Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / Hope Beyond Bitterness When Life “Just Ain’t Fair” Msg 917 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living

Transcript

Hope Beyond Bitterness When Life “Just Ain’t Fair” Msg 917 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: There is something within each one of us that longs
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: for life to be fair, isn't there? For the good
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: guys to win, to receive their rewards, and at the
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: same time for the bad guys to be soundly defeated.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: We all want that. We love it when the stories
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: work out like that. And, well, everybody lives happily ever after. However...
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: We don't live in a dream world where magic and
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: superpowers overwhelm the forces of evil and mete out perfect justice,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: do we? Real life doesn't always turn out the way
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: it should, least of all the way we want it to.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Our response to unfairness, as in all other issues, will
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: be based on the particular vantage point from which we
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: look at life. our own personal perspective. Basically, we have
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: two viewpoints to choose from, the human viewpoint and, you
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: guessed it, the divine viewpoint. Turn with me to 1
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Peter 3. I want to read for you verses 13
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: through 17 and see what we can learn about the
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: divine viewpoint from Peter's words. He wrote them to the
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: persecuted first-century Christians. We'll see where Peter encouraged these persecuted
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: Christians to choose the divine perspective, even in the midst
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: of their persecution. So, 1 Peter 3, I'll begin reading
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: with verse 13. Who is there to harm you if
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: you prove zealous for what is good? But even if
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: But Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: to give an account for the hope that is in you,
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: yet with gentleness and reverence. And keep a good conscience,
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: so that in the thing in which you are slandered,
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: put to shame. For it is better if God should
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: will it so, that you suffer for doing what is
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: right rather than for doing what is wrong. I would
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: like to speak for a while about a subject that
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: has touched all of us in one way or another,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: and for some it is still going on in your life.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: I have reference to times when life is not fair
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: and we find ourselves unable to get even or get back.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: and we must live with the consequences of what is occurring.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: I would like for you to join me for a
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: few moments of prayer as I begin. Will you bow?
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: And for a moment, will you, with your eyes closed,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: blocking out all visual interruptions, will you focus on that
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: person or that event that perhaps is still haunting your life?
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: that series of circumstances that has taken your joy and
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: has preoccupied your time for too long. Father, there is
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: something in all of us that longs for things to
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: be fair. There is this equitable sense within us that
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: requires for our own peace that there be justice, that
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: truth be rewarded and honored, and that lies be dealt with,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: and that consequences be suffered as a result of dishonesty. But,
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: O Lord, you know how it is in this life.
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: Not all things do work out, at least as we
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: perceive them, fairly well. And in such a way that
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: we feel a sense of relief. For some, this has
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: occurred in the family to a child, even an adult child,
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: whose mate has walked away. And we feel within such
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: anger and such frustration in not being able to bring
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: that mate back. The family has been torn apart. For others,
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: it is one's mate, where though a good life has
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: been lived, disease has come and has stolen the light
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: from their eyes. For others, it has been an unfair
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: situation at work or at school. And we cannot seem
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: to make it right. Life just doesn't seem to be
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: fair for some. I pray that you will use these
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: few moments we spend together in your precious word to
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: give us a sense of relief and release. Thank you
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: in advance for addressing each one of us in our
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: own particular world and remind us again of the power
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: of the cross. And may its shadow cast itself across
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: our lives and may your spirit win us and woo
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: us to righteousness in our response. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: Life is difficult. I was reminded of those three words
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: when I came across a 20th century testimony by Malcolm Muggeridge.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: On page 72 of that book, he makes this statement.
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: And I want to read it slowly because... It is
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: what my talk is all about. And I quote Malcolm Muggeridge.
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: Contrary to what might be expected. I look back on
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: experiences that at the time seemed especially desolate. Especially desolating
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: and painful. With particular satisfaction. Indeed I can say with
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: complete truthfulness. that everything I have learned in my 75
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: enlightened my experience has been through affliction and not through happiness.
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: In other words, if it ever were to be possible
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: some drug, or other medical mumbo-jumbo. The result would not
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: be to make life delectable, but to make it too
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: banal and trivial to be endurable. This, of course, is
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: what the cross signifies, and it is the cross more
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: than anything else that has called me inexorably to Christ.
