24-1027a Transcript

Preacher: Jim Lokenbauer

(0:51) Good morning, everybody. (0:53) Good morning.

(0:56) May I be the speaker? (0:58) We have several men that rotate the duty of bringing you lessons. (1:05) A joy has been passed on to me for this morning. (1:09) So this is going to be a two-part lesson.

(1:13) This morning and this evening will be the conclusion. (1:17) And it’s all about how we are tested. (1:21) So I’m going to present to you a silly scenario.

(1:24) And perhaps some of us have been there just to illustrate how we can be tested. (1:32) Imagine it’s your first day of high school. (1:35) I loathe school, just for the record.

(1:40) You are running late because sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed and go to do something you don’t want to do. (1:47) The first bell has already rung, and you’re walking quickly down a long hall you’re not familiar with. (1:53) You finally manage to find the room you’re supposed to be in.

(1:58) You’d have been there sooner, but you refused to ask directions. (2:03) You ask yourself why you didn’t schedule a study hall for first period. (2:08) Instead, you made Algebra I your first period class.

(2:13) And as the second bell rings, you make it through the door just in time, (2:18) passing by the teacher who’s leaning against the front of their desk with their arms crossed. (2:24) The teacher looks at you, then looks up at the clock on the wall, (2:27) and you think to yourself, thanks, point taken. (2:30) You’ve entered a large classroom filled with desks all in neat rows.

(2:35) All of them are occupied by students who had managed to find the classroom faster than you, (2:41) and all their attention is on you for the moment. (2:45) You feel your face redden as you recall seeing yourself in the bathroom near in the morning, (2:51) gazing at a giant pimple on the end of your nose, (2:55) and your mind is convinced that that is what everyone in the classroom is looking at (3:01) as you walk by to find your seat. (3:04) There’s one seat unoccupied at the back, and it’s next to the school knucklehead.

(3:10) And you think to yourself, oh great, could this day start out any worse? (3:14) Well, it does. (3:16) The knucklehead says to you loud enough for all to hear, nice zip. (3:22) As you stare at him, allowing yourself a momentary fantasy of hitting him over the head (3:28) with your brand new Algebra book, your fantasy is interrupted by the teacher saying to the class these words, (3:37) okay, everyone take out a clean sheet of paper and a pencil.

(3:42) You’re going to take an Algebra test so I can see how much you know about math. (3:50) In your mind you protest, what, a test already? (3:54) We haven’t even opened the book. (3:56) I haven’t even hit this kid over the head yet with it.

(4:00) Well, newsflash, from the moment you woke up long before you were asked to take out a sheet of paper, (4:08) by the math teacher you were faced with many tests, and tests involve choices. (4:17) In this silly opening scenario, tests of character, tests of self-discipline, tests of memory, (4:25) tests of problem solving, to name a few have already taken place. (4:32) Webster defines tests as a critical examination or evaluation.

(4:39) He defines choice this way, voluntary act of selecting or separating from two or more things that which is preferred (4:49) or the determination of the mind in preferring one thing to another, election. (4:57) Even the choices we make can be types of tests. (5:02) Many of the choices we make are logic based.

(5:06) Some of them are if-then choices that have some sort of consequence as a result for the choice we make. (5:15) If I do this, then that will happen. (5:19) All throughout our lives, we will be tested in one way or another.

(5:25) We will always have choices to make, and there will always be consequences for our choices. (5:32) We should not fear tests. (5:35) They’re not bad.

(5:37) They are a useful way to measure our spiritual growth. (5:43) We need to recognize when we may be taking a test (5:47) and have a checklist of useful thought processes we can go through to help us pass those tests. (5:59) We need to assess the situation, appeal to God in prayer, (6:05) apply what we’ve learned through life and from God’s Word to make wise decisions as you engage the test.

(6:14) Be resolved to glorify God by your words or actions. (6:19) Give thanks when the test is over. (6:23) Many will go through life without even giving any thought as to why they are being tested or by whom.

(6:30) They should ask why and how is this happening. (6:36) Some will just plod along without questioning why something is happening or is happening. (6:42) Oh, well, they’ll say it’s just part of life.

