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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/john-fitzpatrick/challenges-in-the-christian-life/
My exercise in opening a little bit would be to develop a few of the challenges that are found in the believers' lives, the challenges that are found in our lives as the people of God. Romans chapter 8, please, on verse 36.
The 36th verse on the 8th chapter of the book of Romans. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 2 Corinthians, please, chapter 6, on verse number 14.
The 14th verse on the 6th chapter of 2 Corinthians, please. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Beel? And what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord. And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. Romans, please, chapter 12. Romans chapter 12, verse 1 and verse 2. I beseech you, I beg you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove that it is good and acceptable and perfect will of God. One more reading, please, in Numbers chapter 6.
Numbers chapter 6 and verse 2. Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves, to vow a vow of the Nazarite to separate themselves unto the Lord, he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink.
He shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor or grapes or eat any moist grapes or dried. And all the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the vine tree.
Verse 5. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head. Verse 6, please. All the days that he separates himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother or for his brother or for his sister when they die, because the consecration of God is upon his head.
Now, that's all I desire to read, and we know that the Lord will bless the public reading of the Word of God. As I mentioned, I would like to try and develop, if the Lord allows, some of the challenges that are found in our lives as the saints of God.
It's not easy to live the Christian life, you might say. Lots of opposition within, without, develop it anyway, but yet we find that greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world. And let me just make a simple opening statement.
Truth never changes, and compromised truth is no truth at all. And so we have the truth of the Word of God to gird us and to strengthen us and to guide us. And oftentimes we realize that our lives are not all that they could be or they should be, but I would like to remind us that our lives are to be solely for the pleasure of the Lord.
We live in a pleasure-mad world today, it seems, whether you're in the West, whether you're in the Midwest, or whether you're in the North, develop it where you want, but I do want to remind ourselves that this life that you and I have and this new life that we have found in the Lord Jesus Christ is to be lived solely for the pleasure of our God.
You would remember that the Lord came along to a Moses in the backside of the desert, and the bush was burning and it wasn't consumed by fire, and the Lord was desiring that Moses might be the one to lead the people of God.
And as we weave through the account, we find that Moses had seven excuses as to why he felt he should not be the one that God should use to lead the people of God. And sometimes we would confess in our lives that there are times in our lives when we have a know-it-or-knower what God would want us to do, and there's a hesitancy factor that can come, and maybe we will reason will it work or will it not work.
The Lord desires that we would move by faith and not by sight. You would remember the children of Israel, and you would remember Moses as he was leading them in the times that they spoke with Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said, you can go and serve and sacrifice, you can go and worship but leave your animals behind so there'd be no sacrifice.
And you would remember that they were told that you could go but leave your children behind, and that's the world's methods, you might say, that the children might be left with the world and have the influences of the world.
And so I want to suggest that there's a call for discipleship. There's a cost of discipleship. There's consequences in discipleship, and there's compensation in discipleship. Ultimately a reward, well done thou good and faithful servant.
When you come to Genesis chapter 12, we read about Abram. I find it an interesting little statement there. It said, the Lord had said. And so I can see there that the Lord had spoken to Abram. He already knew what he was to do, and yet I can see that there was a hesitancy factor in his mind, in his heart and his soul to obey.
We remind ourselves that Lot was never called. Lot was one of those that just followed along. He never had the exercise himself. And Lot, as he moved, became a hindrance as we find in the word of God.
And remind yourselves that every time Abram had a word from God, there was blessing in the direction. And so we remind ourselves, beloved, it's not in man's heart to direct his steps, but our steps must be directed by the living and the true God.
Whether it be in our individual lives, whether it be in business, whether it be in school, and of course in the local assembly, our steps must be directed by the word of God. It's not in man's heart to direct his steps.
We're living in a day today that may be different than many other days. There seems to be sometimes opposition to the word of God and seems to be sometimes opposition found to the truths of God. We want to say that we need not any new thing, but what we need is an obedience to the word of God.