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: I want to repeat a statement that he makes in
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: that particular paragraph. Everything I have learned in my 75
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness,
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: whether pursued or attained. Now, it is one thing to
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: hear those words from a man like Malcolm Muggeridge or
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: to read those words in a great book that might
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: move you to tears even. And it's another thing to
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: embrace them in a personal way. Because I know that
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: there isn't a person hearing my voice right now who
• 8:39
  Speaker 1: doesn't have a reason to become bitter. Because of treatment
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: you have received today, From someone. Or because of an
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: experience that you were not able to bring justice out of.
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: Or just because of life itself. You find yourself in
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: an affliction. That will not. Make itself right. And life
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: seems to you to be terribly unfair. It seems to
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: me that there are two perspectives on that particular inevitable
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: reality that we can choose. One is the strictly human perspective.
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: Since life isn't fair, I'm going to get my share.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: I am going to spend my energy getting back or
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: setting it straight. Or making it right. I am not
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: going to take it any longer. That's the human perspective.
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: and our world is full of literature and counselors who
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: will help you carry that out and if that is
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: your only perspective you may get even but you won't
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: get peace you won't get satisfaction You may find a
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: way to channel your anger, but you will not find
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: a way to glorify God. If that is your only perspective. Now,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: there is another perspective, and it is the divine perspective,
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: which is addressed in the third chapter of First Peter,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: which we are working our way through these days. And
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: I find the perspective very well stated in the single passage.
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: Twelfth verse of this third chapter. For the eyes of
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: the Lord are upon the righteous. And his ears attend
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: to their prayers. To their prayer. But the face of
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: the Lord is against those who do evil. Now you
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: can count on that. Not only is it written by
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: Peter himself. He quotes it from one of the Psalms.
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: Psalm number thirty four. Look at the verse. Remember the principle.
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: The principle is God misses nothing. His eyes are upon
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: your life as a righteous child of his. His ears
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: attend to your prayer. And don't ever think that he
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: has missed the evil. He not only sees, he never forgets.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: He may be long-suffering, but he doesn't compromise his justice.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: His eye is on the righteous, and his face is
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: against the evil. Now, you might think, why in the
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: world has he let it go on so long? I
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: like the way one person put it, because God doesn't
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: close his books at the end of every month. Sometime,
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: it takes a lifetime. And sometime... It will even occur
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: beyond your death. But in the end, God will be just.
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: In the end, it will all work together for good.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: If we don't believe that and if we don't focus
• 12:30
  Speaker 1: on that, we become the loser. And we spend our
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: years in cynicism and bitterness and become, in our aging years,
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: angry old men and women. Now the verses that are
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: following this 12th verse, actually just a few of them,
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: verses 13 through 17, I find some helpful principles and
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: guidelines to follow. And please understand this is not a
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: cure-all for every area of life. Certainly this does not
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: have reference to national defense. This is speaking of personal matters.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: This is not ignoring your right as a citizen to
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: be protected by the provision of our government and by
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: the police force, etc. I'm not referring to that realm.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: I'm talking about the personal realms of life where you
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: do not need some kind of protection or some kind
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: of defense, but you simply cannot bring things to terms
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: in relationships or Or in life in general. It is
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: in those areas where no one can be your defense.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: No one can be your help. Only the Lord. Which
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: is why he mentions the prayer. His attending to our prayers.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: Now let me give you the general statement in verse 13.
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: Which really is stated for us. Who is there to
• 13:59
  Speaker 1: harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: This is a general principle. And it generally is true.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: And what is it? Those who live honest lives will
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: usually not suffer harm. I use the word usually for
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: the sake of realism. Those who live clean, honest, pure
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: lives will suffer less harm. Let's put it that way.
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: You pay your debts. You live financially responsible. Chances are
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: good you will not get into financial trouble. You obey
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: the rules of good health. You get sufficient exercise, watch
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: your diet, sufficient sleep, relaxation. Chances are good you will
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: live a healthier life than those who break those rules.
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: Here's another. You drive within the speed limit. You obey
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: the rules of safety. You will usually not get a ticket. Usually.
