We have a very significant and
I believe important message for you today. And I say that this
message is important and significant especially in the light of what
we're hearing from most pulpits and especially from TV programs. I hear things like this all the
time and I do make it my business to listen to other preachers.
I hear them saying all the time, God wants you to be prosperous. It's God's will for you, if you're
a believer, to be prosperous. Then I hear another one come
along and say, God wants you to be healthy. God wants you
to have a lot of money, pay all your bills, drive two or three
cars, live in a mansion, have a swimming pool, and He wants
you to be in perfect health. That's what God wants. That's
the will of God for every one of His children. That's what
I hear men saying. And I hear them saying, all sickness, all
sorrow, all affliction is of the devil. That's what they're
saying. And some poor afflicted sick child of God out there is
listening to that preacher, and he says, if you're not healthy,
and if you're not wealthy like I am, because he got wealthy
by you sending him what you have. That's the reason you're not
wealthy, you send it to him. And that's the reason he is wealthy.
But if you're not healthy and wealthy, it's because you don't
have faith. If you had faith like I am, and
charisma like I have, and you could hoodwink and con people
like I can, then you'd be wealthy. And then I hear them say, there's
healings in the atonement, and all Christians ought to be well.
Now let me tell you something, and you hear me well. And you
hear me well. This is contrary to experience,
and it's contrary to the Word of God. This thing, God wants
you to be prosperous, and God wants you to be wealthy and healthy,
and God wants you to have the best of everything, and all sicknesses
of the devil, and all afflictions of the devil, and all sorrows
of the devil, that's not a word of truth in that at all. It's
contrary to experience, and it's contrary to the Word of God.
Some of the Lord's choicest people have been very poor, very poor. You go back through the years
and go back through the past many years of religious history,
and you'll find some of God's choicest people have been poor
people. I have friends right now in Spain and in Mexico and
Indians in Canada, and they're not prosperous people or wealthy
people. They're very poor people. But
they're people who are rich in grace and rich in faith, and
they know Christ and they love Christ. But many of His people
have been poor. Some of them have been persecuted.
John Bunyan spent twelve years in prison. Many of God's people
have been martyred. Read the eleventh and twelfth
chapter of Hebrews, and read how that they lived in caves,
and how that they were persecuted and martyred and slain, and were
sent to prison for their faith. Tribulation. Many of God's people
have been greatly afflicted, beginning with Job, and then
come on through the New Testament, greatly afflicted. Some of the
greatest preachers, of the past several hundred years had been
greatly afflicted as far as bodily health is concerned. Charles
Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers England's ever heard,
spent about 30 of his 58 years very sick, out of his pulpit
sometimes for months at a time. The Word of God, now this thing
of God wants you to be prosperous and wealthy and healthy and all
these things and all healings of the atonement and if you don't
have Perfect health, and if you don't have prosperity, it's because
you don't have any faith. That's not true. Not according
to experience, and not according to the Word of God. Listen to
the Scripture. Christ said, in this world you shall have tribulation. They that would live godly in
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. David said in Psalm 193, it's
good for me that I've been afflicted. It's good for me that I've been
afflicted. that I might learn thy statutes."
The Apostle Paul said, I know how to be abased, and I know
how to abound. I have learned in whatsoever
state I am to be content. Listen to James. My brethren,
count it joy, count it joy when you go through trials. The trying
of your faith worketh patience. And listen to the Apostle Paul
in II Corinthians 4. Now listen to this, verse 7.
He's talking about this ministry God had given him. He talked
about this faith God had given him, this relationship with Christ
that God had given him. And he said in 2 Corinthians
4, 7, we have this treasure, this treasure of grace, this
knowledge of God, this relationship with God. We have it in an earthen
vessel. This is an earthen vessel. This
is not a glorified body. This is a temporary tabernacle,
a temporary tent that someday is going to fall down. My body
is subject to disease just like anybody else's body. My body
is subject to infirmities and afflictions just like anybody
else. I don't have any magic hedge about me to prevent disease. I have the mercy of God and the
blessings of God and the will of God, but it may be God's will
for me to suffer so that I can sympathize with someone else
who suffers. You can only weep for those that
weep if you've wept. And Paul said, we have this treasure
in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and
not of us. Paul said, we're trouble on every
side, yet not distressed. We're perplexed, but we're not
in despair. We're persecuted, but we're not
forsaken. We're cast down, but we're not
destroyed. For this cause we faint not.