It cannot be improved upon in any way, shape or form. Now, I'd like you just to turn to Numbers just 32 for just a second or two there. And I'm going to just develop one of the little hindrances that could come along in our lives.
And this is not directed to anyone. I'm speaking to myself much or more than anyone that's here, that there are hindrances that can come and they can hinder our growth and they can hinder our development.
So Numbers chapter 32 and verse one. And the children of Reuben and the children of Gath had a very great multitude of cattle. And when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle.
Verse seven were for the scourge of the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord had given them. Verse 16. And they came near unto him and said, we will build sheepfolds here for our cattle and cities for our little ones.
But we ourselves will go ready arm before the children of Israel until we have brought them into their place. And our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
We will not return unto our houses and unto the children of Israel. Have inherited every man his inheritance. And we will not inherit on yonder side Jordan because our inheritance has fallen on this side Jordan eastward.
If I'm reading it correctly, there was a love for cattle. And there was a love for the riches of the cattle. And there was a love for the land, as it were. And so in spite of the danger and the disaster, they were going to build walled cities to protect their families.
They did not want to enter into the land. So I just want to use as an example that there can be something that can hinder our obedience and our following the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm not saying there's anyone here in the cattle business and the cattle in the land is hindering any obedience to the things of God.
But there can be an obstacle that can occur that will hold us back from full following the Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself for us. You remember that you would read of a Demas and Demas hath forsaken having loved this now present world.
What happened to him? How did his heart get cold? It was a gradual process. And we read in Romans, be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds day by day. The world is kind of like an octopus.
I don't know if you've ever seen one. I've seen them off Vancouver Island sometimes in cold, clear water. And all those arms reaching out down below to grip and to grab. And the world has the tentacles reaching out and wanting to grab us and to grab our affections and wanting to win us from the things of God and the people of God in the place of his name.
And so there's extreme caution that we need as we find in the word of God. Separation is not isolation, but separation is essential from that which would hinder growth and that which would hinder development.
You remember the Lord Jesus when they were fishing and they said we caught nothing and we toiled all night. And the Lord Jesus simply told them, put the net on the other side. I would like to develop that Christ directed service always brings blessing.
Remember Eutychus. He was up on the third loft. He fell asleep. And he fell down. Why did he fall down? You can tell me what you think. I want to suggest that he was leaning the wrong way. When I see people fall asleep in the meeting, they're leaning forward or I think sometimes they're just praying.
So I'll be very gracious in case somebody actually was sleeping. I'll still think you were praying, but they're leaning forward. I want to suggest he was leaning the wrong way. And because he was leaning the wrong way, it was a potential for a fall.
The psalmist could say in Psalm 51, restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. The will of God will never go against the teaching of the Word of God. The will of God in our lives will never go against the teaching of the Word of God.
Very basic, very elementary. I want to suggest that the revealed will of God is the black and whites that are found in the Word of God. For example, on the first day of the week they came together to break bread.
I want to suggest that the unrevealed will of God, if I can label it that way, is not going to be a black and white as to what town to live in, not which person to marry and which career to take up, but it will dovetail with the teaching of the Word of God.
And then we would find that there's the permissive will of God. God was never really his will, but he just allowed it. Let me remind ourselves that what we enter into ignorantly, God often will overlook.
But what we enter into willingly, rarely does God overlook. So I want to encourage the younger ones here, and I speak to myself even though the years have moved on very quickly, to be very careful of your steps, to be very careful of your companions, to be very careful that your movements are in alignment with the Word of God.
You will have blessing. You will enjoy peace. You will enjoy his presence day by day. I have a scar on my left wrist. I fell on a milk bottle as a lad. The Selective Service identified me, scar on the left wrist.
You can be preserved from many heartaches and many scars in the journey to simply obey his Word, to simply walk with him. Could I please plead with you in the Lord's name? Be careful who your companions are.
You know, sometimes saints get into evangelistic dating. I can't find that term in the Bible. And you say, what do you mean by that? Well, he's a very handsome fellow, or she's a very pretty girl, or you know what I'm trying to say, or however you put that.