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: You help others in need. You give yourself to those...
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: You will find when you have needs, there will be
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: someone there to give to you. It's that kind of principle. Again,
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: it's a general principle. However, life just ain't fair. And
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: there are times when that general principle is changed. And you,
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: though righteous, zealous for good, pure, believing in prayer and
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: walking with God, Even though all of those things are true,
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: you can still find that life turns on you. There
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: are occasional inequities, and that is what verses 14 through
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: 17 are all about. But these are the rare occasions.
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: See the words, but even if you should, verse 14.
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: Let me give you a little brief Greek lesson, okay?
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Every time the word if appears in the New Testament,
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: it can be one of four things. It can mean
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: one of four things. We call these first class conditions,
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: second class conditions, third class conditions, and fourth class conditions.
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: Let me explain. A first class if in the Greek
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: text assumes the statement to be true. Satan said to
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus on a couple of occasions, if you
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: are the son of God, Matthew six or Matthew four
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: verses three and six. If you are the son of God,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: that's first class. It's assumed as true. Even Satan knows
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: he's the son of God. We could use the word
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: sense to describe the same thing. That is not what
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: is used here. It's very common use. There's a second
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: class condition if, and it assumed as not true. Paul
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: writes in Galatians 1.10, if I were still trying to
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: please men, I could not be a bondservant of Christ.
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: That's a second class condition. I'm not still striving to
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: please men. That is a rare occasion, but it does occur.
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: I can't say too rare, but it is not as
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: common as the first. The third class is extremely common.
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: It's like our use of the word if. Maybe it's
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: true and maybe it's not. For example, verse 13 says,
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: has a third class condition. And who is there to
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: Maybe you will, maybe you won't. Very common. You have
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: a choice. Verse 14 has a rare fourth class condition,
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: which means it's unlikely, or even some have said it
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: means I wish it were not true, but it is
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: on occasion. Verse 14 says, But even if rare, though
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: it may be unlikely, though it can, though it may be,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness,
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: you see, it's the exception rather than the rule. Then
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: certain things are going to occur. And here's where I'd
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: like to have you take out a pencil, find a
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: piece of paper to write some thoughts down. And I
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: want to give you from God's word five responses to.
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: To certain situations in life that aren't fair and how
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: you can handle them the next time they occur. And
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: I'm asking you to write them down because this is
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: not my advice. This is God's advice. If I were
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: to give you advice, I would tell you to kick
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: him in the teeth. I would tell you to get
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: even because that is my nature. But that's not good advice.
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: That's human counsel. So I want to know what God
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: has to say about how to respond when you have
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: done what is right, but wrong is being done to
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: you in return. Okay, five pieces of advice. And they
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: are in five different areas. So let's put for the
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: first one. As far as the injustice itself is concerned,
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: that's the beginning of verse 14. As far as the
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: injustice itself is concerned, be happy. Consider yourself blessed by God.
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: Go ahead, even though you don't want to write it down,
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: write it down. Because that is the very first statement
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: Peter writes. Even if you should suffer for the sake
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: of righteousness, you are blessed. It is the word for
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: blessed over and over. For being happy. You are unique.
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: blessed by God. Sounds surprising, doesn't it? If you like
• 19:55
  Speaker 1: referring to other verses, write down James 1 verse 2.
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: And it's a paraphrase in Phillips which reads, When all
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers...
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: Don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends.
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: A question comes, how can I feel blessed by God
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: if I'm getting unfair treatment? That's a good question. First
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: of all, because you have been called to go through this.
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: It's a reminder that God's hand is still on your life.
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: You say, I'm not sure I've been called to do this.
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: Look at verse 21 of chapter 2. You have been
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you,
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: leaving you an example to follow in his steps. Called
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: to what purpose? You've got to look back at verse 20,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: chapter 2. What credit is there if when you sin
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? It's
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: no big thing if you pull over after running a
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: red light and patiently sign the ticket the cop writes you.
