I'm gonna be in the book of Proverbs,
if you'd like to turn there. Proverbs chapter three. Two weeks ago, we looked at the
entire portion of this, 21 through 26 was the whole thought. And the Lord gave us a message
on the Lord being our confidence, the Lord being our confidence.
But as I was rereading this, Something stuck out to me in
verse 25 where it says, be not afraid of sudden fear. That sudden
fear is something that plagues each and every believer. Men
that are not believers would say that they have sudden fears,
but it would be physical fears. It would be physical. And you
could be talking about physical fears, but there's always a spiritual
application in the Lord's word. What's the sudden fear then?
Well, it's the fear of what if I'm not the Lord's? I see my
sin. I feel my guilt. The things which
I would do, I do not. The things I would not do, that's
what I find myself doing. Am I even a believer? Am I even
the Lord's? That's the sudden fear. He says,
don't fear that. Don't fear that. Why? Well, he
tells us, he tells us, for the Lord shall be thy confidence
and shall keep thy foot from being taken. That's why. Don't
fear because the Lord shall be your confidence and he shall
keep your foot from being taken. The Lord does it. The Lord keeps
his people. Our problem is as we look at ourself. And the moment
we do, we're just like Peter, it's whether you're looking at
circumstances, whether we're looking at self, whether we're
looking for evidences, whether we're looking at, name it, world
news going on, whatever it may be, we start sinking, don't we?
Just like Peter, he starts sinking. Lord, save me, save me again. I'm gonna drown again. That's
that sudden fear, isn't it? I'm gonna drown. No, you're not.
No, because I'm going to uphold you by my right hand. I'm going
to preserve you. I'm going to keep you. Something, I was talking to someone
recently and something they told me, they said, I've never felt
more saved than I do now. And I thought, you know, You'll
never hear a true believer actually say, I feel saved. Is that not
true? I really, well, I really feel
saved. No, because that's an emotion.
That's a fleshly emotion, isn't it? I mean, it's not something,
our old nature hasn't changed. No, if anything, we're concerned
that we're not saved when we start looking at ourselves. Not,
yeah, I really feel it today. I really, no, we don't do that.
No, it's, Emotions can't be relied on. Feelings come and go, don't
they? You feel, you'll have a bad day
one, some days. You'll feel bad, you won't feel
good, and then the next day you'll feel great. You'll be happy,
you'll feel strong, and is that the day we feel saved, or what
are we saying when we say those things? No, every elect child
of God has no confidence in their flesh. You'll never hear a true
believer say, I feel saved, or I got. What we do have in common
is the same response Peter had whenever the Lord said, who do
you say that I am? Who do you say that I am? They
all were asking, all told him, well, some say John the Baptist,
some say you're one of the prophets. He said, but who do you? That's
the question, isn't it? Who do you say that I am? And
Peter said, I know that thou art the Christ, the son of the
living God. And what did the Lord say to
Peter? Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood
hath revealed this to you. Our flesh and blood hath not
revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. My Father
gave you faith to believe. That's what he told him. You
believe what you believe because the Lord made you, caused you
to believe. God's people are given faith
that looks to Christ, not self. Not feelings, not emotions, not
circumstances, not evidences, not man. No, we look to Christ,
the God-man. It's not what is seen, it's what's
unseen. It's not the physical, but it's
the spiritual. We've been made to believe that
every person that he died for, he successfully redeemed. And
what happens is we don't really ever forget that, but we forget
to think about that. We think if we get troubled with
other things, we get overburdened with life and we're all the same. We're all from the same mold.
