WEBVTT - Seeing Purpose in Your Problems and Pain, Part 3 0:00:01.080 --> 0:00:04.440 See, here's the question that James is bringing up. It's 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:08.240 not how much of him I have, but how much 0:00:08.240 --> 0:00:12.440 of me does he have? That's what it is. Do 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:16.920 you trust him? Yes. In a time of trouble. 0:00:25.079 --> 0:00:28.120 Welcome to Treasure Truth with pastor and author James Ford. 0:00:28.120 --> 0:00:30.760 Junior senior pastor of the Christ Bible Church in Chicago. 0:00:30.800 --> 0:00:32.800 I'm Steve Hillard. Glad you're with us today as we 0:00:32.880 --> 0:00:36.000 continue our study of James chapter one and a message 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:39.879 called Seeing Purpose in Your Problems and Pain. And as 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:43.640 we do go through life, we all encounter problems and pain. 0:00:44.040 --> 0:00:47.320 And those are very often the times or the seasons 0:00:47.320 --> 0:00:51.960 of life where our trust in Christ is really stretched 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:55.520 and has the opportunity to grow immensely. You know, it's 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.480 really easy to say that you trust Christ when things 0:00:58.480 --> 0:01:02.240 are going well in life, but when the problems come 0:01:02.240 --> 0:01:04.959 and you think you see an easy way out. But 0:01:04.959 --> 0:01:07.600 it wouldn't honor Christ. Are you going to take that 0:01:07.600 --> 0:01:10.600 easy way out, or are you going to trust him? 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:13.480 I think that's the challenge and the question that all 0:01:13.480 --> 0:01:16.040 of us really need to be asking ourselves in the 0:01:16.040 --> 0:01:20.119 midst of those tough times. And as Pastor Ford points out, 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:23.760 the question that he may have for us is, okay, 0:01:23.959 --> 0:01:27.640 how much of you do I have? Because that's what 0:01:27.640 --> 0:01:30.560 Christ ultimately wants, is he wants us to learn to 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:34.399 trust him more and more for our faith to be 0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:38.000 developing and growing more and more. And that's what we're 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:40.520 looking at in today's broadcast. Again, if you can join 0:01:40.520 --> 0:01:43.600 us in James chapter one as we continue the message 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:46.120 seeing purpose in your problems and pain. 0:01:47.240 --> 0:01:51.360 Adelaide Pollard. Anybody ever heard of her name? Okay. I 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:55.200 bet you you sang her song because Adelaide Pollard wanted 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:57.520 to go to Africa as a missionary. This was back 0:01:57.520 --> 0:02:01.520 in the time when women weren't doing that. And, she 0:02:01.520 --> 0:02:03.840 knew God had called her to do this, so she 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:10.280 tried to raise support from the church. Uh huh. You 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:12.440 heard what I said. That's right. She tried to raise 0:02:12.440 --> 0:02:16.800 support from the church. Didn't get it. Here's what she said, 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:21.079 and I quote, I went through a crisis of soul. 0:02:21.240 --> 0:02:23.680 What does she mean by that? I went through a 0:02:23.680 --> 0:02:29.480 crisis of soul. God, you called me to this, but 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:34.800 you haven't provided for it. You called me to this. 