Now watch this. But though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day. I tell you, as you
get a little older, the afflictions begin to mount, the infirmities
begin to mount. Some of you notice I wear hearing
aids because most of my hearing's gone. I wear glasses because
my eyes are very dim. I'm getting close to 60 years
of age. I'm getting close to the time when this tabernacle
is going to fall, this tent's going to fall down. I'm going
to have these infirmities. I cannot expect in the flesh
to have perfect health, but yet though the outward man perish,
the inward man is renewed day by day. Now watch this line here. For our life affliction, which
is but for a moment our life affliction, whatever those afflictions
are, worketh for us a far more exceeding weight of glory. My
friends, our light afflictions. Did you bristle a little bit
when I read that, our light afflictions? I wouldn't blame you. I wouldn't
blame you. Some of you, some of you are
going through some heavy trials. I know that you are. Some heavy
trials. And when I read that, our light
affliction is but for a moment, I imagine some of you bristled
a little bit and said, what do you mean light? This trial is
heavy. This burden is heavy. And it does seem heavy. It does
seem heavy. Some of you have physical distress.
Some of you have been sick a long time. Some of you have heart
problems. Some of you have cancer. Some
of you have several. And I'm not saying that you don't
have faith, therefore you're not healed. If you had faith,
you'd be well. I'm saying this, God's grace
is sufficient. The Apostle Paul had a thorn
in the flesh, and God gave him the grace. He didn't remove the
thorn, but he gave him the grace sufficient for his need. God
does heal. Sometimes it's the will of God
to make men well. Sometimes it's not the will of
God. But some of you have physical distress. And some of you have
been to the cemetery a time or two and buried loved ones. And
I know some of you are very lonely. You know what it is to live alone,
to eat alone, to sleep alone, to sit alone. The loneliness
sometimes is so heavy you can cut it with a knife. And some
of you have children who have broken your hearts. Just broken
your hearts so many. Some of you are crippled. and
lame, some of you growing old, and you're getting feeble. Well,
you know the hymn writer put it this way, swift to its close,
ebbs out life's little day. Its joys grow dim, its glories
fade away. They will. Change and decay,
and all around I see, O thou that changest not, abide with
me, abide with me, that's what I need. I don't need perfect
health, I need the perfect presence of Christ. I don't need prosperity,
I need the person and presence of Christ. That's what I need
above all things. And then Paul comes along here
with this light afflictions, light afflictions. Our light
afflictions is but for the moment. What does he mean by that? Does
Paul call our afflictions light afflictions because he was without
feeling? Oh no, Paul wept with those that
wept. Rejoice with those that rejoice. He was a man of deep
feeling. He said on one occasion, I could wish myself a curse from
Christ for my brethren according to the flesh. My heart's desire
and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
Was he frivolous or careless? Oh, no. Well, maybe it was because
Paul didn't really have any afflictions. I tell you this, Paul graduated
the school of affliction. If you want to read about Paul's
afflictions, you jot this down. You read 2 Corinthians 11. Verse
24 through 28, and you'll read about the afflictions of Paul.
He was a man who could write afflictions in capital letters.
And yet, listen to what he says. He said, I am troubled on every
side, but I'm not distressed. He said, I'm perplexed, but I'm
not in despair. I'm persecuted, but I'm not forsaken. I'm cast down, but I'm not destroyed. And then he said, though this
outward man, this outward man perishes. Yet the inward man
is renewed day by day. For our light afflictions, our
light afflictions, which are but for a moment, which are but
for a moment, are nothing, nothing." Now, how could he say that? Well,
Paul learned to look upon afflictions in the right frame of mind. That's
what I want to try to help you with and help myself with today.
