Trials and Suffering
Bob Eckel · Jun 13, 2004
Trials & Suffering (2004), No. 23
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4826238247859

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

All right. So often, I don't know how many of you use this as kind of a daily, and I'm not kind of putting a legal trip on you, but this kind of starts my day every day. Sometimes we're busy, I'm on the road, I don't have a lot of time for the word, but boy, just two minutes or three minutes with this at least sets the stage. I, you know, just feel that often, you know, when there's a Sunday school class, the one that we're, you know, reading today is the one that really represents kind of where we're at. What I'm going to use is today's Hungry Heart series as kind of a springboard into our discussion. So let me read this.

Threefold Chord is the title, and the biblical verse is Romans 8.18, for I reckon that the sufferings of of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Is not that the truth of this class that we've been kind of studying here? The word of life, the Lord of life, and the existencies, exigen, I practice this at home too and I'm blowing, I don't think so. I had it correct this morning.

E-X-I-G-E-N-C-I-E-S. Exigencies? Anyway, it means all the things, right? Anyway, of life. Just think this is on tape. must combine to give us a ministry of life. Okay, let me read that again. The word of life, the Lord of life, and whatever that is of life all must combine to give us a ministry of life.

There's no personal knowledge of God, but as we count on him, as we are practically conscious of depending on him and of his caring for us. One without straits and victories really has no growing acquaintance with God. The idea of life coming out of death, we dealt with this really in great detail last night at Bible study. And where there is not this, however great the intelligence or sincerity, there is little or no saver.

So the idea again that these trials and tribulations really are there for a purpose which we all know. Next paragraph. It is the trials and difficulties of the way that are the opportunities for our hearts to grow in acquaintance with him. And it will be found while there may be a great enjoyment in ministry and in the unfolding of truth that really there is not strength but in proportion as one has learned how God has been for and with one in trials and sorrows of the way. And as one has known Him in them, so is one able to speak of Him." Right? It's not our triumph, it's His triumph through us. Glory be brought to Him.

The one person which our Father has in view in all His ways, the one, let me re-read that. One purpose which our Father has in view in all His ways is to conform us to the image of His Son. This may explain our perplexities as to the past and it will govern our behavior in the present. It is to be our guidance in the future. The chief concern of our Lord is not to instruct us about a multitude of details and not to explain to us the reason for the trials which we are called to pass through.

He is working at everything to serve his supreme purpose in displaying the character of his son in his redeemed ones. And the final verse is one we covered in detail here a month ago or so. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many rebound to the glory of God.

Where's that from? That's 2 Corinthians 4, okay, verse 15. All right, turn your Bibles, if you would, this morning to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And we're going to read the first 11 verses, and kind of use that as our text for the day. So again, the foundation has been set in trials and tribulations, and here, in fact, is Israel in the wilderness. This is New Testament truth for the purpose of the believer's growth in grace. Verse 1, Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant. that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual food, and did all drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ.

But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness, Now these things were our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us put Christ to the test, as some of them also tested him, and were destroyed by serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happen unto them for examples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come."

All right. Got three questions that we want to get at this morning. The first is, what is the first thing that Paul asks us to acknowledge in verses 1 through 4? The second is, what was the basis for Israel's being overthrown in the wilderness? And third, and perhaps most importantly, How does Israel's experience in the wilderness relate to each of us today? Obviously this is Pauline epistle that we're reading. So this is relevant and in context I think the relevance is seen. So let's start with that first question. What's the first thing that Paul asks us to acknowledge in verses 1-4? Okay, that's one thing, certainly in text, verse 4, the rock was Christ.

Okay, so this cloud that surrounded them by day, even before, you know, sometimes you forget the cloud was around them before they even crossed the Red Sea. I mean, we think about it in the wilderness, but the cloud was already part of them. prior to the parting of the Red Sea and their crossing the Red Sea.

Yes. Good. Okay, so all of them were involved. I mean, as if all of the believers are also in kind of a turf here where, in fact, as we proceed through this passage, that we're all going to identify with it. This is not for the unsaved. Think about Israel's being sanctified, right? They were set apart by God, right? The whole nation was sanctified or set apart for a purpose. And so this cloud was just not for some of them. And this rock they drank out of was not just for some of them, but it was for all of them.