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:40.560 But there's an issue or a problem. Now, you call 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:45.000 me to this, and I'm in pain because I don't 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:51.520 see this happening the way you said it ought to be. 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:55.280 So she went to a prayer meeting that night, and 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:58.639 one of the teenagers, she said, that's a senior citizen. 0:02:58.639 --> 0:03:02.630 One of the teenagers just prayed a one line prayer 0:03:03.070 --> 0:03:05.910 and she said God ministered to her in that one 0:03:05.910 --> 0:03:09.070 line prayer. She went home that night and this is 0:03:09.070 --> 0:03:13.070 the song she wrote. Have thine own way, Lord. Have 0:03:13.070 --> 0:03:18.110 thine own way. Thou art the potter. I am the clay. 0:03:18.710 --> 0:03:22.950 Make me and mold me after your will. While I'm waiting. 0:03:22.990 --> 0:03:26.990 Yielded and still. Have your own way, Lord. Have your 0:03:26.990 --> 0:03:33.470 own way. Wow, man. That's it. When are we going 0:03:33.470 --> 0:03:36.390 to realize that the Christian boat is a rowboat, not 0:03:36.390 --> 0:03:39.710 a motor boat? Because in a motor boat, you got 0:03:39.710 --> 0:03:42.430 all that power and you can see where you're going. 0:03:42.430 --> 0:03:46.910 But if you're in a rowboat, you can't see where 0:03:46.910 --> 0:03:51.470 you're going. It's the old coxwain. Remember that? That thing 0:03:51.470 --> 0:03:53.910 in the Olympics, the coxwain. They got the longboat with 0:03:53.910 --> 0:03:57.470 all the guys in it. They say stroke, stroke, stroke. 0:03:57.510 --> 0:03:59.910 This guy. Tell him the stroke. He ain't doing nothing. 0:04:01.590 --> 0:04:04.110 He's standing up there, he controlling the way they go. 0:04:04.150 --> 0:04:07.070 Stroke and the speed and everything. And you know what? 0:04:07.070 --> 0:04:12.990 That's Jesus. We Rowan supplying what's necessary to get things done. 0:04:12.990 --> 0:04:17.430 And and what happens? Jesus is saying row, row row 0:04:17.670 --> 0:04:23.830 row row. Notice secondly with me notice secondly with me 0:04:24.230 --> 0:04:27.430 the regal prerogative of God. You gotta be committed to 0:04:27.470 --> 0:04:30.750 it to have strength in your struggle. But then notice. Secondly, 0:04:30.750 --> 0:04:32.349 and this is where I'll stop. You got to have 0:04:32.350 --> 0:04:35.470 the right perspective about your struggle. Look at what it says, 0:04:35.470 --> 0:04:39.270 my brethren. Count it all joy when you fall into 0:04:39.270 --> 0:04:42.350 divers temptation. I want you to see something here, because 0:04:42.350 --> 0:04:44.590 what he's going to tell us two things he's going 0:04:44.630 --> 0:04:47.750 to say. There's an attitude towards suffering that demonstrates you 0:04:47.750 --> 0:04:50.790 have the right perspective. Here's what he said. When we 0:04:50.790 --> 0:04:52.549 go into trouble, let me just speak for myself, because 0:04:52.550 --> 0:04:55.390 I know ain't nobody going to relate to it. Going 0:04:55.390 --> 0:05:04.670 through something. Why? Why me? Why now? Why this? And 0:05:04.670 --> 0:05:07.390 James is saying that's not the right perspective. It's not 0:05:07.390 --> 0:05:12.750 the right question. Not why? What? See, God must work 0:05:12.750 --> 0:05:15.630 in you before he works for you so he can 0:05:15.630 --> 0:05:18.070 work