Well, it's good to see everyone
on a Saturday morning. I usually say that on Sunday
morning. Oh, it's been so good to be here. It's good what Walter said, the
poor, the poor have the gospel preached to them. He that was
rich became poor that we might be rich. The world has no idea
what true riches are. We're wallowing in it. Yeah. Open your Bible to Luke
chapter 22. I pray the Lord enabling us that
we will just pick up where we left off last night. God has a people in this world.
chosen by Him before the world was ever made, given to the Son
of God, and He came to redeem them, purchase them, and then
He sends His Spirit to fetch them and bring them to Himself.
And as we walk in this old world, this world of sin and depravity,
He keeps us. He keeps us. We don't keep ourself.
I challenge you again. I've tried to look at some messages
there in John 17. Go back and read that again.
He asked the Father, said, you keep them. He said, as I, when
I was here upon the earth, I kept them, and he did, and then I
said, I've not lost any of them except one, the son of perdition,
that the scriptures might be fulfilled, and they're all kept.
You don't keep yourself, he keeps you. You're here this morning,
because he brought you. He brought you, he brought you.
Luke 22, let's read verse 31 through 34. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
behold, Satan hath desired to have you. You think of it, just
stop right there. Satan hath desired to have you. That he may sift you with wheat.
And there's that little word but again. What if he just stopped
there? But I have prayed for thee that
thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren. That's the title of the message,
strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I'm
ready to go with thee both to prison and to death. And eventually
he did. Eventually he did, but he's not
ready right now. He thinks he is. He thinks he
is, but he's not. And our Lord said, I tell you,
Peter, and it's kind of ironic, and I don't know the significance,
I'm just pointing it out, it's kind of ironic that in verse
31 he calls him Simon Simon. But then here he refers to this
now, Peter. The cock shall not crow this
day. before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. So he tells him what's going
to happen, not what might happen, but what's going to happen. And
then we see in verse 54 this fulfilled. Then they took him and they led
him and brought him into the high priest house and Peter followed
afar off. And when they had kindled a fire,
talking about the unbelievers, the world, when they had kindled
a fire in the midst of the hall where our Lord was at, and were
sat down together, now they sit there in a settled place, Peter
sat down among them. Does that not remind you exactly
what David did when he was among the Philistines? Peter, now this
is Peter, sitting down among the enemy of God. But a certain maid, there's that
word but again. I mean, what if he had just left
him there? That's where he would have stayed.
That's where he would have stayed, but. A certain maid beheld him
as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and she said,
this man also was with him. This man was with that man over
there. This man was with that Christ that they're judging,
that they're bringing before trial. And he denied him, saying,
woman, I know him not. And after a little while, another
saw him and said, thou art also with him. And Peter said, man,
I am not. in about the space of one hour,
just a little while later. Another confidently affirmed
saying of a truth, this fellow also was with him. He's a Galilean. He's not from around here. And Peter said, man, I know not
what thou sayest. In other gospels, he began to
he act just like an old fisherman. He cursed us like a sailor. When a man curses, he's trying
to confirm and affirm what he's saying, trying to make it real
and make you believe it. He said, I don't know him, and
he probably used a couple of oaths. Is this Peter? Is this Peter, the rock upon
which I'll build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it? Same, Peter. And immediately, While he yet
spake, the cock crew, and the Lord turned
and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word
of the Lord, which he had said before the cock crow, thou shalt
deny me thrice. You know, this account is recorded
in all four Gospels. There's some significance to
that. If God recorded it four different times, he meant us
to learn something. He meant us to learn something.
What do we learn from this? The best of men are men at best. We're all weak. And if God leaves
you alone, you will fall in a heartbeat. He that thinks he stands, take
heed lest he fall. When you think about Peter, our
Lord warned him. He said, Peter, pray that you
don't enter into temptation. I can see our Lord, when he comes
back from praying the third time, and then he tells the disciples,
sleep on now, take your rest. And then we see Judas and all
of them coming with their swords in their stave. And Peter wakes
up. What's going on? First thing he does, he grabs
a sword. He grabs a sword. He's willing to defend a doctrine
that he believes in. I remember I've seen times that
I've took a sword and I'd cut a man's head off for a doctrine
for what I believe in. But his heart is so cold. His
heart. But then in a few minutes he
said, I don't even know him. You was willing to defend this
man, but you won't die for him? How does God make a child of
God? This right here. How does God make a preacher?