Okay, what else should we not be ignorant about? Well, they ate the same food, didn't they? Boy, that good manna, strawberry manna, vanilla manna, chocolate manna, raspberry, whatever, anyway. So they all ate the same food. They were all surrounded by a cloud. They all passed through the seed. So we've got a team here that's all kind of sanctified by God for a purpose.

So we're not to be ignorant of that. Why shouldn't we be ignorant of that? Because, as it says in verse 11, that this is an admonition to us in terms of the way they responded to this. We, in fact, have something to learn from that. Now, what's the difference between Israel and the Church? And what's the similarity between Israel and the Church? Us, the Church. All right, there's a kind of a different principle.

So what should their response have been under law? Is that any different than what our response should be today? What did God ask of Israel in the wilderness or during these period of trials and tribulations for the nation? Trust. Okay. An act of faith was what was demanded, was it not? And again, what's faith? Trust. How about biblical faith? Come on, Jack, move you on to biblical faith.

So Hebrews 11.1 gives us a more detailed...

I'm kind of dumb, so Hebrews 11.1 is always tough for me. I have to go back and read all those words in context and figure it out. But very simply, what's faith? What's biblical faith? Believing what? God has revealed. Exactly. Believing what God has revealed, right? You know, that was as perfect for Adam as it was for us today.

So what's the difference between Israel and the Church? So the principle of faith is identical, is it not? I mean, Israel was asked as a nation to believe God for what He'd revealed. Yet under law, they were still requested, demanded, in fact, to believe what He'd been revealing. So today, We have a bit more opportunity to understand God's purpose because we have this. But what else do we have that's different from Israel? the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is in the perfect position for the revelation of truth of what God has written. Amen.

You know, do you ever think a little bit about this, and this often comes up in my mind, it's the first question I'm going to ask God if I have a human mind and am able to transmit a human question to Him, is what made somebody in the nation of Israel believe versus someone who didn't? And we're going to see an example about those who didn't here in a minute. Where does that faith come from? That these trials and tribulations, how can we accept by faith that these trials and tribulations are there for God's glory and our growth in grace and truth?

Yes. No man comes unto the Father unless he first calls them. Okay, so is God in the business of calling the entire universe to himself? I think we can agree on that, can't we? We don't want to get into this whole Arminian and Calvinistic argument here today, but nevertheless, I mean, God's in the business of calling everyone to himself, right? So anyway, we're not going to answer that question today, because remember, that's the first question I'm going to ask God.

By what basis does an Old Testament saint respond by faith versus not responding by faith? And if you're under law, we know law doesn't save anybody, right? But the principle's the same, is it not? The principle for Israel was responding by faith to what God had revealed.

And boy, that's... I think it's simply because of who the Lord is. That has a drawing power of its own. Okay. So you think there's kind of a repetitive building of faith based on experience, then? Well, I think as people come to know Lorden, if in the beginning it's simply looking at creation and knowing that there's something else, that the very fact of who the Lord is has a drawing power. Yes, I mean, it begins with creation, right? I mean, don't we all believe that God has this kind of, and this is Romans 1 truth, there's kind of these three things that God is in the business of revealing himself as.

The first is in creation. I mean, somebody who's, you know, in the distant land of Bangladesh, who in fact has never experienced the Lord Jesus Christ by knowledge and or word, is in the position of looking up and saying, gee, there must be a God, right? Now, you know, the God could be the God of Mohammed, if you live in Bangladesh. Maybe Bangladesh is even to some extent more into other faiths that are more Eastern in nature. But then what's the second Romans 1 truth of how we're called by faith to God?

It's our conscience, is it not? Now, the problem with creation is we look at it and we say there is a God, but we don't know anything about our sin nature when we look at creation, right? I mean, you can maybe envision that perhaps you could get there if you envisioned the creation enough, But our conscience also has a flaw in it, doesn't it?

Our conscience... God puts in everyone a conscience. What is the conscience influenced by that could potentially move us in wrong directions? The world around us. Exactly. The environment in which the conscience exists. But yet God has placed in each and everyone a conscience. A conscience of kind of what's right and what's wrong. But I presume if you're a cannibal in Central Africa, if the conscience of the environment in which you live is cannibalism, then maybe in fact God doesn't transcend that conscience because it's so environmentally influenced. And what's the third and final and relevant way of getting to God is through Christ, right? So the three C's, creation, conscience, and Christ.