We get concerned and we need to be reminded it's finished. There's a lot of frightening
things on the news right now. And I told my wife, I said, well,
I know who's seated on the throne. I have rest. Every time my flesh
starts worrying about something, every time I may start fretting
because I don't like what I see or something happens, remember,
He is still seated on the throne. We gotta go back to that. It
is finished. It's not changed. And it never
will. Because God spoke it, God performed
it. God spoke it and God saved. And
He lets us know about it. That's our only resting place,
isn't it? We don't have any other rest,
not really. Faith doesn't look around at
circumstances, it looks to Christ alone. It doesn't look to evidences,
it looks to Christ alone. And so many times we, if we find
ourselves looking at circumstances, if we find ourselves looking
for evidence of salvation, we're not looking to Christ. We're
not looking to Christ and that's when we start to sink. That's
when we'll have this sudden fear that comes upon us. Oh, no. Well,
what if? You know, faith never says what
if. Faith just believes the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith depends on
Christ alone. Now, if you have this faith,
the Lord's given you this faith, then he's going to try that faith. And I mentioned this in the call
to worship. He's gonna try. your faith and the reason he does
that is because the sin that doth so easily beset us, the
weight that doth so easily drag us down, this flesh and what
it loves to do is unbelief. That's the sin that doth so easily
beset us. We're constantly running in unbelief. We don't even mean
to, it's our nature. It's our nature to trust A number
one, not trust God, to trust in self. Thankfully, the Lord,
Rebecca was, had, she was expecting two children, wasn't she? And
she prayed unto the Lord, and she said, well, if this is such
a, if this is a good thing, why am I thus? They were in conflict
inside of her, and he said, two nations are inside of you, two
people are inside of you. What does that represent? That
represents the old man and the new man, because he said, but
the elder, shall serve the younger, not maybe, not might, the elder
will serve the younger. So that old man full of unbelief
serves the new man born of the spirit of God that has faith. And that faith, the Lord will
try. He'll give you trials, he'll give you afflictions, he'll give
you, the Lord said in the world, you shall have tribulation, but
be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. He didn't say you
might have tribulation. He said you shall. What is that
tribulation? Well, it could be family. It
could be friends. It could be acquaintances. We
don't know what it all means, but we know that whatever he
is doing, he is drawing out the dross of our unbelief so that
we have one resting place. We have no confidence in the
flesh. We have no place to rest in and of ourself, but only in
the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what he
does for his people. Constantly brings us back to that one place. God is gonna try that faith till
there's nothing that remains but full confidence in his finished
work on Calvary. No confidence in flesh, no confidence
in the world, no confidence in self, but all our confidence,
all of our hope, all of our trust, all of our peace, all of our
righteousness, all of our wisdom, all of our sanctification, all
of our redemption, all of our justification is in Christ alone. Well, I guess I better read the
whole text here before I get too far along. Let's read these
two verses, 25 and 26, Proverbs chapter three. Be not afraid
of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when
it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep
thy foot from being taken. The reason we fear the desolation
of the wicked is because whenever we look at the wicked, every
believer truly believes they are the chief of sinners. And
that's what the writer was saying when he said, Faithful saying worthy of all
acceptation. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am chief. You believe that you're
the chief sinner. And so when we see the desolation
of the wicked, it's frightening. It's frightening because you
think I'm deserving of that. I'm deserving of that damnation.
I'm deserving of hell. Deserving of separation from
the Lord. The Lord said, don't be afraid of sudden fear, because
I will keep you. I have kept you, I'm going to
keep you. My rod and staff, they'll comfort you. I'll prepare a table
before you in the presence of your enemies. I'll anoint your
head with oil. I'll lead you by the still waters
and the green grass. The Lord is my shepherd. We'll
be in want of nothing. We'll be in want of nothing.
He's provided everything. Be not afraid of sudden fear. There's nothing more fearful
than seeing your unbelief, seeing our filth beginning to sink as
Peter, wondering, am I even a believer? Do I even believe? You ask yourself
this question. Next time you start doubting,
do you believe that Jesus Christ successfully redeemed his people? Did you believe he sat down when
he finished the work and there's nothing left for you to do? And
that's your only hope? You're a believer. That's what
a believer believes. Nothing in self. If there's anything
about it where it's of self, then you're not a believer. But
if it's all him, don't look at yourself and feelings and emotions
and circumstances. They're going to come and go.