This right here. How does God make a church? This
right here. How does God cause us to grow
in faith? This right here. I can see Satan like a wolf encircling
the little lambs. And he says, Lord, I want Peter. You let me have him and I'll
sift him like wheat. And our Lord says, okay, I'm
gonna let you. You remember this, that Satan
is God's devil. And he can only do what God allows
him to do. That's right. Just like Job,
if God hadn't put restraints on him, he would've killed Job.
He'd have killed Peter. You want to eat it? Now watch
this. In this, I didn't go back and read earlier in the chapter,
it talks about Judas. Well, what makes the difference
between Judas and Peter? He was stiff too. What happened
to him? He wound up in hell. Well, why
didn't Peter wind up in hell? He said, I prayed for you, Peter.
That's your faith. Fail not. Listen in Amos 9 verse
9. For lo, I will command and I
will sift the house of Israel among all nations. Now that house
of Israel is all the elect of God. Like as corn is sifted in
a sieve, what's this promise? Yet not the least grain shall
fall to the earth. It's gonna be sifted. But not
one grain, not one elect will be lost. I'm going to sift her." What happens when you sift something?
Most of you don't even know what a sift is. I remember when I
was little, the only cabinet you had in the kitchen was a
Hoosier cabinet. It was a little small cabinet,
but up here in the top, it had a door. You pull it open, you
put flour in it. And then the bottom, it had this thing that
you cranked. Well, the flour would fall in it, but that flour's
got dirt in it and other impurities in it. And as you turn it, all
the bad stuff falls out. And my mama, she'd tilt it over.
And you know what she got? She got clean flour. Do you know
that CF never changed anything? It only separated. It never changed
the wheat and it never changed the chaff. You think about this. Think how close the chaff is
to the wheat. But it's just chaff. Even the
chaff protected the wheat. But there in time, God says,
I'm going to separate them. Peter, he's a child of God. He's already converted. He said,
thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. But Peter,
just like us, he's so full of sin, and so that's the chaff,
it's the sin, it's the flesh, it's the pride, and we could
go on and on. God says, I'm gonna get rid of
it. And he does. And he does. I tried to bring a message on
this several months ago in Deuteronomy chapter seven, verse 22. You
ever thought about when the children of Israel went into Canaan, which
was their inheritance, everything that God had given them, but
they had to fight for it. They had to go and take it. It
was rightfully theirs. But have you ever thought why
he didn't just drive them all out at one time? Why didn't he
drive all the tribes out? And all them tribes picture the
things in your body, that old flesh that you fight with. Here's
what he said in Deuteronomy 7, 22. The Lord thy God will put
out those nations before thee by little and little, that they
may not be consumed at once, lest the beasts of the field
take over. Hawker said, you know what the
beasts of the field are? That's all those things inside you. I said Wednesday night, I think
a lot about this old depraved nature and what we have to deal
with. And I think, well, why didn't God just totally eradicate
it when he saved us? Why didn't he? Why did he leave
it? He left it for a purpose. If
he had totally eradicated it, we would be so proud. You said,
no, we wouldn't. Listen to me. Adam fell with
a perfect nature, didn't he? In a perfect environment. That's
what we would have done. We're kept by his righteousness
and his perfection. God puts us in the circumstances
that try our faith. He will send us into things and
we have to deal with them. Some things we deal with, prosperity.
You say, well, that's not a trial. Oh, yes it is. Listen, Paul writing
to Timothy, he says, the love of money is the root of all evil.
Which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith.