Paul looked on afflictions with the right frame of mind and with
a proper attitude. Knowing that God, our Father,
is the first cause of all things. That's right. Even, you know,
when Satan came to persecute Job and to try Job, he had to
get permission from God. God's the first cause of all
things. He has to be, or he's not God. If there's any power
greater than God's power, then that power is God. If there's
any force that can turn God, or influence God, then that's
the force we need to worship. But God's the first cause of
all things. In Him we live and move and have
our being. God created all things, and all
things exist in Him. And He's the first cause of all
things. Our God is. And all these things, good and
bad, work together for His glory and our good. That's what He
said in Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work together
for good to them who love God, who are called according to His
purpose. So let me tell you something, now you listen to me. It's not
true, not by experience or the word of God, that it's the will
of God for every one of his children to be prosperous. That's just
not so. It's not true, according to experience and the word of
God, that God has willed that all of his people be in perfect
health, without any affliction, infirmity, or trial, or sorrow.
These afflictions are God-ordained. These infirmities are God-ordained
if you're a child of God, and they work for God's glory and
your good. But I'm going to give you five
or six things here that may help you in regard to these infirmities
and these afflictions and to adopt the right spirit, attitude,
and frame of mind toward them. Now, Paul had them, but he had
the right frame of mind toward them. He said these life afflictions
are but for a moment. or but for a moment, and they
work in us and follow us a far more exceeding weight of eternal
glory. And they're not worthy to be compared with the love
and grace and mercy of God. So let's take our afflictions,
whatever they are, heartache, bodily infirmity, poverty, disappointment,
loneliness, sorrow, the death of a loved one. Let's take these
afflictions and let's look at them a little bit. Look at them
straight and truthfully. from the Word of God. Well, first
of all this, my afflictions, whatever they are, they are light. They are light compared to what
I deserve. You see what I'm saying? Whatever
God brings to pass in my life, whatever, however severe it is,
however difficult it is, it's light compared to what I deserve. Listen to David in Psalm 103.
Now here's, we need to get straightened out in our thinking here. Some
of us think we deserve something from God's hand. We don't deserve
anything but the wages of sin, and that's death. But it says
here in Psalm 103.8, listen, the Lord is merciful and gracious. The Lord is slow to anger. He
is plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither
will He keep His anger forever. God hath not dealt with us after
our sins. God hath not rewarded us according
to our iniquities. No, he hasn't. God hasn't dealt
with me according to my sins. God hasn't rewarded me according
to my iniquities. He's dealt with me in grace,
and He's rewarded me in mercy from the bountiful hand of a
merciful God in Christ Jesus. And whatever I'm called upon
to suffer in this life, it's the mercy of God compared to
what I deserve. I could be in hell. That's exactly
right. I could be crying now with a
rich man in hell, Father Abraham, send Lazarus to dip his finger
in water and touch my tongue, I'm tormented in this flame."
My sins. Go back to the Garden of Eden.
I was with Adam when he fell. So were you. Go back to Judea. We were with that multitude when
they cried, crucify him. We'll not have this man reign
over us. We were with that crowd that danced around the cross
and spit upon the Son of God and laughed while he died. I
tell you this, we could be in reprobation That's right, like
Judas and Pharaoh and a few others. We could be in heathen darkness. That's exactly right. So anything
this side of hell's mercy, God has not dealt with us according
to our sin, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. God's dealt
with us in mercy, so whatever I have, it's more than I deserve. A whole lot more. Whatever I
have. All right, secondly, now I get
a hold of this thing, I'll get a hold of the right attitude
toward affliction or infirmity if I consider it in the light
of God's Word. Secondly, my affliction is light compared with many others
who live right now on this earth or have lived on this earth.
Read Hebrews 11 and read how some of those people suffered
and how they were persecuted for preaching and believing the
gospel. We've never resisted the blood.
We're not in prison for our faith. We haven't shed blood for our
faith. I read the story of John Bunyan who wrote Pilgrim's Progress.