They're going to be hard. They're going to be some days it'll be easier. What did the Lord say? If you're
burdened and heavy laden, come unto me. I'll give you rest.
And what does he give his people rest in? Himself. Here's the
bread again. Here's the wine again. Here's
the fountain. Drink and live. I'll be not afraid. You didn't
do anything to save yourself and you won't do anything to
keep yourself. The Lord did it all. The Lord did it all on Calvary
for his people. There's a daily warfare. a struggling,
a fighting that takes place. You know, it's amazing. Most
people, and we still have this old nature, so we still love
ourself to some degree. But truly, we loathe ourself
also. The new nature has caused us
to loathe ourself. We don't love ourself like we
once did, like others who, that's all they have is their self.
We have the Lord. And we grieve, don't we? When
we see ourself not doing that which we desire to do, when we
do things that we know, well, I shouldn't have done that, and
the Lord gives repentance over those things. And I'm so thankful
for the verse that says, if any man sin, we have an advocate
with God the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. You don't have
to bear that sin. The Lord put it away on the cross of Calvary.
Look to Christ. It's already gone. I love the
thought that before we even confess it, It's already been put away. It's already done. If we're his,
it's already been cast in the depths of the sea. He said, I
won't remember it anymore. That's what he did on the cross
of Calvary for his people. This warring that takes place,
it's the old and the new man. Turn with me to 1 Peter 1. I
got a couple places to turn to tonight. Look at verse three through nine. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. who are kept
by the power of God through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed
at the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though
now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious,
being much more precious than gold that perished it, though
it be tried with fire, might be found unto the praise and
honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having
not seen you love, in whom though now you see him not, yet believing
you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving
the end of your faith, even the salvation of your soul. He says this this trial, this, can you rejoice
when you have a trial of your faith? That's what he's talking
about here. Can you rejoice when you have a trial of your faith?
He says in verse six, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now
for a season, if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold
temptation, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious
than gold, it perisheth, though it might be tried with fire,
might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ. How do you rejoice in a trial?
Well, I'll tell you how, because the Lord said, whom he loves,
he chasteneth. rejoice in the affliction itself,
but you can rejoice in the Savior who sent the trial, who sent
the chastening, who sent the affliction, knowing that it's
of Him and He orders all things, and all things are for your good
and for His glory. That's the only way that you
can rejoice in moments where it's despair, knowing that He's
still seated on the throne. There's where our rest is. There's
where our rejoicing is, not necessarily in the trial itself. I mean,
If we get a flat tire, we get bent out of shape. You know what
I mean? So I can't rejoice I get a flat tire, but if I remember
that that was purpose, the Lord spared me from something. Faith
believes Christ, not the circumstance. Doesn't look for a circumstance
and say, okay, since I haven't had a flat tire in 10 years,
that must mean the Lord really likes me. Because I've seen this
guy, he's had a flat tire three times. No, that's looking at
circumstances. That might be a silly analogy, but it's true.
People think that way. Whatever's happening, the Lord
has purposed for his people, he purposed it before time ever
began to bring us to him over and over and over. That we might
be unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ, that's why. His praise, his honor, and his
glory. Now the Lord told Rebecca, the elder shall serve the younger.
The shaping and iniquity, the sin that we are, it's gonna serve
the one born of righteousness, born in true holiness by the
Spirit. That's what he's saying. Knowing this, we still doubt.
We still worry. We still fret. We still have
anxieties. The Lord says to his chosen people,
fear not, it is I, be not afraid. Do you remember on the Sea of,
I think it was the Sea of Galilee, the disciples decided to go out
first in the boat, and a storm came, it was a purposed storm.