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: That's no great shakes. You don't have a lot to
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: be proud of. You just patiently write it because you've
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: got it coming. It's when he pulls you over and
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: reprimands you and begins to write you a ticket and
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: you don't deserve it. And you take that patiently. You say,
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: that's not only a blessing, that is a miracle. And
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: you're right. You're right. You're right. Everybody in this world
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: can take it patiently when you get rewarded for doing
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: what is right. And even many people can take it
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: patiently when you get punished for doing wrong. But the
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: believer in Christ is the only one equipped to handle
• 21:49
  Speaker 1: it patiently when you suffer wrong, even though you've done right.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: That is what makes you stand out. That's your uniqueness.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: And yes, there are occasions in life when you will
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: be called for that very purpose. You will be singled
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: out just like the prophets. Verse 9 chapter 3 is
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: saying the same thing. Not returning evil for evil, insult
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: for insult, but giving a blessing instead. For you were
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: How else can I be happy? Well, I think because
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: someday I'll be rewarded. For those events. There is a
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: reward for enduring trials. That were not deserved. You just
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: sit for a moment and listen as I read. From
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: Matthew chapter 5 verse 10. That's Matthew 5 verse 10.
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: Blessed are those who have been persecuted. For the sake
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: of righteousness. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: the sake of righteousness. Blessed are you when men revile
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: you and persecute you. And say all kinds of evil
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: against you falsely. On account of me. Rejoice. And be glad.
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: Your reward in heaven is great. For so they persecuted
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: the prophets who were before you. How can I focus
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: with pleasure on the moment I can remember this event
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: will be rewarded? Okay, that's the first. Consider yourself uniquely
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: blessed of God. Second, as far as the persecutor himself
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: is concerned, look at the second response. Even if you
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: And do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled.
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: Second response, do not panic, do not worry. Do not panic,
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: do not worry. I find both of those things occurring
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: when I operate in the flesh, having done what is
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: right and having suffered for it. First, look at the
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: word fear. It is the word phobos. We get our
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: word phobia from it. It's a reference to being seized
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: with terror and running, taking flight, running away from the pressure.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: He says, don't do that. No reason to run. The
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: next word is intimidation. I should say troubled. Do not
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: fear their intimidation. Do not be troubled. This is the
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: word to be agitated, uneasy. Remember John 14, let not
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: your hearts be Troubled. It's the same word as used here.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: It's the word for inner agitation. There can be a
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: calmness of spirit. You ever look at mad comics? Come
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: on now. Some of you are giving me that. Who, me?
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: There's a little guy in mad comics is Alfred E. Newman,
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: and he's all the way through the comics. He's got
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: this Simple little look and this simple little smile. Usually
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: there's somewhere around his face it says, who, me worry?
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: It's kind of like, I'm not going to sweat that.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: And I thought the other day, not a bad idea. Who,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: me worry? The energy and the effort that is expended
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: worrying when it will not solve a thing. And he says,
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: don't do it. Don't fear their intimidation. Don't you worry.
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: You've got God on your side. As far as the
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: injustice is concerned, consider yourself uniquely blessed. As far as
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: the persecutor himself is concerned, don't panic and don't worry. Now,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: as far as the Lord is concerned, verse 15, acknowledge
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: him as Lord even over this event. Sanctify Christ as
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: Lord in your hearts. We often take this verse and
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: immediately apply it to some public defense of the faith.
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: And yes, it can be applied there, but it's in
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: a context of wrong having come as a result of
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: our doing what is right. And it says, acknowledge Christ
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: as Lord. Sanctify means to set apart. Let me tell
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: you how I do it. I do it in a prayer.
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: In words something like this. Something has happened to me
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: that I didn't deserve. I didn't have it coming. I
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: had not done wrong, but wrong was being done against me.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: I will say, Lord, you're with me right now. You
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: are here and you have your reason for what is happening.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: You will not take advantage of me. You will not
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: let this go any further than you're pleased. You're much
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: too kind to be cruel. You're much too good to
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: be unjust. Take charge. Use my integrity to defend me.
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: Give me the grace to stay calm. Control my emotions.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: Be the Lord over my present situation. That kind of prayer.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: If I prayed that sort of prayer through the year once,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: I must have prayed it dozens of times. Lord, there
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: is no way I can set the record straight, it seems.