through you. Let me say that again. That God 0:05:18.070 --> 0:05:21.150 must work in you before he works for you, so 0:05:21.150 --> 0:05:23.789 he can work through you. The idea is he wants 0:05:23.790 --> 0:05:26.190 to work through you. So whenever you begin to think 0:05:26.190 --> 0:05:27.990 about it, we talked about this before. Some of you 0:05:27.990 --> 0:05:31.790 may remember there on the boat and the boat's doing 0:05:31.790 --> 0:05:33.190 the nay, nay. I don't know how to do it, but, 0:05:33.230 --> 0:05:35.710 you know, stanky legs, stanky leg, the boat, the boat, 0:05:35.710 --> 0:05:39.309 the boat is doing it all right. It's doing it. 0:05:40.150 --> 0:05:42.950 And they're they're afraid. Fishermen who fished on the Sea 0:05:43.029 --> 0:05:46.190 of Galilee all their life as little boys, as teens, 0:05:46.230 --> 0:05:50.190 as adolescents, as adults. And there's a storm that they 0:05:50.190 --> 0:05:53.830 ain't never seen before. And they say, man, Jesus, it's storm. 0:05:53.830 --> 0:05:57.870 What you going to do? And Jesus says, don't be afraid. 0:05:57.990 --> 0:06:02.670 And then he says, storm, shut up. Now, here's the question. 0:06:02.670 --> 0:06:06.310 Some of you may remember. Why did he tell them? 0:06:06.310 --> 0:06:10.270 Don't be afraid before he stopped the storm. Because in 0:06:10.270 --> 0:06:12.589 my way of thinking, he stopped the storm. They stopped. 0:06:12.589 --> 0:06:18.190 Be afraid. No. Jesus knew he must steal the storm 0:06:18.190 --> 0:06:22.470 on the inside before he steals the storm on the outside. 0:06:22.589 --> 0:06:25.910 Because often when he steals the storm on the outside, 0:06:25.910 --> 0:06:28.670 the storm is still raging on the inside. You don't 0:06:28.670 --> 0:06:32.270 believe it? Okay. Then why are you still struggling with 0:06:32.270 --> 0:06:35.150 something that happened ten years ago? Why are you still 0:06:35.150 --> 0:06:37.870 struggling with. Why are you still tore up from the 0:06:37.870 --> 0:06:41.349 floor up about some stuff that was done to you 0:06:41.470 --> 0:06:45.790 that you ain't got over yet? Because you got a 0:06:45.790 --> 0:06:52.870 storm inside. And Jesus had to steal that storm. Why? 0:06:54.510 --> 0:07:00.110 Why not me? Why not now? Why not? This attitude 0:07:00.230 --> 0:07:02.910 determines action. That's what he's trying to get us to see. 0:07:02.950 --> 0:07:04.589 And he says, count it all joy. Now I'm talking 0:07:04.589 --> 0:07:06.630 about counting money. But wait a minute. What do you mean, joy? 0:07:07.190 --> 0:07:09.989 I'm glad he didn't say happiness. Wanna know why? Because 0:07:10.030 --> 0:07:15.070 happiness depends on what happens. But joy is independent of circumstances. 0:07:15.070 --> 0:07:17.430 So we know two things. Because he used the word joy. 0:07:17.470 --> 0:07:19.750 Number one, we know it's the fruit of the spirit. 0:07:20.630 --> 0:07:25.270 Number two, we know that it is joy that's independent 0:07:25.270 --> 0:07:27.630 of circumstance. That's what we know. You say, what are 0:07:27.630 --> 0:07:31.110 you talking about? Joy is produced in the yielded life 0:07:31.110 --> 0:07:34.110 of a believer by the Holy Spirit. You have to 0:07:34.110 --> 0:07:37.590 be filled with the spirit to get joy. Ephesians 518. 0:07:37.630 --> 0:07:38.990 Now I'm not going to go through them, but if 0:07:38.990 --> 0:07:40.830 you're taking notes, you may want to write them down. 0:07:40.830 --> 0:07:47.510 Galatians chapter five 2223. Fruit of the spirit Romans five three. Tribulation. Work. Patience. 0:07:47.550 --> 0:07:51.510 Second Corinthians seven four. First Peter one six. David's running 0:07:51.510 --> 0:07:54.630 from Absalom, and he pens in Psalm five, the joy 0:07:54.630 --> 0:07:56.590 of the Lord is my strength. Wait a minute, David. 