First of all, if the storm would have never came, the Lord would
have never needed to calm the sea. They would have never saw
the Lord say, peace be still. And that's exactly the point
in the believer's life, is that if the Lord doesn't send those
storms, you will never have the need to say, Lord, save me, like
Peter did when he sunk. You'll never have the need for
the Lord to say, peace, be still. If you're on a boat and there's
no ripples in the water, there's nothing to be afraid of, is there?
But maybe the boat starts springing a leak. Maybe the storm comes
up. You say, Lord, you're gonna have to save me. We're gonna
perish. The Lord came walking on the
water to them, and they said, Lord, if it be you, bid us to
come. Peter said, bid me to come, is what he said, and the Lord
said, come. Peter went walking on the water. As he's coming, he
takes his eyes off the Lord, he begins to sink, and the Lord
saves him, because he said, Lord, save me. And when they get back
to the ship, what does the Lord say to Peter? O ye of little
faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Well, the answer's in the question.
O ye of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? He was of little
faith, that's why he doubted. Isn't that true? So what had
to happen in order for Peter to stand up on the day of Pentecost
and declare the gospel to 5,000 people plus without wavering,
without being afraid anymore, like he was when he was afraid
of the little 12-year-old girl that was, they were warming their
hands whenever the Lord was being crucified. You're one of his
disciples. No, I'm not. I don't know what you're talking
about, 12-year-old girl. So what had to happen in order for him
to stand on the day of Pentecost, did he have to get Do you have
to get tougher? Do you have to get more physically
in shape? No, it was all about the faith
that God, he removed the draws. And that's what he does for his
people. He shuts us up to Christ over and over. He makes us completely
dependent upon his blood alone, upon his body alone, upon his
work alone, not ourself. Having no confidence in the flesh
is what the scripture says, zero. Zero confidence in the flesh.
Lord, do that for me. Cause me to just need you. Cause
me to forsake my ways, to forsake my doubting, to forsake my fears. Cause me to look to Christ. That's
our prayer. Why did the Lord allow Peter
to sink? Have you ever thought about that? It was the Lord upholding
him the whole time. But Peter had nothing to do with
him walking on water. It was God-given faith that caused Peter
to walk on water. It was the Lord that did that. So why did
the Lord even let Peter sink? Have you ever thought about that?
To try his faith. To show him it's not of you.
If Peter would have walked on that water all the way to Christ
and all the way back to the boat, He would have went to his head.
He would have thought, boy, I am something. I have done something.
You remember even, that's evident when the disciples went out and
they were doing all these things, they said, Lord, they came up
to the Lord Jesus and they said, Lord, we cast demons out. We've
done this and we've healed this and that. And he said, don't
rejoice in this. Rejoice that your name is written
in the Lamb's book of life. Don't rejoice that you can cast
out demons and you can heal. Rejoice that your name is written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. And that's exactly what the Lord
does for his people. It's not about what we do. We
get to rejoice in what Christ has done in redeeming his people. We get to rejoice that our name
is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. The Lord tried Peter, tried his
faith to show him that his salvation, his life, his very breath was
in the Lord's hands. It's not of him in any way. When
we feel lost, When we say what if, what if this happens, or
what if that happens, remember who's seated on the throne. That
seat's never gonna be vacant. He's always gonna be sitting
there for eternity. When the Lord seems to tarry,
remember the Lord's trying your faith. You ever prayed, didn't
have an answer from the Lord, not knowing what to do about
something, something important? Have you ever been desperate?
Daniel was desperate. Prayed for 21 days, didn't get
a response, nothing. On that 21st day, the angel of
the Lord came, and you can always know that's a picture of Christ,
that's who the angel of the Lord is. Came to him and he said,
from the very first time you've prayed, I heard you. I heard
you. You know what that means? The
very first time you pray unto the Lord, it goes right into
the throne room of God, because the Lord washes it in His precious
blood and presents it to the Father as a perfect prayer, and
the Lord hears you. And what He does with that prayer
is according to His will, and we bow to that. We bow to His
will. Matter of fact, we want His will.