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: And it's getting tougher and And I find myself cast
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: at your disposal. Take over, Lord. You be the sovereign.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: You be the master over this moment. I can't change
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: this person or I can't alter this event. You be
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: the Lord over it. I got a phone call back
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: when our older daughter was in high school and she
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: was on the cheerleading squad and was on the top
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: of the pyramid they had built and And she was
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: to do a flip off the pyramid and was to
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: land on her feet. That was the game plan. But
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: she landed on the back of her head. And she
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: couldn't move. And I got a phone call. And between
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: the church office, where I was when I got the call,
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: and the school campus, where I was within a matter
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: of maybe 12, 15 minutes, I was offering that kind
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: of prayer. When I got there, they had her in
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: one of these one of these stretchers that wraps you,
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: holds you, keeps you from moving. And she said to me, Daddy,
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: I can't move my fingers. And I can't feel very well.
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: It's kind of tingling. I was, I confess to you
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: at that moment, seized with fear. And I leaned down
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: over Carissa very slowly and I whispered in her ear, sweetheart,
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: I will be with you through all of this, but
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: more importantly, he is Lord. Jesus is Lord over this
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: whole event. I was totally helpless. I was medically inept
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: and inadequate. I had no control over healing her life
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: and her body. She was at the mercy. of God.
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: And I remember the deliberateness in which I set apart
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: Christ as Lord in my heart and I attempted to
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: do it for her since she was in this helpless estate.
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: She's fine today. She pulled through it and there was
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: no There was no lasting damage. There was a fracture,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: but it thankfully wasn't in that terrible spot that results
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: in paralysis. Stephen sanctified Christ as Lord when Acts chapter 7,
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: the end of the chapter, 54 to 60, there were
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: these who were beginning to take up stones to stone Stephen.
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: Verse 54, Acts 7, when they heard this, they were
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: cut to the quick and began gnashing their teeth at him.
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: I don't believe I know what that means. Maybe just
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: gritting their teeth at him. It's further than profanity. It
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: is a vile hatred, a rage that's out of control.
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: They're going to kill him and they know it. It's
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: that kind of gnashing teeth. Look at his response. Being
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven.
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: Look at the response. And he saw the glory of
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: I've heard more than a few in a dying moment
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: see an image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stephen did.
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: And people standing by can't see that image. But the
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: dying can. And he sees the reflection of the Savior.
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: And he said, behold, these men are standing with stones
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: to kill him. And he says to them, behold, I
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: at the right hand of God. And they cried out
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: with a loud voice. And they covered their ears and
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: they rushed upon him with one impulse. And when they
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him.
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: Next to crucifixion, I can't imagine a worse kind of death.
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: They began to stone him and witnesses laid aside their
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: They went on stoning Stephen and he called upon the Lord.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: So he's setting apart Christ as Lord in this moment.
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: He says, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: his knees, he cried out with a loud voice. Look
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: at this forgiveness. Lord, do not hold this sin against him.
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: And having said this, he fell asleep. I'll tell you,
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: the man could have died in bitterness and cynicism. He
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: could have died with cursing on his lips and he
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: dies with a prayer on his lips, a prayer asking
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: forgiveness for those who had mistreated him. He didn't deserve
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: the death. Don't believe today's literature. Stop listening to the
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: council that says you must always get back, that that's
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: how you find satisfaction. It doesn't bring satisfaction. It doesn't.
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: Not lasting, not peaceful satisfaction. Now, you with me so far?
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: Consider yourself uniquely blessed. Refuse to run in panic and
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: sit and worry. Acknowledge Christ as Lord. Here's the fourth.
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: As far as others are concerned, the fourth response, be
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: ready to give a witness. Look at the end of
• 33:23
  Speaker 1: verse 15. Always being ready to make a defense to
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: everyone who asks you to give an account for the
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: hope that is in you. Yet with gladness or I
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: should say with gentleness and reverence. I'm intrigued by this.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: Be ready to give a witness and please observe. They
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: will ask you. Some of us are so anxious to
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: give a witness that we push it in even when
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: it doesn't fit or the timing isn't right. Believe me.