But obviously Israel had the first two, but their faith in Christ was a promise given in the garden. that had probably not really been articulated clearly to them. At least, I mean, Abraham believed and Moses obviously had experiences that probably could reveal the promise that the Messiah would come. But yet, still, in terms of a walking understanding of Christ and who he was, I believe that in fact the principle is simply respond to me by faith. And my faith is that I'm going to give you food, give you drink, protect you with a cloud and move you on to the promised land, right?

That was the relevant day-to-day existence. Okay, good. How about the second question? What was the basis for Israel's being overthrown in the wilderness? I'd like you to go to the Old Testament. Let's go to Numbers chapter 14 and verses 26 through 30. Dave, could you read that for us, please? Numbers 14, 26 through 30.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaint of these grumbling Israelites. So tell them that surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say.

In this desert, your bodies will fall, every one of you, 20 years old or more, who has counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land, I swore with uplifting hand, to make your home, except Caleb son of Zebunah and Joshua son of Nahum." Okay, thanks David. So the question then is, what was the basis of Israel's being overthrown in the wilderness?

They're complaining. Right. We're going to get there. Just wait about 15 minutes. We're going to see how. Unfortunately, the consequences of our complaining is not quite what they were for Israel. But nevertheless, this is really kind of the principle by which God is really dissatisfied with our response. And the third question is, how does Israel's experience in the wilderness relate to each of us today? And I think that, you know, we'll just jump to the chase and we'll get back to this in more detail.

It's our identification with them and their blessing and suffering, right? I mean, the idea is that God is not going to put us back under law to see how we respond, but the principles of trials and tribulations in our life is really what this is all about. And so the text today that we're looking at really is to see, in fact, how we're responding or how we're doing in terms of our response to the trials and tribulations in ways that would be God-glorifying. All right.

Now, The next question I have for you is what things were used for examples to us today? Go back to the text, we see that there are a number of things that are listed here that ultimately are examples that we should look at. Well, I think there are a series of don'ts, and even though we're not under law, I mean, the don'ts apply to the things that the Lord can see that are possible responses within us. that we're heated against. The punishment is different, and we'll talk more about that in a moment, but these are the things that are listed as don'ts.

The first is don't lust after evil things. The second is don't continue to be idolaters. It's interesting here that in context it says neither be idolaters, but in the Greek it's kind of like they're already idolaters. Don't continue to exist in that mindset. The third is divorce yourself from fornication or other acts of sexual sin. The fourth is don't put Christ to the test, verse 9. And the fifth and final is don't murmur or grumble.

All right, so now we're going to use this is kind of a springboard into further discussion about how these things play out. Okay, lusting after evil things. Any thoughts here? How does that relate to the body of Christ? Okay. What, Margaret? I was going to say, what, I mean, is it some kind of evil thing? Is that, what kind of evil thing? Well, that's the question. Is it an evil thing? Anything that sounds like a Christ is considered sin. So would that be Are they specifically talking about lust after evil things?

Worldly things? The world? In the context, does it consider the world? I'm just trying to figure out. Well, you think of the working of the spirit, you know, in terms of the spirits, you know, lust against the flesh and back and forth kind of deal. I would suspect that the contrast of the spirit led life is in fact one that's led by things of the world, which would be categorized as evil.

Any other thoughts here? I mean, evil, just free associate, what's evil mean to you? I mean, when you think of something evil, what might you describe? I think of the evil things as just anything that draws you away from Christ. Something that distracts you from what you're supposed to do. It could be anything as, you know, relying on your horoscope that's completely meaningless to just lusting after the evil things that will eventually tear you apart. Okay, so evil, you're defining then as anything that separates us from Christ.

Um, okay. And that was what I was trying to figure out. Let's get more particular. Are there things that are in fact neutral that we experience on a day-to-day basis that have neither moral nor immoral value? How about if you like to garden? Gardening consumes your life. You wouldn't call it evil, but it wouldn't help you to know Christ. You might be consumed with keeping your plants growing. Well, like sporting events or things like that. Those kind of things don't have to be considered evil. Could they be? Or dancing. Could they be? Think of an example.

I mean, I don't have the answer here, by the way. That's why I said, any thoughts? Because I'm not going to give you a list of what's evil and what's not. But Jack, you're going to say something? No, I'm trying to determine evil. Evil is not a neutral word.