His ways are much better than our ways, aren't they? Be not
afraid, the Lord's trying your faith. It's mercy that the Lord
exposes our sin. When the Lord exposes your sin,
then you cry out to him. He's trying your faith. He shows
you what you are and then shows you what he is. Repentance is
not a one-time thing. We're constantly giving repentance.
Lord, I'm a sinner. Save me again. Save me again. And I love the glorious news
of the gospel. The Lord says, I already have. Before time ever
began, I already have. You were made the righteousness
of Christ before the world began. So we're trying our faith, isn't
it? Be not afraid of sudden fear. The Lord knoweth his sheep, he
calls them by name. I love the way he says that.
I know them that are mine, I call them by name. He keeps them all
by his grace. Now those who can leave the gospel, they will. I've seen it many times. Those
that can leave, they'll come for a while and they'll say the
right words, do the right things, and then they'll leave because
something offends them or they just get tired of it. But you
know the Lord's people can't leave because they're not the
ones keeping themselves. Does that comfort you? That comforts
me. Lord, keep me. I can't keep myself. I don't wanna try to keep myself.
Lord, keep me. Keep bringing me. Give me that
need ever fervently for you. We're kept by his power, not
my power or yours. He'll make us understand this
more and more and more the older we get. He grows his people and
the way up is down. See less of ourself and more
of him. By his grace, we will say, It is in him we live, we
move, and we have our being. It's not in me that I live, move,
and have my being. It's in him. It's in him alone. Be not afraid of sudden fear.
Turn with me to James chapter one. You're in Peter right now. It's just a couple pages back. We're going to read one through
eight, James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
to the 12 tribes, which are scattered abroad greeting. Now, first thing
I want to say is those 12 tribes. He's talking about the elect.
He's talking about the Lord's people, the Lord's chosen, not
a physical people, but the Lord's chosen people, my brethren. Count
it all joy when you fall into divers temptations. Now how are
you gonna count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations?
Well, here's how. Knowing this, that the trying
of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect
work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
So how do we let patience have her perfect work? Well, don't
touch it. Don't touch it. That's exactly
right. As soon as we do, we always mess
it up, don't we? If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall
be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven
with the wind and tossed. For let not this man think that
he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man
is unstable in all of his ways. You and I, By the Lord's grace,
his people, he causes us to have a singular mind, not a double
mind. We don't think the way that we
used to think. Our focus is on Christ now. It's in him we live,
move, and have our being. He keeps us looking unto him,
singularly, as our only hope. He's talking here about asking
in faith. If a man's asking in faith, he's
asking by the faith that the Lord gave him. But if he's not,
and he's wavering, what he's saying is, is I'm gonna add to
Something that the Lord did I'm gonna take away from the finished
work that the Lord did that's a double-minded man So, okay
Christ is all but that's a double. We're not double-minded. Are
we know it's Christ is all period I saw a bumper sticker. I may
have told you all this it said God said it I believed it and
that settled it Well, that's not true. God said it and that
settled it me believing it's actually irrelevant to it being
settled and But I'm thankful that the Lord calls his people
also and he allows us to know about it, aren't you? The Lord
makes his people singularly minded, dependent. Dependent upon what
is your greatest need? Christ. The blood of Christ,
that's my greatest need. I'm a sinner and that's the only
thing that'll wash away my sin. I need the bread of life. I'm
hungry. I need to be filled with him. I'm thirsty. I need the fountain of living
water. No other water will quench my thirst. The Lord says, be
not afraid. You're being made to confess,
not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto you be all glory
and honor and praise. Let's go back to our text in
Proverbs chapter three. That's the last place we'll turn. Verse 25, be not afraid of sudden
fear. Be not afraid of sudden fear. How is it that we're enabled
to not be afraid of sudden fear? Well, When it comes to salvation,
he makes his people to know that we are saved by grace through
faith in that not of ourself, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. He enables us and causes us to
know that salvation is all by his choosing, his electing, his
saving, his calling, and his keeping. Now, if we believe that,
what are we afraid of? If we believe that, what are
we afraid of? If he's done all of that for his people, if he
offered up any, and he did, his son freely, for God so loved,
he gave his only begotten son. If he's given his son for the
salvation of his people, what are you and I gonna do without
that we need? Ask yourself that. What are we gonna do without
that we need? Nothing. He owns everything. If he wants you to have something,
you're gonna have it. He's given us all. He's given us everything
in Christ. What's happening is, is he's
abasing us to be exalted in Christ alone. We're kept, not by our
wisdom, but by his infinite wisdom. We're made to know that no matter
the battle, no matter the circumstances, no matter the trial, no matter
the tribulation, no matter the fear that we have, were made
to know, be not afraid. Be not afraid. The Lord will
be thy confidence. The Lord will be thy confidence.