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: Believe me, if you are being mistreated and you are
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: handling for the glory of God, like we've been describing it,
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: they will want to know how you do it. They'll
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: ask you, how do you do it? How do you
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: handle this mistreatment? How do you live with it? Why
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: is it you haven't lost your joy? What is it
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: that has kept you on your feet? Why haven't you just,
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: you know, turn tail and run? Or why haven't you
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: fought back? Be ready to make a defense. See the
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: word Make a defense. It's the word apologia. We get
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: our word apology from it. Making a statement, a verbal
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: statement of defense. And to give an account is the
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: word logos. We get the term in scripture for the
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: word is logos. To be ready with a word. To
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: give a reason. Notice there must be willingness and readiness.
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: Be ready to give a witness. There is nothing like
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: being observed in a time of mistreatment. It would be
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: a perfect platform for a witness. Your neighbors will want
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: to know, how do you do it? Your friend at
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: work will want to know, how do you pull that off?
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: In fact, there's an old English gazing stock, an old
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: English term that is so translated in the King James,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: in Hebrews 10, for our being... observed by individuals. We
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: are made a gazing stock. Listen to verse 32 of
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: chapter 10 of Hebrews. Remember the former days when after
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: by being made a public spectacle. That's the word rendered
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: gazing stock in another rendering. Made a public spectacle through
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: reproaches and tribulations, partly by becoming sharers with those who
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: were so treated. And rather than fighting, you showed sympathy
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: to the prisoners. You accepted joyfully the seizure of your property,
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: knowing that you have for yourselves a better position and
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: an abiding one. That's foreign counsel in our day. And Christians,
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: we have bought into it. We have bought into it.
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: Be ready to make a defense, to give an answer,
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: to state a witness. To anyone who asks, you talk
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: about a moment to talk about Christ. It's when you
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: have suffered unjustly. And you're doing it with patience. Now's
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: your moment to tell them how it happened. They will listen.
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: You have earned the right to be heard. Because they
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: know there's a difference in how you're responding to it
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: from how they would. Now there's one more. As far
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: as you yourself are concerned, keep a good conscience. That's
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: verse 16. Comes right out of the text. Keep a
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: good conscience. Here Peter digs below the surface and gets
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: into inner character. He underscores the value of maintaining integrity.
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: Keep a good conscience so that in the thing in
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: in Christ May be put to shame. There is nothing
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: more powerful than a life of integrity. Nothing. Nothing can
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: stand the test like solid character. You can handle the
• 37:41
  Speaker 1: blast like a steer in a blizzard. The ice can
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: form on your horns. And you keep standing against the
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: wind and the howling wind. a raging blizzard because Christ
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: is at work in your spirit. He says, keep it up.
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: Keep a good conscience. It's the good conscience that causes
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: people to watch and to listen. There is no more
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: eloquent and effective defense than a life lived consistently in integrity. Now,
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: the underlying principle. Look at verse 17. Peter brings it
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: all to a conclusion. It is better if God should
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: will it so that you suffer for doing what is
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: right than for doing what is wrong. The principle simply
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: stated is unjust suffering is always better than deserved punishment.
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: It is better if God should will it so, and
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: I can't explain times it will happen or how often
• 39:02
  Speaker 1: or even why, but he will on occasion will it
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: so that you suffer for doing what is right. Let
• 39:12
  Speaker 1: me close with a great proverb. I want you to
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: look at it. I've read several other references. Let me
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: have you turn with me to Proverbs 16, 7. Proverbs 16, 7.
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: If you haven't circled this verse or written it in
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: the margin of perhaps a passage like the one we
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: just got through with, it's a good time to do it.
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: It's one of those verses I memorized years ago and
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: have called it to mind on many occasions. When a
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: his enemies to be at peace with him. See the
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: word enemies? Ayav. Ayav is the Hebrew word. It means
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: to be hostile. It has reference to a personal foe.