Didn't say they've departed, it said they erred. That means
they led astray. from the faith and they pierced
themselves through with many sorrows. Like I said last night,
I'm just being honest, I've been right there, I know what that's
about. I know what it's about. If the God leaves you alone just
for a little bit. Then there's adversity. Many that are poor would be ruined
if all of a sudden or gradually they became rich. Or if a man
that was rich became poor. There's a lot of things we deal
with. I've heard some of you speak of sickness. Dealing with
it for years. Domestic trouble. Disobedient
children. There's nothing no more saddening
than to see them. You talk to them and they just don't seem
to listen. And you can't help them. What's he teaching us? Trust
me. Then the third one is we have
prosperity and adversity, but the worst thing is soul trouble. You imagine how Peter feels when
the Lord turns and looks at him. I'm the biggest hypocrite ever
lived. Don't you know he thought everything
was over? He did. How could I do that? How could
I deny him? Look, all he ever did was love
me and was kind to me and gracious to me. Why would I do, why do
we do the things we do? Temptation. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and
Aaron were all sifted by the fear of men. Abraham goes down
there and he says, now Sarah, we're going to eat you. I'm going
to tell everybody you're my sister. Because they'll kill me to get
to you. And Isaac did the same thing. And Aaron, they came up and they
said, Aaron, where's Moses at? Why don't you make us a golden
calf? Why did he do that? He's afraid of them. We fear men. Rachel was sifted by envy and
jealousy. Moses was sifted by impatience
and a hot temper. It says he was the meekest man,
but he reached his point. And this is the same man who
prayed God spare him, but didn't, he reached his point. David was sifted by lust and
power. Don't you number God's people?
Even Joab told him, don't number, oh, let's number them anyway.
Why? He don't know how many he had.
God knows how many he's got. You don't need to know. Really,
he knows. Every believer will be sifted.
Have you ever cried out enough? I can't endure it anymore. And
you know what, that's what Peter did. You imagine, I don't know
that they ever heard our Lord when he told them, said, I'm
going to the cross and I'm gonna be crucified, they're gonna bury
me in three days, I'm gonna rise from the dead. And even when
he hears the news that it's true, because he said, you be sure
and tell Peter. I just can't believe it. And
you know what he said? I'm going fishing. He didn't
just say I'm gonna get me a fishing pole on Saturday evening and
I'm going down here by the bank of the creek and go fishing.
No, I'm going to get my fishing boat. You think about it. Put yourself in Peter's shoes.
How are you going to live? How are you going to survive? Peter's got a wife and a mother-in-law. We know that in the book of Acts.
How's he going to take care of that wife? How's he going to
take care of her? All that's going through his mind. Well,
what am I going to do? I go back fishing. And some of
the rest of them say, well, Peter, if you're going, we're going
with you. It would be like me saying I'm gonna go back to build
countertops. That's exactly right. And that's what he does. Now
listen, let me read you this. It's blessed my heart, Simon
and Peter said unto them, I'm going fishing. I can see them
looking at Peter. They always look to Peter. Peter, what are
we gonna do? I got a family to feed, Peter,
what are we gonna do? Well, I tell you what, we just go back fishing.
Okay, that sounds good. They said to him, we also go with
thee. And they went forth and entered
into a ship immediately. And that night, they caught nothing. You think the Lord's teaching
them something? And you know what, I won't get into this.
It's another story, another sermon. I remember our Lord, in his grace
and mercy, he's standing there on the shore. He said, children,
have you caught anything? He said, just cast the net on
the other side of the ship. We don't even know which way
outside to cast the net. And they cast it. And he tells
the exact number of fish that was in there. And then when he
come to the shore, you know what he said? He said, come and die.
And he turns, and I can see him sitting there beside Peter. They
may be eating a piece of fish. And he said, Peter. I want to
ask you a little question. Peter, do you love me? Not so cocky now. I'll ask you that same question.
I know you don't love him like you should. I'll ask you a question.
Do you love me? He will put you in situations
so you will. More than fishing, more than
anything else. That's what He wants. And that's
what He's gonna have. He's gonna have your heart. He's gonna have
your heart. When thou art converted, strengthen
thy brethren. Like I said, Peter's already
saved. But what he's saying is, when you're converted, strengthen
your brethren. The meaning of our Lord's words
is, when you are restored and brought back by mercy, when you
are brought forth out of the furnace like purified gold, strengthen
your brethren. Now he's fit to minister to others. Now he is made to be a blessing
to others. Now through his weakness he's
made strong, strong enough to strengthen. the brethren. How did our Lord recover, Peter? A work of providence. The rooster crowed once, he never
even thought about what he was doing. Twice, nothing happened. But that third time, when it crewed, I may be God's
little rooster. Right. And all I do is I'm reminding
you what he said. And why didn't he remember before? He didn't remember it. But now he remembers. Remembers
what? He said, Peter, man, what have I just done? And I can see
him looking around. Does anybody see? Anybody look
at me? And he turns and looks over and
the Lord just turned and looked at him with eyes of love. And he went out and he wept bitterly. What a fool. What an idiot. What a moron. So he did it by work of providence.