It describes a condition of the mind, I would think. as much as anything. So you're not so much putting it on the object itself, you're more interpreting it in light of the individual believer and how he or she views it. Is that correct? Or how the spirit convicts us of that activity?

That's good, because we don't want to put up a list on the entrance to Holly Hills Bible Church listing the evil things, right? I mean, some things you can recognize. What might be glaring examples of something evil? I mean... Yeah, pornography. Yeah, okay, we're going to get there, too. Okay. All right. Other things, obviously evil. Murder. Alright, sins of the flesh, those things are clearly outlined in the text. Gossip. Gossip, ooh, we're getting a little more subtle now, aren't we? Okay. Coveting. I'm sorry? Coveting. Coveting, okay, so you're going back to kind of the Ten Commandments in terms of evil things. So I'm going to leave this unanswered.

One thing that ultimately is present for all of us is music. Is music evil? Goodness, I mean, some music is God-glorifying, is it not? And some music, some of us would clearly identify as evil, but yet there's going to be a different thermometer each one of us put on music as to where it stands on this evil thermometer.

So I think you know, we've got to really let the power of the Spirit work through the Word in terms of our own convictions of what's acceptable and what's not. I think anything that gets to the point of separating us from Christ could fall in this domain. But boy, you know, again, lists are not here to be provided. But I think we have to think broadly about this in terms of the predominance of these things in our life and ultimately what the Word has to say about them in terms of how they impact the day-to-day existence. Anybody, any other thoughts here about evil things? Notice it says evil things. Well, that's right. Okay, so lusting is certainly something that goes beyond maybe simple preference, right? And these are things that can so preoccupy a life.

You know, if you think about sports, how about horse racing? I mean, how many watch the Belmont Stakes, interested to see whether we see a triple crown winner? I'm not a horse racing fan, but I thought, gee, a triple crown, that's worth watching. But, you know, I didn't have $15,000 on it either, I can assure you.

So, anyway, I mean, that's just kind of a crazy example. All right, let's go on to the second one. Continue to be idolaters, verse 7. So it says here, neither be ye idolaters or continue in your idolatry, as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

In a sense, this very much relates to evil things, doesn't it, in a way? I mean, define an idol. What's an idol? Something you worship. Okay, clearly a distraction from the Lord himself, right? Can you describe an idol? In the Greek, the term can be defined as something phantom, a likeness, but not exactly like. How about that? I mean, boy, an idea or even a fancy. So idols can not necessarily be some statue of Buddha. I mean, idols can take a very real and dynamic position in our lives that ultimately are just not something structural.

Going back to your previous point, and it ties into this one, you said that you didn't have to put a thousand writing on the triple crown, but what about the office pool? You know, Vern, don't take me back here. I, you know, when I got saved in Seattle in 1978, I ran a big football pool for the NFL in my position as a fellow in Entrepreneurship Metabolism, University of Washington.

And that was a hard lead behind, because it was a lot of fun. It was small bucks, not a big pool. But I had a lot of fun with that. And we had about 30 or 40 players. And each week, the purse was about $100. It was like $2 or $2.50. I mean, it was just fun. But anyway, I mean, I kind of left that behind because I just didn't feel that was consistent with my new life. But nevertheless, I didn't look at that as an idol nor an evil thing, but yet it was just something kind of fun.

But the issue is here, you got to be convicted by the spirit in terms of these kinds of decisions in your life. We don't need lists again. It's not what we want. And I don't know whether the Lord looks favorably at a $2 entry into an NFL football pool, probably You know, he's got much more to do and be concerned about in our life.

But anyway, I left it behind for a reason just in terms of a witness to an unsaved world. It is gambling, in a sense, at a very small level. But was it an idol? And was it an evil thing? Well, I left it behind because I felt that the Spirit was teaching me to leave it behind. But nevertheless, I'm not passing any judgment on anybody here. You've got to answer that for yourself. But I didn't consider it an idol. It was not anything that I was clearly worshiping.

It could be, absolutely. All these things in terms of trials and sufferings, when we start suffering over these things, they're causing us stress. The Lord uses those situations to say, you know what? You made this an idol. That's why you're suffering over this, because you're suffering over the thing that you've made, you know, your God.

Well, let's take it to reality on a day-to-day basis. How about our jobs, our reputations? I mean, in a sense, these could be fancies or ideas about ourself and how we're viewed by others. And, boy, vanity and pride play a big role here, I think, as idols, but we don't call them as really things that would separate us from God, but they do. I mean, they really, really do. And each one of us has a reputation.