And so I need to get them saved because that's just the one I want to have. That's deadly. It's not found in the book. There's no such thing as, if I can put it that way, evangelistic dating. You move with those that are saved by his matchless grace.
You seek the mind and will of God. It will preserve a lot of heartaches and a lot of scars in the journey here below. You remember in Nehemiah chapter 5, Nehemiah made a statement. He said, yet did not I because of the fear of God.
He didn't say, yet could not I, but because of the fear of God. And I want to please God. And I want to honor the one that loved me and gave himself for me. I can't go there. I can't do that. Integrity is not optional.
Integrity is essential as we find in the Word of God. And I come over into Revelation and it says, thou hast lost thy first love. How does that happen? How does that take place? What is the preventative for it?
Remember Job? He was a man with tremendous trial. Tremendous problems, if we could put it that way. Job knew God. And he had a deep internal walk with God. The externals did not affect his growth and development.
Never grew bitter. Never cold in any way, shape, or form. He held his integrity. Trials are allowed by God. James chapter 1 says it counted all joy. Can I embarrass myself? I've wrestled with that word for a long time.
How can I count it all joy? Difficulties, problems, heartache, sickness. Man is born into trouble as the sparks fly upward. Well, when I get to Psalm 31, I find the key for myself. Our times are in his hands.
And when I can accept that God has allowed this, that will give grace in that trial. And as the Apostle Paul could say, my grace is sufficient for thee. Joseph was a young lad, 16 years of age. Hated by his brothers.
Conspired for 20 pieces of silver. And yet at the end of the journey, he could say, God allowed this for good. And it's one of the greatest examples of reconciliation found in the word of God. When he could tell his brothers, they're forgiven.
He could tell them, I will take care of you the rest of my days, the rest of your days. His true character was brought forth. Ye thought evil against me. God meant it for good. In the challenges of the Christian life, there can be times of crisis.
Paul mentioned a time of crisis in the book of Acts. It's a surprising one in Acts 20. It says grievous wolves are entered in among you, speaking perverse things, drawing disciples after themselves. I want to remind us, beloved, we only need the word of God today.
We need the power that comes from the Holy Spirit, not grieved, not hindered or not quenched in any way, shape or form. We don't need some new method or some new way. I'm very thankful for the old paths.
They're not to be improved upon, but they'll be followed and practiced in the fear of God. Separation is essential. Walls are essential in our lives. Morals and integrity are not optional. I mentioned already, I'm not having a senior moment.
Our lives are for the pleasure of God. Drinking and drugs should never be named amongst us. What do you do when you find yourself with the wrong crowd? You take your two feet and you move as quickly as you can.
You flee youthful lusts which war against your soul. You might have to change your job. You might have to change all your companions, if you want to put it that way. Let me take you over to Exodus chapter 8 for a moment, please.
Exodus chapter 8 and verse 23. And behold, I will put a division between my people and thy people. That word division is very interesting. It's redemption. And because of redemption, there is a division between us and the world.
And because he's redeemed us, that's why we're to have separated lives. Exodus chapter 11 and verse 7. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue against any man or beast.
And notice here that ye may know how the Lord doth put a division between the Egyptians and Israel. That word there for a difference between the Egyptians and Israel is separation. And because we've been redeemed, there's to be separation.
Because one laid down his life for us, there's a different pathway for us. I found that very helpful in the Christian life. You know, we read in Romans chapter 12, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to the tentacles of the octopus of this world, if I can put it that way. The world wants to move us and mold us. In high school there were 365 of us, city of Yonkers, New York. And I learned very quickly I'm the odd duck.
I think there might have been six in the whole class of graduating that were believers, possibly to my knowledge. You're not going to be the popular one at school, I don't want to offend you. We don't try to make ourselves odd.
But because we're linked to the Savior, I cannot enjoy what they enjoy. I didn't have the privilege of the Christian home, which many of you do. I hope you appreciate it. I can remember my mother coming to me one time and she called me Johnny.