A look of love and a word of love, he remembered. He said, go tell Peter. You know,
all that Peter lost was the chaff. What are we to learn from this?
We learn something about ourselves. We learn something about the
grace, the sovereign grace of God. We learned something about
God's faithfulness. Though Peter changed, God's love
for him never changed, even when he's denying him. Let me read you this song. This
blesses my heart. The same man who wrote Amazing
Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. He said,
I asked the Lord that I may grow. Have you ever asked the Lord
that you may grow? In faith, in love, in every grace. I wish
I had more faith. I wish I loved him more. My more
of his salvation, no, and seek more earnestly his face. which was he who taught me thus
to pray, I would have never prayed it on our own, and he I trust
has answered prayer, but it has been in such a way that almost
drove me to despair. I hoped that in some favored
hour, at once he'd answer my request, and by his love's constraining
power, that he would subdue my sins, that's what I hoped, and
may give me rest. Instead of this, he made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart, and let the angry powers of hell
assault my soul in every part. Yea, more, with his own hand,
he seemed, intent to aggravate my woe, crossed all my fair designs
I'd schemed, blasted my gourds, and laid me low. Lord, why is
this? I trembling cried. Will thou
pursue thy worm to death? Tis is the way, the Lord replied. I answer prayer for grace and
faith. These inward trials I employ
from self and pride to set thee free and break thy schemes of
earthly joy. that you might find, thine all,
in me." Newton wrote that in a difficult
time. He and his friend, William Cowper,
was going to do what's called the only hymn book. But it wasn't
long after they started that, that William Cowper went insane. We all have trials. But God lets all this happen
to teach us to look to him. Lord, restore unto me the joy
of thy salvation. So he said he restored him. He's converted him. So how's
he going to strengthen the brethren? I want to show you something.
Bear with me. Who wrote two books of this Bible?
Peter did. Now we know that he wrote by
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. But you know what's amazing?
His writings are different than Paul's. Why? Because they're
men. They're different men. You read
Paul's writings, you say, well, that must be because it has his
characteristics. It has his personality in it. Do you think God taught Peter
something? Do you think we can learn something from reading
what he wrote? I wanna show you, I just, turn
with me to 1 Peter. I wanna just, as I thought about
this, I just went through and I just picked out some things.
Here's what Peter said. Writing to the church, how do
you know he's writing to the church? He said to the elect.
This is written to us. To strengthen the brethren. To
encourage the brethren. If God intends to teach you something,
you will get the lesson. They shall be all taught of God. We know we have a hard time getting
it. I have a hard time getting it. But when I get it, it's there. And he teaches us. Listen, 1
Peter 1.5. We're kept by the power of God.
Isn't that amazing? Who kept him? He did. God keeps
us. Verse 24, the same chapter. All
flesh is grass, and all the glory of men is the flower of grass.
Did he learn that? It doesn't matter whether it's your flesh
or in Baal's flesh, that flesh is grass. And what does grass
do? It withers, and it fades. And as Paul read from chapter
two, verse seven, unto you therefore which believe, he is precious. And to you that believe, He is
precious because He makes it so. Verse 11 of chapter 2, dearly
beloved, isn't that so dear? Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims We're strangers in this world, and
we're just pilgrims passing through. Abstain from fleshly lust, which
war against the soul. You remember that all those fleshly
lusts, you know what they want to do? Let me tell you exactly
what the world, the flesh, and the devil, and everybody in it
wants to do. They want to draw your heart and your affections
away from Him. That's what it's after, everything.
Everything's geared that way, everything. Verse 24 of chapter
two. Who his own self bare our sins
and his own body on a tree. Oh, thank God he did. That we
being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes
we, you were healed. For you were a sheep going astray. But now you return to the shepherd
and bishop of your soul. Did Peter stray? Oh my goodness. You know what sheep do? They
wander. They go astray. But now, you are returned. You know what the Shulamites
said? Turn me, or in Jeremiah, turn me and we shall be turned.