(6:45) I’ll roll with the punches. (6:48) As a Christian, I believe that whatever happens to us in life, (6:52) we should approach it as it’s either a possible test or a temptation, (6:59) that it may be a trial that’s either God’s will or a temptation of the devil, (7:06) that whatever it is, there may be an important life choice to be made that may have eternal consequences. (7:14) We know that God tests us because He said so in the Bible.

(7:20) One such example is from Israel’s history, (7:24) and that was when Moses led them out of Egyptian slavery (7:29) and they were traveling through the rugged wilderness of the desert. (7:36) It didn’t take long for the people to start to murmur and complain against Moses. (7:42) And you can imagine poor Moses leading nearly or perhaps even over one million people (7:51) through a desert wilderness.

(7:55) Think of the logistics. Think of the responsibility. (8:00) And then he has all these people whining and complaining.

(8:03) Can you imagine if half of them were whining, complaining, the noise of that murmuring? (8:11) It could be maddening, sure. (8:14) They were probably saying things like, (8:16) What if we had only died by the hand of the Lord back in Egypt? (8:22) We’re hungry and have no food. We’re thirsty and have no drink.

(8:27) Are we there yet? (8:30) Though the complaints were aimed at Moses, they were in fact complaints against God. (8:37) So God in Exodus 16 verse 4 said to Moses, (8:40) I will rain down bread from heaven for you. (8:46) The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.

(8:51) In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. (8:59) Those who didn’t murmur and complain probably were the ones who obeyed God (9:05) and went out, gathered for that day, and were thankful and satisfied. (9:12) They passed the test.

(9:14) The complainers and murmurers are probably the ones that went out and hoarded the manna (9:21) and had enough for the next morning, (9:24) only to find out that it became foul and filled with maggots. (9:30) They failed the test. (9:33) God’s purpose for their test was to see if they could follow instructions.

(9:40) It was a test of obedience. (9:43) It was to develop his people to trust and depend on him daily to fulfill their needs, (9:51) to show them that nothing is impossible for God. (9:54) As Israel came to Mount Sinai, where Moses went up on that holy mountain (10:00) to receive the word of God by God’s hand, (10:05) God used fear to motivate his people to obey.

(10:11) Listen to Exodus 20, 18 through 20.

(10:24) When the people saw the thunder and the lightning and heard the trumpet (10:28) and saw the mountain filled with smoke, they trembled with fear. (10:34) They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, (10:37) Speak to us yourself, and we will listen. (10:39) But do not have God speak to us, or we will die.

(10:45) Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid. (10:49) God has come to test you so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.

(11:00) The Israelites were new believers, babes in their belief in God.(11:06) When they were slaves, God didn’t make himself known to them (11:10) until their burden became so heavy that they couldn’t bear it anymore, (11:15) and their cries for relief reached his ears. (11:20) He remembered his promises to the patriarchs. (11:25) But in his silence, the God of their forefathers (11:28) seemed but just a story to them being handed down by the patriarchs.(11:36) He seemed to be far removed from them for nearly 400 years while they were in slavery.

(11:43) But God, working miraculously through Moses, changed all of that. (11:49) They witnessed all the miraculous judgments against Egypt and its false gods.(11:57) They saw God’s power firsthand through the acts of the angel of the Lord and through Moses. (12:06) They became believers in the Hebrew God, Yahweh. (12:12) Their spiritual maturity was just in its infancy, and they were still prone to sin.

(12:20) So God disciplined them. (12:22) He used fear as a motivator to get them to obey. (12:26) Just as a child needs to be disciplined to create a fearful respect for their parents' authority, (12:34) that leads to obedience.(12:36) So did the new converts to the Law of Moses to keep them from sinning. (12:42) Spiritual growth can be a slow and tedious process.

(12:46) As you read of their journey through the wilderness, (12:49) you see that God had to exercise great patience when trying to get Israel to change their thinking.(12:59) Many didn’t pass the test, and many died in the desert because their hearts (13:05) weren’t right. (13:07) They were stubborn. (13:08) They wouldn’t change.(13:11) So 40 years later, as they were wandering around, they were finally ready to cross into the Holy Land. (13:19) Most of the people of that generation that left Egypt died in the desert.