0:07:56.630 --> 0:08:00.710 They're trying to kill you! Ahithophel has betrayed you. Your 0:08:00.710 --> 0:08:02.989 own son is trying to kill you. Your armies turn 0:08:02.990 --> 0:08:06.630 against you. Your people don't like you. Why are you 0:08:06.630 --> 0:08:10.710 up there laughing and and praising him? Because the joy 0:08:10.870 --> 0:08:16.910 of the Lord is my strength. See, when you're baptized 0:08:16.910 --> 0:08:18.950 by the spirit, I hope y'all don't mind a little teaching. 0:08:18.950 --> 0:08:22.230 When you're baptized by the spirit, you belong to his body. 0:08:22.230 --> 0:08:24.590 But when you're filled with the spirit, your body belongs 0:08:24.590 --> 0:08:27.710 to him. See first Corinthians 1213 for by one spirit 0:08:27.710 --> 0:08:30.190 are you all baptized into one body? Have all been 0:08:30.190 --> 0:08:33.510 made to drink of that same spirit? I belong to 0:08:33.550 --> 0:08:37.110 his body, but now filled with the spirit. My body 0:08:37.110 --> 0:08:43.390 belongs to him. See, here's the question that James is 0:08:43.390 --> 0:08:47.510 bringing up. It's not how much of him I have, 0:08:47.870 --> 0:08:52.470 but how much of me does he have? That's what 0:08:52.470 --> 0:08:57.589 it is. Do you trust him? Yes. In a time 0:08:57.590 --> 0:09:02.020 of trouble. Count it all, Joy. It's a math term. 0:09:02.020 --> 0:09:05.980 Now to get this. It's commanded, it's imperative, yet it's compassionate. 0:09:05.980 --> 0:09:09.780 Notice compassion with command, my brethren, 15 times in the 0:09:09.780 --> 0:09:12.459 book of John, my brethren. Why? To kind of ease 0:09:13.179 --> 0:09:18.700 the punch. But it is a command. Count it all joy. 0:09:20.380 --> 0:09:23.579 I like how he does this. He's sensitive to their pain, 0:09:23.580 --> 0:09:26.500 yet straight to the point. He's speaking the truth in love. 0:09:26.540 --> 0:09:30.260 He's saying focus on the product that God has and 0:09:30.260 --> 0:09:36.620 not the pain that you had. Um. I don't know 0:09:36.620 --> 0:09:41.060 about you, but. But we can still have joy, can't we, um, 0:09:41.100 --> 0:09:43.700 see the same praise it took to get you up. 0:09:43.740 --> 0:09:45.900 It's the same praise it take to get you out. 0:09:46.380 --> 0:09:50.500 God is due the same praise in the good as 0:09:50.500 --> 0:09:53.780 well as in the bad. And so it doesn't matter. 0:09:53.780 --> 0:09:56.819 You had some good days and you had some bad days, 0:09:56.820 --> 0:09:59.699 but you still have joy. You had some ups and 0:09:59.700 --> 0:10:02.940 some downs almost level to the ground, but you still 0:10:02.940 --> 0:10:07.900 have joy. You had some setbacks, drawbacks, pay backs broke back, 0:10:07.900 --> 0:10:11.660 but you still have joy. And so I had joy 0:10:11.700 --> 0:10:14.459 this morning. I had joy because I got up and 0:10:14.460 --> 0:10:16.620 I was on top of the ground, and the ground 0:10:16.620 --> 0:10:19.179 wasn't on top of me. I got up because I 0:10:19.179 --> 0:10:22.219 went and got me some food and ate it myself. 0:10:22.380 --> 0:10:25.540 I put on my own clothes. I got in my hooptie, 0:10:25.580 --> 0:10:29.699 drove over to the church under my own power. I'm limping, 0:10:29.700 --> 0:10:33.500 but I'm still walking. None of my kids died last night. 0:10:33.500 --> 0:10:39.140 My house didn't catch fire last night. I still have joy. 0:10:43.100 --> 0:10:46.260 My wife is in the hospital three times in the 0:10:46.260 --> 0:10:53.740 last two weeks. But I still have joy. And so 0:10:53.740 --> 0:10:57.140 you ought to rejoice. Yeah, yeah. He woke you up 0:10:57.140 --> 0:11:00.660 this morning. Rejoice. He gave you health and strength. Rejoice. 