We want to maintain that in terms of the eyes of our friends, our family, and our other acquaintances. And boy, I think that this ultimately can be a very pronounced way by which evil gets into our life and idols get into our life without even being recognized.

Remember, remember what John said, what were the three great sins that John lists in the epistle of 1st John? Lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and what was the third? The pride of life. And that ain't the pride of the exchange life, okay? And boy, I sense that, I mean, this prior to life thing gets into my roots at times. It really needs to be left at Calvary and we need to move on by faith. And so how does idolatry result from these idols? I think we kind of covered that. It's when we become preoccupied with these things in our life.

And when you allow those to define who you are. Exactly. You know, you don't have to be a research scientist to allow that to define your rights. You know, it could be a secretary or, you know, if you allow that to define your value and allowing your traditional rights to define it. You know, let me just kind of be very transparent with you. I mean, you know, again, I'm just going to let it all hang out here.

I mean, the Lord has me where I'm at for some reason. And some of you know this, maybe others don't. As of July 1, I'm gonna be president-elect of the American Heart Association, and a year later I'll be president. That's the entire national organization. And let me tell you, I mean, that's a position where you're platformed all the time, interact with the media a tremendous amount nationally, internationally. I'm supposed to be traveling all over the world to represent the HA and what it stands for, but yet, You know, I've got to stand there as a humble player in the game of the Lord Jesus Christ and representing who He is, not who I am, right?

And so, as you think about that, pray for me because, you know, I have responsibilities to this task, and it's a big task. And I mean, I'm out there as a preventive cardiologist trying to reduce risk for heart disease and stroke, which is a mission that is not an idol. I mean, it's a mission that I don't feel like, you know, if it doesn't take place in the right way, that ultimately, you know, more people are going to die. I mean, the issue is this. I'm representing a position academically that I think can hit the lives of many people. But that's not the kind of life I'm interested in seeing changed in people.

I mean, maybe the Lord is not only using this to mold me increasingly into His image as I make mistakes along the way, but He's using this maybe, ultimately, to allow the Gospel to be shared with unique people that might not hear it in any other way. So, I mean, but this is an example. Is that an idol? Is that an evil thing in my life? Is that an I putting that as an idol in terms of what my task is in the eyes of the world and this responsibility?

I hope not. but it's interesting the way the Lord has matured this. I had no goal of being president of the American Heart Association. I mean, as a kid, gee, I want to grow up and be president of the American Heart Association. I mean, this thing, the Lord has just allowed the path to develop and I really kind of didn't even know I was on the path.

And ultimately, because obesity and diabetes and cholesterol and the way we eat and the way we use our bodies has become such a predominant issue in the health of America and the world. that ultimately they wanted me to be nominated because that's what I represent. I represent preventing heart disease and stroke. I'm not in the business like Hal had a stent done on Friday. That's not my area. But what I represent in terms of my science and medicine now is timely for the organization. And I just happen to be the guy who was picked for whatever reason. So I mean, this is an example that I think that could become an idol for me. And I got to really rest in the truth of who I am in Christ.

The three biggest and most important principles, I think, for all of us, my opinion, is number one, there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And secondly, we're blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. And the third is, where is our citizenship? It's up there.

So those kinds of things played out in a life, I think, prevents you from allowing things of the world to become your idol. But as we walk in the Spirit, we aren't involved in this. And there's a trusting of the Lord that He's going to keep that sin nature in check for us. Because we want to do exactly what you're saying. I want to worry over, am I doing this for the wrong motive? Are people going to see the wrong thing? And as we're walking in the Spirit, it's the life of the Lord Jesus in us. And we trust Him to keep that in check. So that we can just lay down at His feet and say, I trust you that you'll show me if my motives are wrong.

Thank you. I can't add to that in any way. Thank you. Right, but is having a job or serving a role for a community service, is that an idol? No, I mean, it could be. Thanks, Jack. But the thing is the Spirit works in each one of us. And if we're growing in grace and truth, He will remind us when we're off task, right? Yeah, let's not do that.

Alright, let's go on to verse 8. The third thing that was really before the body of Christ in Corinth, in terms of the trials and tribulations that they were put before him, is the whole issue of fornication. Boy, this church was really having a big problem in this area, and I just listed verses for you. There must be six to ten verses in 1 Corinthians that identify the issue of sensual lust and activities in this particular area. And fornication doesn't need to be defined. It's anything outside the marital relationship in terms of sexual activity. So there was incest, there was adultery, there was fornication, all kinds of things going on there.