(13:29) And it was the children who grew up in the desert following God as the angel of the Lord there (13:35) and Moses, who were now the true believers.(13:41) They were molded into God’s people.

(13:47) And in Deuteronomy 8, 1 through 5, Moses said to the people, (13:52) Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today so that you may live and increase (13:59) and may enter and possess the land that the Lord promised on oath to your fathers. (14:06) Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in through the desert these 40 years (14:11) to humble you in order to know what was in your heart, (14:18) whether or not you would keep His commandments, causing you to hunger, (14:25) and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, (14:31) to teach you that man does not live on bread alone, (14:35) but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.(14:42) Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these 40 years. (14:47) Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, (14:54) so the Lord your God disciplines you.

(15:00) As we can see by these examples from the Old Testament, (15:04) God will test and discipline His people.(15:09) God will even use the test of hardship, (15:12) the last basic necessities of life to get our attention (15:19) and to get us to behave the way He wants. (15:23) When you see things such as hardships happening in your life, (15:29) you need to ask yourself why is this happening and evaluate your life. (15:35) He’ll use thirst and starvation to humble us (15:39) and get us to rely on Him and obey Him.

(15:43) He developed in His people a dependency upon Him (15:47) to get them to understand that He is God (15:51) and to trust Him and that all blessings come from Him. (15:57) Each of us will go through tests and temptations, (16:02) maybe not as dramatic as what the children of Israel went through, (16:06) but tested just the same. (16:09) When we are tested or tempted, (16:13) we need to remember our own past experiences (16:16) when we were tested and tempted before, (16:20) what worked and what didn’t, (16:22) and apply what we learned in order to pass the test. (16:27) That’s called wisdom.

(16:29) The book of James says wisdom is something that we should be praying for often. (16:35) Wisdom will help us make good choices.(16:40) When combined with Bible knowledge, it becomes godly wisdom. (16:45) As we live our lives, we are in God’s classroom.

(16:49) Jesus is our teacher.(16:51) His word, the Bible, is our school book. (16:54) And Holy Spirit is the teacher’s aid (16:57) who helps us to understand His word and prepare us for tests.

(17:02) When tested, though we may not understand the big picture at the time, (17:09) and though it may perhaps be unpleasant and difficult, (17:14) we must rely on God to get us through whatever is challenging us in life at that time.(17:22) Just as the children of Israel should have trusted and relied upon Him (17:26) to get them through their trials, (17:29) we must rely on His strength.

(17:35) We need to seek Him out through prayer and trust Him and His teachings. (17:41) God loves you, and nothing is impossible with Him.(17:46) Scripture tells us that He will give us what we ask of Him in His Son’s name, (17:51) so long as it’s with the right motive for our good or the good of others. (17:56) It also tells us that He rewards those who believe in Him and diligently seek Him.

(18:05) When we sense something is potentially a test or perhaps a temptation, (18:10) we should get in the habit of going to God in prayer.(18:14) Help may not always be as soon as we hope for, (18:18) and we shouldn’t ask God to just make it all go away. (18:23) Remember, He wants us to go through certain experiences to mature us (18:30) and to get us to depend upon Him for help. (18:34) He’ll help us get through whatever trial we may be experiencing.(18:39) He won’t make them go away.

(18:41) Be thoughtful in what you ask from God when tempted or tried. (18:48) Temptations are a type of test.(18:50) In fact, the same Greek word is used for both.

(18:56) Test and tempt are from the Greek word parazo. (19:01) So what’s the difference? (19:03) Well, you have to look at the context and how the word is being used.(19:09) God will parazo, test or try, you, and He will cheer for you to pass the test. (19:16) He wants you to have victory in Christ by remembering Christ’s teachings. (19:23) Taking His tests are a measure of our faith.