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: It's true. It's an enemy. Even his enemies will be
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: at peace with him. Remember the name Job? It is
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: the name Eov. Eov. And they're related. In fact, you
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: may be surprised to know that the name itself means
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: object of enmity. Lockyer in his All the Men of
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: the Bible renders Job's name he that weeps. No man
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: is more vivid illustration of one who suffered wrong from
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: the enemy, the adversary himself. No man is a better
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: example of that than Job. His name itself means object
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: of enmity. He became an object lesson of unfair treatment.
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: After describing in his brief biography his righteousness, he turned
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: away from evil. He took care of his family. He
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: walked with God. He was known for his integrity. Then
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: it seemed as though all hell broke loose in his life.
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: And he was leveled, even lost his health. You know what? Today,
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: he is one of the most admired men in all
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: of time. We refer to him as the man of patience,
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: the patience of Job. A man who was the object
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: of enmity. He won our hearts because of his response
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: to an unjust situation. I would not wish the life
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: of Job on anyone. But I'm not God. I've never
• 41:57
  Speaker 1: been too good at directing anyone else's life. I have
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: a hard enough time keeping my own on target. But
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: I have been I have observed in my few years
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: in ministry that God does pick out a few and
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: they are fourth class condition. If if he should, will
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: it so? And it's it will be rare, but it
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: will occur in some cases. You will be that Job.
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: You will be the one. I think you waste your
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: time trying to figure out why. I think it's a waste.
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: I think you're wise to accept it. Bruce Waltke meant
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: so much to me during my student days and since
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: those days as a teacher and as a mentor and
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: a Semitic professor, brilliant man, but a heart for God.
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: And he said to me when I was going through
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: a very difficult time in my senior year in seminary,
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: I wanted to know some of the answers to the why's.
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: He says, you know what I think, Chuck? He says,
• 43:01
  Speaker 1: I've come to the place where I I believe only
• 43:05
  Speaker 1: on very rare occasions does God tell us why. So
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: I've stopped asking. That was wonderful counsel. Kind of put
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: it to bed for me. I don't have to be
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: the answer man for events in life that don't make
• 43:28
  Speaker 1: good logical human sense. I take them from him and
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: I And I live with him as best I can.
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: And that's my counsel for you. We began our time
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: with prayer. Let's end it with a time of prayer.
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: You'd be kind enough to go back to the same
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: throne where you were earlier. Again, your eyes are closed
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: and you can focus back on that same thing you
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: started with when we began this message. Listen to the
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: counsel of Peter. Just listen. Consider yourself uniquely blessed by God.
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: Do not run in panic or sit in worry. Acknowledge
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: Christ as Lord, even over this event. Be ready to
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: give a witness. Keep a good conscience. You cannot acknowledge
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: Christ as Lord if you haven't Christ as Savior. So
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: maybe that's first. Maybe that's your visit to the cross.
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: Maybe that's what starts it. The essential journey in life
• 44:56
  Speaker 1: that must be made is the journey to the Savior.
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: Only through his power and strength can you handle what
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: life throws at you. Otherwise, you will operate from the
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: flesh and you will make a failure. of your life.
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: Our Father, as we acknowledge your Son as Lord, it
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: is with a bit of a sigh, because we do
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: not deny the pain and the difficulty of the earthly trials.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: And for some, it is almost unbearable. But being sovereign
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: and being the one with full capacity to handle our needs.
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: This is not beyond your strength to take the burden
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: and to give us a perspective that we need. Quiet
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: our spirits. Give us a sense of relief in the
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: inevitable fact that life is difficult and there will be
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: those days when it will not be fair. enable us
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: in whatever season of the year to see beyond the present,
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: to focus even on the invisible, and to recognize that
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: you are always there. Thank you for the joy of
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: this day. Thank you for the pleasure of relationships, and especially, Father,
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: thank you for the truth of your word that lives
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: and abides forever. Forever. And best of all. It works.
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: It works. In Jesus name. We thank you. Amen.
• 46:53
  Speaker 2: The preceding message. Hope beyond bitterness. When life just ain't fair.
• 46:59
  Speaker 2: Was copyrighted in 1988.
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: 1990. 1996.
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: 2006.
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: And 2011.
• 47:00
  Speaker 2: And the sound recording was copyrighted in 2011. by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.
• 47:12
  Speaker 2: All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: commercial use is strictly prohibited.