So that was a big problem in Corinth. And so we're told here, verse 8, neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. So the identification is again with the nation of Israel. And if you go back and look at the text back in Numbers and Exodus, you, in fact, find it. What about today? Is this a problem in the church today? Sure is. OK. Is this just an occasional mishap here and there, or is this? Everybody's kind of shaking their heads, and nobody wants to tell any stories here, right? OK.

So I guess we could define fornication broadly enough to say that pornography is part of this ballgame, right? I mean, what did Christ say about lusting after a woman? Is that law, Vern, or is that the principle of God's truth? I mean, Norm, I'm sorry. Yeah, well, Norm, there is scripture, but the issue is, is that law? I mean, that was given, that's out of the mouth of Christ, right, Norm? So is that law, or does that relate to us? What's the thought there? Is looking at a woman lust in your heart, in fact, the same thing as committing fornication?

Nobody's answering. Jimmy Carter said this, so I must be wrong. Jimmy Carter, where are you? You're out there today. All right, I'll let you all answer that one for yourselves. Okay, the next one is verse 9, and that's putting Christ to the test. Let's turn back to Numbers 21, 5 through 9 again a second.

And the people spake against God and against Moses. Wherefore, have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread." So this is kind of complaining, isn't it? And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looks upon it, shall live. How's that for an example of the cross, huh? And Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of bronze, he lived. Wow, kind of nice, huh?

In the wilderness experience, in a sense, that's putting Christ to the test. And the analogy of this serpent on a pole to the belief that that pole would spare them from death from the fiery serpent really is an amazing analogy to Calvary and what it's all about. Now, what about us today here in terms of putting Christ to the test? How do we put Christ to the test? Can Christ be tested or tempted? You know, I've talked to believers sometimes and they'll say, well, if Christ could just do this, then I'll do that. There's a, you know, show me. Show me what, you know, if I see a sign, then I'll know that I'll really believe this. Please. What's that? Please. Yeah. Right.

So how do we put Christ to the test? The text said, don't put Christ to the test. What's that mean? We got this risen Savior who in fact has paid it all and called us to Himself and has given us the truth of who we are positionally and working in our lives to change it conditionally and yet He can be tested or tempted?

Turn to Hebrews chapter 3. Now remember, in context we're looking at at comparing the body in terms of the way we respond to the wilderness journey, if you will. And how many of you have thought about this, that we're in a wilderness journey down here, are we not? I mean, our position is in heaven, our rest is in heaven, our citizenship is in heaven, but yet we're in these earthly sinful bodies that ultimately are in a position to perhaps put the Lord to the test. Roger, do you want to read that, 6 through 11?

In Hebrews 3, yeah. But Christ was faithful as a son over his house, whose house we are if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked me, as in the day of trial in the wilderness. For your fathers tried me by testing me, and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was angry with this generation, and said, they always go astray in their hearts. And they did not know my ways. As I swore my wrath, they shall not enter my rest.

Go ahead and read the next couple of verses too. Let's take it down through 14. Take care, brethren. There should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today, lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Well, we have to become partakers of Christ if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance from until the end. Yeah, thanks. Those extra verses really need to be added, I think, to put this in an appropriate context.

So, what are we thinking about, then, as tempting or testing Christ? And I think the Hebrews passage really very nicely lays this out. And, interestingly enough, it compares us to Israel in the wilderness. So, how do we test Christ? By having your eyes fixed on anything other than Christ. Yeah, the inability to hear His voice and hardening our hearts.

I mean, He's granted us all ability to respond in ways that are glorifying to Him. And, you know, we don't think about testing and attempting him as if his position and glory is altered by the way we respond, but the idea is he's made a promise to us to heed his voice, and the Spirit, in fact, interprets that in a way that that truth should be played out in our day-to-day experiences.

Verse 10, murmur. Definitions, muttering. grumbling, actually very, you know, in reality testing speaking in a low voice. I mean, the idea of speaking in a low voice could be murmuring without malintent, I guess. But sometimes when the voice is low, there's a reason for it being low because you don't want to be heard saying what you're saying.