When he turns you, you'll turn to him. That's repentance. Chapter three, verse 12. Can you imagine what Peter prayed
when he prayed bitterly? pouring his heart out. And he
says here, verse 12 of chapter three, the eyes of the Lord are
over the righteous. Who are the righteous ones? Those
he's made righteous. And his ears are opened unto
their prayers. Do you ever feel like he doesn't
hear you? You ever feel like they don't get past the ceiling?
He's encouraging us right here. And his ears are opened unto
our prayers. but the face of the Lord is against
him to do evil. But his face looks to you, as
you read, that his face may shine upon us. Verse 18 of chapter three, for
Christ also has suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.
Why did he suffer? Why did Jesus Christ suffer and
die? Was it on purpose? Did he die to save a people?
Why did he do it? That he might bring us to God. Did he bring Peter? Yes, he did. I like that story, and like I
said, we may preach it some other time, where Peter was on that
ship, and when he recognized it was the Lord, he couldn't
wait for that ship to get to the shore. Remember, he jumped in and swam.
What? What's happened to him? He's been converted. That's it. You know what, I need converted
every day. To whom coming? Chapter four, verse eight. And above all things, above all
things, have fervent charity among yourselves. It ain't about
me, it's about him and it's about you. We know we're passed from
death and life because we love the brethren. And above all things have fervent
charity among yourselves. Why? For charity shall cover
the multitude of sin. You mean Peter, you mean he would
forgive something like that? Love covers a multitude of sin. He knew about that. Now let me read beginning in
verse 12 of chapter four. Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you, is so some strange
thing happening to you, but rejoice not. Man, you go, how can I rejoice? Not in the trial, but the outcome.
Those that he loves, he rebukes and chastens. How do I know he
loved Peter when he sifted him? That's right. If he don't sift
you, he just leaves you alone. That's right. Inasmuch as you
are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be
revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy. If you be reproached
for the name of Christ, happy are you. For the spirit of glory
and of God rests upon you. On their part he is evil spoken
of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as
a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody
in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian,
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on his behalf."
And here's what I wanted to get down to. He's talking about trials,
testings. For the time has come that judgment
must begin at the house of God. And if it first began at us,
what shall the end be of those who don't obey the gospel? If the righteous scarcely be
saved, now that doesn't mean that they're just barely saved,
that means with difficulty. If the righteous scarcely be
saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore,
let him that suffer according to the will of God commit the
keeping of their souls to him and well-doing as unto a faithful
creator. He learned this. Didn't he? Like I said, he's writing under
the inspiration, but he's writing also from personal experience. He knew. Someone asked old Ralph
Barnard, I've never met him, it was a long time before I came
along, but on a tape one time, they asked him, said, do you
believe all the Bible? He said, no, and you know, they were shocked.
He said, no, I've not experienced it all. He said, when you really,
and this is true, when you really experience something, you know,
when you believe in the grace of God, when you experience it,
you know, when you believe that God, Jesus Christ is Lord and
when He reveals it to you, it's not because somebody just taught
you in your head, He teaches you. And you believe it. Now
it's more than just a doctrine of cutting somebody's head off.
I heard Henry say one time, he said, we go from our head to
learning a few doctrine to our hand. We'll take a sword and
cut a man's head off to your heart. And he says, now do you
love me? You remember what our Lord said,
said, Peter, do you love me? And he said, Lord, you know all
things. You know that I love me. He said, now, well, Peter,
if you love me, what are you to do? Feed. My sheep. And what does he say
in chapter five, verse two? Feed the flock of God. Which is among you, taking the
oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy
lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords over God's heritage,
but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elders. Now
they want you to see this. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another and be clothed with humility. This is not some false
humility. Be clothed with humility. For
God resists the proud. Did Peter get proud? Oh my goodness. Well, you can get proud of being
humble. Yeah, what a paradox. I said one time, some guy that
I heard this years ago said he wore a sign, you know, I'm a
child of God and all this. He walked in, he got persecuted
so much for wearing that sign, you know. Then he got home and
he took the sign off and says, bless God, nobody ever did that. Nobody ever suffered that much. Humble yourselves. Humble yourselves,
therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time. Casting all your care upon him,
for he careth for you. Can I tell you a little secret?