He was put in jail for preaching the gospel. You say, didn't God
know he was down there in jail? I'm sure that he did. You mean
God permitted him to remain in jail 12 years? He had a little
blind daughter. He had several children. And
he had this little blind daughter that loved her daddy so much
and they'd bring her up to the jail to visit her father. And
she begged him to come home. She said, Father, come home,
come home. Well, all he had to do to go
home was just tell him he wouldn't preach this gospel anymore. You
see, they had a state church, the church of the establishment,
and you had to preach what the state church agreed upon, and
the theology of the state church, or you couldn't preach. Well,
John Bunyan was preaching the gospel of God's grace, and they
had him thrown in jail. He could go home any time he
quit preaching, but he wouldn't quit. He was called to preach
the gospel. And this little girl begged him
to go home. I tell you, I've never spent 12 years in prison.
And then most of us can see, we can hear, we can speak. I
read a poem one time, a fellow said, I complained that I had
no gloves till I met a man who had no hands. I complained that
I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet. I tell you,
when so many have so much less than we do, we ought to give
thanks to God for everything we have, even our afflictions.
even our infirmities, because even they work for our good and
God's glory. You see, infirmities and afflictions
work patience. They cause me to grow in patience
and grow in grace and grow in the knowledge of the Savior.
So my afflictions are like compared with many others. I've never
suffered like some men have suffered. And you've never suffered like
some women have suffered. There are people all around you
that have so many more afflictions than you do, and here we're complaining
about our light afflictions. And then thirdly, my afflictions
of light compared to what my Lord suffered for me in bearing
my sins. Listen to Hebrews 12, 3 and 4.
Consider the Lord Jesus Christ, who endured such contradiction
of sinners against Himself. Consider Him, lest you be weary. and faint in your minds, you
have not resisted to blood. You read Isaiah 53, Our Lord
was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows acquainted with grief,
wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. The
chastisement of our peace laid upon him with his stripes, where
he'll see him in hand-to-hand combat with Satan. See our Lord
Jesus Christ tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. See
Him in the garden, agonizing under the weight of our transgressions. See Him in Pilate's hall, beaten
and mocked by soldiers. See Him hanging on that cross
and hear Him cry in Lamentation 112, Is it nothing to you? All ye that pass by, and behold
my sorrow. Is any sorrow like unto my sorrow? wherewith the Lord hath afflicted
me in the day of his fierce anger." I've never suffered like that.
When my son was killed in Vietnam, I read something that helped
me a great deal. Another man had lost a son, and
some mocker came up to him and said, well, where was your God
when your boy died? Where was your God when your
boy died? Where was your God when your son died? And he replied,
right where He was when His Son died, on the throne. And that's
what I'm telling you. You and I, our afflictions alike,
compared to the afflictions that our Lord bore in our place and
in our stead on that cross of Calvary. Yes, He suffered. Why shouldn't I suffer? Must
I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others
fought to win that prize and sailed, literally sailed, through
bloody seas? Shall I shy away from bearing
my share of affliction for Christ's sake, refuse to bear in my body
the marks and the dying of Jesus Christ? God have mercy on this
generation that wants everything on a silver platter, not willing
to give, not willing to suffer, not willing to bear any reproach
or shame for the glory of Jesus Christ when He bore so much for
us. Oh, my afflictions are so light,
so light. compared with what he suffered
for my sins. And then fourthly, my afflictions
alike compared to the blessings I now enjoy. Yes, sir, that I
right now enjoy. I John 3, 2 says, Beloved, now
are we sons of God. And I'll tell you, Being a son
of God, that's the greatest blessing God can give a man. I don't care
whether he has tuberculosis, or whether he has cancer, or
whether he has heart trouble, or whether he has a wayward boy,
or whether he's an old man with two years to live. If he's a
child of the King, God has crowned him, God Almighty has blessed
him, God Almighty has given him benefits and mercies like He's
given not even to the fallen angels. He's given him the gift
of His love. What more do we want? Now are
we sons of God, therefore being justified by faith? Right now
we have peace with God. Who maketh thee to differ? What
hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if you received
it, why do you boast as if you didn't? Rejoice that your name
is in the book of life. Rejoice that even your trials
work together for your good. Even my trials are being worked
out by God for my good. You ever sing that old hymn,
Count Your Many Blessings? Name them one by one. It'll surprise
you what the Lord has done. But no, I'll tell you what we
do. We look at what's wrong. There are 40 things right and
one thing wrong, and we stay on the thing that's wrong. There
are 40 things good and one thing bad, and we stay on the thing
that's bad. That's such a bad trait. That's such a bad characteristic. Give God the glory for what you
have. These infirmities just go with
the flesh. You wake up in the morning with
a headache. People all over the world have headaches. Why shouldn't
you? You wake up in the morning with a backache. People all over
the world have backaches. Why shouldn't you have one? You
have all the blessings of God. In Christ you have wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification and redemption. We have so much to rejoice in.