Anyway, this is not a complimentary term, okay? I don't think we interpret it in context as something that we do, you know, in a way that's pleasing to God. So the question to you all, you've never done this, have you? I'm glad that we're not in a position to be called out by this.

But then my next question is how recently, right? I was thinking just driving to church this morning, the traffic light turning left from Hamden on to I-25, it's a very long light, and just kind of grumbling about this. Why does this light have to be so blessed? Anyway, so it comes to play fairly frequently, right?

All right, so let's look at contrast, Philippians 2, 14 through 16. And Kirk, could you pull that for us and read that? And Karen, why don't you do Jude 16 through 19. Now here's the contrast or the comparison of how this murmuring really represents who we really are. So Philippians 2, 14 through 16 first, and then we'll compare it to the Jude verses.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without faults. generation, in which you shine like stars in the evening, as you hold out the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Okay, so it's really kind of a command of sorts. Do all things without murmurs and disputings that you may be blameless and harmless children of God. So the idea is the children of God are in fact not representing this type of behavior.

It's kind of an appeal to who we really are, isn't it? And boy, I suffer from this this fall all the time. I always find something to kind of figure out is not right about something. So anyway, this is something that I think impacts each one of us to some extent in our daily lives.

Let's look at the Jude passage, Karen. All right, so the contrast. In Jude, I think that's describing unbelievers. So unbelievers are expected to behave this way, complaining, murmuring, grumbling all the time about everything. But the life of Christ that's played out in us, each one of us, as walking examples of Him on this earth is one in which murmurs and grumblings are really not part of that existence. Now, verse 11 is kind of the key conclusive verse of this section. Now, all things happen unto them for examples, meaning unto the nation of Israel.

And they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come. And I don't think we need to get bogged down with ends of the ages. We're all part of the ends of the ages, right? I mean, the next event is kind of the beginning of the ends of the ages. I mean, the rapture is next. And we're kind of evolving into that point. So this doesn't necessarily apply to any particular time. The questions I might ask are three.

What's our response to this? What are our choices? And the final admonition, I think, for each one of us is keep looking down. So how do we respond to this whole text in terms of the experience of the nation of Israel as an example unto us? Do we kind of say, well, that's nice for them, but maybe not so applicable today because they were under law and kind of different principles? Or do we heed the opportunity to say that the Lord felt that this was sufficient for Paul to write down in 1 Corinthians 10, 1 through 11, to give us an idea of what the differences are between responding in the way that God would have us respond by faith versus that that's more natural? So our choices are to heed this in terms of living above. I don't know about you, but you don't just say, gee, God, I'm going to live above here and all these things just disappear.

I mean, the idea here is we got to ultimately prepare ourselves this in a way that individual trials and tribulations come our way. We don't kind of plug us into the switch so we can turn the light bulb on, right? I mean, this is a life of constant growth through death. And as you all know, I mean, it's death that brings forth life.

And I suspect that many of us are going to grumble today sometime about something. And the issue is that God has, remember, there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, none. So let me kind of leave you with something that I've used before and I think is so appropriate for kind of dealing with trials and tribulations and how we respond to them. Again, these things were portrayed by Miles Stanford, and I think they're really worthy of our consideration.

The first is to live positionally. Crucified, risen, seated. The second is live positively, fully persuaded. The third is living possessively. All things are ours. And finally, the triumphant walk is based on the fact that we're more than conquerors, Romans 10 truth.

Anyway, so there's where we deal with this. This is not kind of trying harder to respond in the right way, right? I mean, how are you doing at that? working harder to make sure you don't murmur, or that you don't have wrong lusts, that you don't have evil things that are a predominant part of your life, or that you don't have idols that walk in our paths of faith, but in fact that we view things from the position in which we're created in a way that his life increasingly becomes easier because we live by faith. Let's close in prayer. Father, as we examine this text and understand that we're not the nation of Israel, but yet the opportunity to reflect on that experience in our wilderness land is one in which we have much to learn.

And the response that you have outlined for us is to have these historic events as an admonition to us to live above and increasingly being in a position to let the deaths and trials and tribulations of this earth bring glory to your name through our rest and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. So as we live above and look down, we live in victory and we live in triumph. And as we increasingly look to the Lord Jesus Christ for all his truth, we in fact find that our ways and desires and concerns are ultimately molded more into what you would have us be. So we're thankful for the gathering here today and we lift up again the many needs that are in this body and those who are not here today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.