Those whom the Lord loves, he chasteneth. The scripture's very
clear about that. He does not chasten everyone. If he chastens you not, scripture
says, then you're bastards and not sons. That's what it says. If he's chastening you, that
means you're his. If he's teaching you, that means,
and chastening, that means to, that's not a bullwhip that just
cracks on your back. That's not what chastening means.
My dad always thought that that's what that meant. That's not what
that means. Chastening means to teach. Chastening means to
lead. Chastening means to learn, for
you to be taught. What does the Lord say? All of
them shall be taught of me. My children will be taught of
me. He grows his people. And everyone
else, he leaves them to themselves. This is clear in the scripture.
The account of Lazarus, after Lazarus had died, the Lord tarried
four days before he came to Bethany, the city Bethany. And Mary called
him on the way in and said, if you'd been here, Lord, our brother
would not have died. And he said, where is he? And they went and
Martha said the same thing to him. Lord, if you'd have been
here, our brother wouldn't have died. And he said, your brother will
live again. She said, well, I know he'll live in the resurrection.
He said, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection and the
life. He that believeth in me shall never die. And he that
liveth and believeth in me shall never perish. Well, you know
the account, what happened. They rolled the stone away and
she said, well, by this time he stinks. What are you doing?
This is God. This is the Lord talking here.
And they're questioning him just like, why do we do that? I'm
putting us in the same basket. Why do we do that? I don't know.
Wish we didn't, but we do, don't we? And he said, Lazarus, come
forth. And he came forth bound, hand
and foot. Interesting thing that happens next is that some believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ, but some went back to the Pharisees
and said, he just did this. And they did not believe. Now
they all saw the same thing. Why did some believe and some
didn't believe? The answer is very simple. The
Lord gave faith. to the believers. That's why
they believed. Their believing was evidence
that God had given them faith. And that's the same to you. You
believe because the Lord's given you faith to believe. You don't
believe to receive faith, which is what religion says. You have
to do this and then receive, and they have it backwards. Well,
the Lord gives faith, and therefore we believe him, don't we? And
those that have that faith, it's going to be tried. We're gonna
see less and less of ourself and more and more of him. Believing is the result of faith
given. Faith tried, this is important. I'm coming to a close in just
a moment. Faith tried, it's not tried for men. Your faith is
not being tried for men to believe that you're a believer. That's
not why your faith is tried. For you to, for somebody to have
a better confession of you, they see different things in you.
That's not why your faith is tried. No, it's not so people
have more confidence in you. That's not it. And your faith
is not tried for God. Why would it need to be tried
for God? He knows whether you have it or not. He knows whether
you have faith or not. He's given it to you. He's the
one that put it there. So it's not tried for God. Faith
is tried for the individual. For the individual to shut us
up to Christ alone. That's why. continually just
pulling that dross out, and I'm glad he does, because I feel
like it, sometimes I feel like it grows more, we have more unbelief,
and then, you know what I'm talking about. You have more worries,
more fears, it's why am I doing this? I know who's on the throne.