I don't know why she gave me the name John. She says, why don't you go to the dances in high school? They'd be a lot of fun. I enjoyed them. I says, oh, Mom, you don't understand something. I'm a believer and the Lord Jesus is my Savior and those really aren't my people.
She didn't understand. And you know the world won't understand. But God wants you and I to take a stand for his honor because we've been redeemed. Because precious blood is shed for us on the cross at Calvary.
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray and compromise comes in. Choices are made. And in every choice that's made, there are prices that are paid. Moses, who we mentioned, had seven excuses.
I lack ability. I have no message. I don't have eloquence. I lack the right words. I don't have the right confidence. And he said I didn't have any success. And I lacked acceptance. And my lips, I'm doubtful.
They're not circumcised lips. It's a solemn thing at a crisis time to know the Lord's mind and say it won't work. And it's a solemn thing at a crisis time in assemblies to say the word of God is not enough.
And we need to add to it or we need to liven it up. Paul says, I speak not with enticing words of man's wisdom. What we need today is the power of God. The spirit of God not grieved and not hindered. That the word of God will have powerful effects in our lives individually and collectively.
There's a danger in the Christian life perhaps to have compartments. Sunday morning I remember the Lord. Monday this. I want to say that the whole Christian life in every aspect should be lived for the honor and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not a compartment here and a compartment there and a compartment there. But all that we do and say would be for his honor and for his glory. In the book of Numbers we have the vow of the Nazarite. Challenging.
It was willingly. But one of the things that I found in there, as we've all read and all heard, family ties were not to affect us. It's wonderful to have family saved by his matchless grace. And in the assembly going on for God, do we compromise for family?
Do we compromise for friends? Could it ever be possible in issues in the assembly that for family the standard is changed? Well, we find it not in the word of God. And we find that the blood test is a big challenge at times in the Christian life.
Prayer can tap heaven's storehouse. A surrendered will is not optional. It's essential. Not my will, but thine be done. The separated path, could I say, begins when we die to our wants and our wishes.
Not my will, but thy will be done. Not what the world wants. Not the world's influences. A separated heart is my son, give me thine heart. There are affections and our interests are for his pleasure. And there's a sympathetic sweetness that comes from a separated heart and a separated path.
And it's the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The flesh and the world removes the joy of the Lord. Often times it's been said that worldliness is a fog hiding us from the presence and the power of God. You would see scorched soil in the hot desert.
Maybe you get it here in the summer. But a scorched soul is a soul that's dried up. And sometimes bitterness comes in. So there are different obstacles, you might say. Different challenges in the Christian life.
But greater is he that's in you than he that's in the world. That each one of us might say of a truth. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I read of C .T. Studd in 1908 in Liverpool, England.
The sign said missionaries wanted by cannibals for Africa. In 1910 he sailed to Africa. He said, if Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice be too great for me to take, he said. Steve Anderson left for Africa a little over a year ago from the Arlington Assembly.
And so I told him that C .T. Studd read the account that cannibals were wanted for Africa. He knew the account far better than I knew it. And he knew the history of it far better. Well, we're not saying that cannibals are wanted in Iowa, but the choices are just as large as to what one we're going to serve and who we're going to fear.
A guided path but of what I think, plus others think, may lack saitheth the Lord and may suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ. Sometimes I have the privilege to visit different assemblies. And sometimes younger ones particularly have come up to me and they say, you know, we don't do that where we are.
Now, I don't want to be rude to anyone. And I don't want to be offensive to anyone. It really doesn't matter what you do where you are. What really matters is if what you're doing where you are is found in the Word of God.
That makes the big difference. Is it found in the book? Is it going to bring honor and glory to the Lord? And at the judgment seat of Christ will be reviewed for how we've lived in emulating the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and obeying the Word of God.
This one that loved us, he gave himself for us. And he longs that we as the redeemed may put aside the pleasures of this world and we might be solely occupied with the lovely man of Calvary who gave himself for us and that our hearts might be tender and moldable and yieldable, that we might be able to follow and obey, ambling pleasure to the one that called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.