You know why you don't cast your cares on him? You don't think
he's able to take care of you. You know what that is? That's
pride. You think you can handle it. And we're all guilty of it.
Isn't it? That's it. Casting all, how much? All your care upon Him. He cares for you. Now watch this,
be sober. be vigilant because your adversary
the devil as a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour,
whom resist steadfast in the faith. Do what? Resist him. Everybody quotes this verse in
James, resist the devil and he'll flee from you. That ain't what
the verse says. It says submit yourself therefore to God. Resist
the devil, and he'll flee from you. You know who he flees from?
He flees from him. Whom resist steadfast in the
faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished
in your brethren that are in the world, but the God of all
grace, who has called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,
after you've suffered a while, he'll make you perfect, Isn't
that the sanctification, Clay? He'll make you perfect. He'll
establish you. And what's that next word? Strengthen. And he will settle you. Did God teach Peter something?
And now he's writing to us as we gather here on a Saturday
morning, and he's saying, dearly beloved. Isn't that amazing? that God recorded these things
for us. Second Peter, let me show you
a few there. Second Peter, chapter one, verse three. Yea, I think
it meet, as long as I'm in this tabernacle, as long as I'm upon
this earth, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. Did not the Lord bring it back
to Peter's remembrance? Every time any preacher stands
to preach, they have nothing new to say. We say the same thing. We keep hitting the same note,
saying the same report. We're just reminding you of what
he did and why he did it. Reminding you. You know why?
We forget. What does it say on the front
of this table? This do, in remembrance of me. As often as you do this,
you know, why we forget? Lord, thank you for dying for
me. Thank you for the gift of salvation.
Thank you for not leaving me alone. Thank you, God, for reminding
me. Second Peter 2.19. While they
promised them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.
For whom a man is overcome, the same is brought into bondage. Sin, whatever it is, it wants
to bring you into bondage. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith
Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with that
yoke of bondage. What is that? That's works or
self-righteousness? Well, whatever it is, it's a
yoke of bondage. 2 Peter 3, 9, just a few more. It's amazing, isn't it, how that
people take the scriptures and the promises that are given to
the people of God and they just twist them. The Lord is not slack
concerning his promises, as some men count slackness, but he's
long-suffering to usward. Who are the usward? All the elect,
he's long-suffering thusward, not willing that any should perish. Not one grain of wheat is gonna
fall to the ground, but that all should come to repentance,
and they're coming. He's gonna make them willing
in the day of his power. He's gonna come by, and it's
gonna be the time of love, and he's gonna say, live, and you're
gonna live. You sit there for years and maybe believe the gospel
in your head, and then all of a sudden, I believe! I believe! They're all coming to repentance.
And you repent of your dead works, you repent of what you think
recommends you to God. Verse 15, chapter three, he said,
in account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. Verse 17, ye therefore, beloved,
seeing you know these things, You know these things, I didn't
tell you anything, you know these things. You know these things
before, beware, lest you also being led away with the error
of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. Did he
know something about falling? Did David? We all do. We don't glory in it, but we
know something about it. But I believe you can preach a message
on the buts. But grow in grace. How do you do that? The song, he said, Lord, I asked
you that I might grow in grace. So how are you going to grow
in grace? Through trials. Grow in grace. grow in grace, and in the knowledge,
this is it, this is how you grow in grace, and in the knowledge
of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. And search the scriptures,
you know why? They, he said, they speak of
me! Now listen to me. Why do you read
that book? Do you read it just to be reading
it? Or do you come to this book looking for Him. Lord, teach me more about You. All I see is my sin. Help me
to see Him who put away my sin. That's how I grow in grace. To
Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Spurgeon had, I think it
was Spurgeon's devotion for this evening, I think this tied in.
He said, the deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God,
who has led us through all and preserved us until now. I'm gonna
read you one more verse. 2 Corinthians 1-4. Let me read verses three and
four. Everybody found it. Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God
of all comfort. Who comforteth us in all our
tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are
in any trouble. by the comfort for with we ourselves
are comforted with God. Children of God, receive comfort. Amen.