Why do we complain and find fault with God's good providence? I'll
tell you that if we rejoice in the Lord. God hates murmuring. The children of Israel in the
land of the wilderness, God's judgment fell on them more for
murmuring, murmuring, murmuring than anything else. They complained
about the manna. They complained about the longness
of the journey. They complained about all these
things. They complained about Moses. And God let their carcasses
die and dry up in the wilderness. And they never entered the Promised
Land. I'll tell you, God's good providence By His grace He's
brought me safe thus far, and His grace will lead me home.
Let us give thanks. Paul said, Rejoice in the Lord
always, and again I say rejoice. Now watch this. My afflictions
are light, very light, compared to what I shall enjoy when God
calls me home. Do you know what I have? I have
an inheritance. that's reserved in heaven, undefiled,
that fadeth not away, that's waiting my coming." That's right.
Paul said in Romans 8, verse 16, "...the Spirit beareth witness
with our spirit that we are children of God. And if we are children
of God, then we are heirs of God, and joint heireth with Jesus
Christ. If so be that we suffer with
him, we shall reign with him." Now watch this, "...I reckon
that the sufferings of this present time, The sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that
shall be revealed in us. Brethren, I'm looking for a city
whose builder and maker is God. I'm looking for a new body. This
body is going to decay and rot and fall apart. I expect it to.
I may have 12, 13 more years. I'm nearly 60 years old. Some
of you are older than that. I don't expect to live here always.
This body is going back to the dust from whence it came. But
I'm going to have a new body. This mortal is going to put on
immortality. This corruption is going to put
on incorruption. This weakness is going to put
on strength. This shame is going to put on glory at the coming
of the Lord. I'm looking for a city. I'm looking
for a new body. I'm looking for eternal glory.
And John wrote in Revelation, and God is going to wipe away
all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death.
No more sorrow, no more crying. Neither shall there be any more
pain. There's going to be pain as long as we're here. There's
going to be sorrow as long as we're here. There's going to
be sickness as long as we're here. That's right. And you're
not immune. You're not immune. But one of
these days, all these things are going to be taken away. He
said, right, behold, I make all things new. All things new. Right, these sayings are true
and faithful. Yes, sir, my afflictions, my
light afflictions, they're light compared to what I deserve. Yes,
they are. And they're light compared to
what I have. God's blessed me. They're indescribable,
innumerable. David said, when I think about
your blessings and benefits, they're innumerable, more than
I can number. And my blessings are nothing
compared. My afflictions are nothing compared to what my Lord
suffered in my place. And then when I look at folks
around me who suffer much more than I do, I'm ashamed when I
complain, aren't you? Just ashamed. I have so much. And one of these days, in Christ,
we're going to have everything. When our Lord returns and we're
raised from the grave, we're going to be made into His likeness,
and it'll be a new day. If you want this message on a
cassette tape, I have this message. And on the other side, God's
way of salvation. We'll send it to you. Two dollars. Send it to the address on the
screen. Join us next week for the program. Until then, God
bless you.