Lord, take the dross out again, give me Christ. Faith has tried for you to believe
him and nothing else. The only way to remove the dross
of unbelief is the fires of trials. The fires of trials. Listen to
Romans chapter five, verse three. We glory in tribulation. There's
another part that says a positive about tribulations. The other
one said rejoice in tribulation. And the other one, what was the
other one? It said be glad or I think it
said rejoice too, didn't it? Be joyful. But this one says
we glory in tribulations also. Why? Knowing that tribulations
worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope,
and hope maketh not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, which is
shed abroad in our hearts. The Lord never sent us to trial.
We wouldn't need the gospel. We wouldn't need the gospel.
Whenever you're hurting over something that's happening in life, when
you see your sin before you, when you're hurting over yourself
and what you've done, remember the Lord is showing you He is
all, and you need him. You need his gospel. Last thing I'll mention about
this trial, this tribulation, you remember this account, I've
used it a couple times, but there was a man by the name of Jay
Iris, he was a, I believe he was the captain of the guard,
or the captain, he had several men underneath him, I can't remember
if it was a garrison or what he had, but he came to the Lord
and said, my daughter, My daughter of 12 years is on her deathbed. She's dying. Can you come heal
her? And the Lord said, yes. And they're walking. And as they're
walking, there was a woman that had an issue of blood for 12
years. And she presses through the crowd. And she touches the
hem of the Lord's garment. And when she did, she was healed. Because the Lord gave her faith
to believe. If I could just but touch the hem of his garment.
The Lord stopped. The Lord stopped at that moment
and he said, who touched me? And the disciple says, Lord,
there's people all around you. I mean, it could have been anybody.
What are you talking about? The Lord said, somebody touched me.
Somebody had a need. Somebody had a need. Virtue went
out for me. And she was made to confess it
was me. I did. I needed you. I needed to be
healed. And the Lord, uh, He saw her
faith, didn't he? He saw her faith. Well, during
this time, one of the servants came to Jairus, and I don't know
how you would be, but I know how I would be if my little girl
was on her deathbed. I would be pacing the floor while
the Lord's talking to this woman. We gotta go, we gotta go. I mean,
that's the fear that we have so many times, isn't it? Just
rears its head up. Servant said, trouble not the
master anymore. The girl's dead. And the Lord looks, He looks
right at Jairus and he says the same words that's in our text,
be not afraid, only believe. That wasn't a request. He didn't
say, I need you to really try Jairus to put your faith in me.
It's not what he said. That's what religion says. He
said, Be not afraid, only believe. That was a command. And that's
exactly what he does to his people. Even though you're tried by fire,
that dross is being removed, that unbelief's being taken out,
sometimes it's difficult. The Lord says, be not afraid,
only believe. Look to Christ, look to Christ. And the rest of the story, the
Lord went down to the house and brought the little girl back to life,
didn't he? I want to just read our text
one more time and we'll be finished. Be not afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh. For
the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from
being taken. When you see the desolation of the wicked, we
have a hiding place. Brethren, remember that. When
you see the discouraging news or you see the discouraging things
in the world, remember we have a heavenly father that is seated
on the throne. Be not afraid, only believe. Remember, we have
an anchor of the soul, a savior who successfully redeemed his
people. We have a good shepherd who leads his sheep, who calls
his sheep, who tends to his sheep. Be not afraid, only believe.
When you see your sin and when you see your unbelief, cry out
for mercy and his never failing grace. He has a storehouse full
that's never diminished a little bit. It's an eternal, everlasting
storehouse. We can't diminish it. Just cry
out for the blood of Christ. Any man's sin, we have an advocate
with God the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. If we confess
our sin, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Be not afraid. Remember these
words, it is finished. Be not afraid, only believe.
Let's pray. Father, thank you that you finished
the work. Thank you. For speaking to us,
the words be not afraid. In Christ's name, Amen. Let's
sing number 228. My faith has found a resting
place.