell you to speak back. The father will never tell you to strike when the enemy comes and says you're a child of God.

You don't have to take this answer him. No, the father is Sending you tribulation. The father is breaking us. We don't respond that way now. Turn with me to First Corinthians chapter 10. 1st Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 11.

1st Corinthians 10 verse 11. All of these things happen to them as. Examples is. Does someone have a different trend different word for that in their translation in 1st Corinthians 10 11. Hmm. It's warning.

Well. Well, just the first part says all of these things happen to them as examples. They were written down for our admonition upon the whom upon whom the end of the ages have come. Examples in the Greek is is a tuppoi.

We get the English word type from it all of these things happen to them as types. Meaning you can anticipate that these things will be Typical it is typical. Do you what God did in? Deuteronomy when he took the people through the wilderness.

It's typical you see for us. There is a wilderness of testing between the grace of God delivering us from Egypt and Inheriting the promised land. There's a wilderness. It's called the world in. Jesus said in the world you shall have Tribulation.

It's typical. It's to be expected. Anticipated it's part of the way and they were written down for us as It says warning what's another what's another word for warnings in your translations there. Admonition the Instruction, that's the word I'm looking for.

Listen. Listen to this word, please and hear me in. Struck-shun instruct shun what's in the middle? Struck what what what do you get from that? What English word? Framework. Structure, it's these things were written down so that you can build a structure a Framework in your mind so that you can lay these thoughts in there a structure.

So when tribulation happens to you you have a framework. To be able to deal with them properly. That's why they're written there. So if you know that God does this with his sons he trains his children into sons typically by suffering by tribulation by difficulty.

Then you will not think it strange and you will not become estranged from him. In the process you won't fall away. Okay. A review of what we've talked about so far when you're in the fire. When the tribulation is happening when you have the hurt on you when you are famished when you are down.

When it doesn't seem like this is what God would be doing. Because it sure seemed like this man over here is doing to me or this woman over here is doing to me or that Brother is doing it or my boss is or these circumstances are.

But really who is over all of those God. So when you're having a difficult time accepting the fact that the father is the one who is actually doing it to you. Here's what you need to do. You need to make the right analogy you need to look away and look to Jesus the one who was perfectly durable and.

You need to understand that proven quality the proven quality of faith is only revealed and can only be developed by testing fiery trials and that fiery trials are composed of tribulations which by the way for the righteous.

Are many the same word Phillips's many are the afflictions of the righteous that Psalms 34 19. Tribulations are the way God trains his children to become sons small as the gate and Narrow is the and tribulated is the way that leads to life.

And you know, how many find it? Few. These tribulations come to test that which is the most precious thing that which Jesus said when he comes. Again, will he find it on the earth? Faith. The only thing that is in God's eyes more precious than gold that perishes even though refined by fire.

Here's something to consider. We will either stumble and apostatize in unbelief during our tribulations or We will endure to the end through them and overcome the world. Where we're going to have tribulations and how will we overcome the world?

By enduring faith. One of two things is going to happen in our wilderness. Please hear this. One of two things is going to happen in the wilderness either unbelief will die in you or You will die in unbelief.

But unbelief is not going into Canaan. I'm gonna say it again. One of two things is going to happen in the wilderness. Either in the wilderness. Unbelief will die in you and you will enter the rest by faith or you'll die in unbelief in the wilderness because God's not taking unbelievers into heaven now.

One of the most beautiful Passages that speak to this and this is where believe it or not right here is Where this thought began for me? This week. And that's why I hope I haven't lost anybody. Because this this what I'm about to go to now is the burden on my heart and I wrestled and labored Before the Lord to try to how to get there and it's interesting how he brings you to hear.

But he must take you back and show you and all of this all that I've talked about. It's for this what I'm about to say, okay. See this 2nd Corinthians and see what Paul saw in it. Paul understood this 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 starting verse 7.

2nd Corinthians 4 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side and yet not crushed. Who do you think's doing the pressing?

We are perplexed. But not despair. We're persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed always carrying about in The body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

For we who live are always Delivered to death for Jesus sake that the life of Jesus also be me may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is it work in us? But life in you and Since we have the same spirit of faith according to that which is written.

I believed and therefore I spoke. We also believe and therefore speak. Knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise up with Jesus us up with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes that grace having spread through the many may cause Thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.