(19:28) He wants you to succeed, to depend on Him by relying on His strength, (19:34) and that you will choose the right thing to do in whatever situation. (19:40) Satan, along with his proxies, whether they’re demons or some human working on his behalf, (19:48) perhaps without even knowing they are, will use temptation to get you to fall. (19:58) And temptation, another word for that, is entice or incite.

(20:03) Satan used it against David. (20:06) They want you to fail the test. (20:09) The devil wants to recapture your will and make your soul his.

(20:16) He wants sin in your life to separate you from your Father in Heaven. (20:21) He wants so badly to frustrate you that you’ll give up on following God. (20:28) Don’t do that.

(20:32) Jesus gives us our best examples of how to pass tests and temptations. (20:39) But before we go there, let’s look at how Jesus was prepared for those tests. (20:46) In Luke 2, 39-40, it says, (20:50) When they, Mary and Joseph, had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, (20:59) they returned into Galilee, into their own city, Nazareth.

(21:03) The child was growing and became strong in spirit and filled with wisdom, (21:09) and the grace of God was upon him. (21:12) Jesus had parents who were devoted to the God of Israel. (21:17) They were righteous in the sight of the law and fulfilled their duty to the law, (21:24) and they brought Jesus up that way.

(21:27) And to know the law, they took serious their role in teaching their children, (21:33) not depending on anyone else to do it, but doing it themselves to know God’s Word. (21:41) And we can’t forget, when Jesus was 12, after a visit to Jerusalem during Passover, (21:50) he stayed behind in Jerusalem and went to the temple. (21:55) And there, he engaged in conversation with the teachers of the law, (22:01) studying it, asking questions about it, and being asked questions about it.

(22:07) And those around him, it said, were amazed at his understanding and his answers. (22:17) Jesus made God’s Word his life. (22:20) After all, wasn’t it he who actually commanded Moses to speak these words to his people (22:27) from Deuteronomy 32, 45-47? (22:33) When Moses finished reciting all the words of the law to Israel, he said to them, (22:39) Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, (22:45) so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.

(22:53) They are not just idle words for you, they are your life. (23:01) By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess. (23:06) So Jesus was prepared for any challenge to his faith, (23:12) and any test or temptation that would come his way.

(23:19) Listen how he handled the Pharisees when he was in his ministry. (23:26) And the Pharisees, who happened to be unaware that they were actually proxies for Satan,

(23:35) who tried to ensnare him in a test so that they could accuse him of being a sinner. (23:42) In Matthew 22, 15-22, it says, (23:48) Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.

(23:54) They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, (23:59) Teacher, we know that you are honest and teach the way of God in truth. (24:04) No matter whom you teach, you are impartial to anyone. (24:08) Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? (24:15) But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, (24:20) Why do you test me, you hypocrites? (24:24) Show me the tax money.

(24:26) They brought him a denarius. (24:28) He asked them, Whose image and inscription is this? (24:33) They said to him, Caesar’s. (24:35) Then he said to them, (24:36) Give, therefore, to Caesar the things that are Caesar, and to God the things that are God’s.

(24:45) When they heard it, they marveled and left them and went away. (24:50) Jesus passed the test. (24:53) When we are in direct temptation, when there are direct temptations against us, (24:59) we need to follow Christ’s example found in Matthew 4 and Luke 4. (25:05) We know this as the temptation of Christ.

(25:10) The very reason that it’s recorded for us in Scripture is to show how Jesus took on temptation (25:20) and to show that Jesus has superiority and authority over all, even the evil one. (25:30) And it’s our main example to follow when our faith and souls are under attack. (25:38) At each of the three temptations by Satan, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture (25:45) that directly refuted the proposal Satan was presenting to him.

(25:52) You have to familiarize yourself with God’s Word to be able to do that. (25:57) More about this temptation tonight when we conclude the study on tests. (26:04) And I encourage everyone to come back to hear that.

(26:08) There’s some valuable lessons there. (26:11) So at this time, I’m going to offer the invitation. (26:15) If you found that you’ve been failing tests, there’s power in the prayer of the Church to help you.

(26:23) If you’ve sinned, come forward. We’ll gladly pray for you that God will forgive you. (26:30) Whatever your need may be, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.