0:11:00.700 --> 0:11:02.740 You're clothed in your right mind. Well, at least some 0:11:02.740 --> 0:11:10.699 of you. Rejoice. Eyes to see, ears to hear. Mouth 0:11:10.700 --> 0:11:22.620 to talk. Hands to touch. Feet to walk. Joy. Two churches. Smyrna. Philadelphia. 0:11:22.740 --> 0:11:26.620 Two best churches of the seven. Wonder why? Poverty and persecution. 0:11:26.900 --> 0:11:30.260 He said to them, you won't be persecuted for ten days. 0:11:30.500 --> 0:11:32.460 And you know, when I read that and I studied 0:11:32.460 --> 0:11:36.580 this with you, uh, we did revelation 20 years ago, 0:11:37.100 --> 0:11:39.460 and I remember studying for it. I said, oh, let 0:11:39.460 --> 0:11:43.179 me get my book on numerology because number ten. Mhm. 0:11:43.580 --> 0:11:46.820 Let's see what it means. Oh ten is the number 0:11:46.820 --> 0:11:50.100 for testing. Oh brother Vern I was getting ready man. 0:11:50.140 --> 0:11:53.020 I said that's nice. The Holy Spirit said that ain't 0:11:53.020 --> 0:11:58.700 the big deal. I said, what's the big deal? He said, 0:11:58.700 --> 0:12:02.020 you missed it right over your head. I said, well, 0:12:02.020 --> 0:12:09.060 you're the teacher. Teach me. He said, ten days. God 0:12:09.420 --> 0:12:13.780 knows when it's going to start. And God knows when 0:12:13.780 --> 0:12:22.380 it's going to stop. And it won't last forever. That's 0:12:22.380 --> 0:12:26.020 good news. I can't tell you when your trouble is 0:12:26.020 --> 0:12:28.180 going to be over. All I can tell you what 0:12:28.179 --> 0:12:31.819 the psalmist said. Weeping may endure for a night, but 0:12:31.820 --> 0:12:36.220 joy comes in the morning. Soon you will be done 0:12:36.220 --> 0:12:38.780 with the troubles of the world. Going home to be 0:12:38.780 --> 0:12:41.100 with God. He going to take you out or he 0:12:41.140 --> 0:12:43.780 going to take you up? Look at that. Both of 0:12:43.780 --> 0:12:45.700 them are good alternatives. 0:12:49.820 --> 0:12:52.260 Well, that is true, isn't it? You're listening to Treasure 0:12:52.260 --> 0:12:55.380 Truth with Pastor Ford. A message called seeing Purpose in 0:12:55.380 --> 0:12:58.340 your Problems and Pain. We'll get back to this teaching 0:12:58.340 --> 0:13:01.060 from Pastor Ford in just one moment. Maybe you joined 0:13:01.059 --> 0:13:02.860 us a little late, or, you know, you can't stay 0:13:02.860 --> 0:13:04.900 with us all the way to the end of the broadcast. 0:13:04.940 --> 0:13:07.300 You don't have to miss it. Come to our website. 0:13:07.300 --> 0:13:09.660 You can stream each and every program online. You can 0:13:09.660 --> 0:13:13.420 download MP3's or even order copies of this broadcast on CD. 0:13:13.460 --> 0:13:17.939 Just stop by Treasure truth radio. Back to the message. 0:13:17.940 --> 0:13:19.219 Here is Pastor Ford. 0:13:20.020 --> 0:13:21.900 When I was a little boy. Come on, help me, 0:13:21.900 --> 0:13:24.020 help me. We have some visitors. So you help me. 0:13:24.020 --> 0:13:27.460 Help me. My mom used to whoop my tail. Tell 0:13:27.460 --> 0:13:29.820 her rope like okra. She tell me she going to 0:13:29.820 --> 0:13:32.819 beat the black off of me. She told me she 0:13:32.860 --> 0:13:34.620 going to beat me in the next week. And then 0:13:35.540 --> 0:13:37.620 come in the next week and beat me back to today. 0:13:39.340 --> 0:13:43.020 And here's how I used to survive it. I'm telling you, 0:13:43.179 --> 0:13:45.620 I said, because, you know, my mama didn't play. She 0:13:45.620 --> 0:13:47.660 put welps on me. See, I told you she would 0:13:47.660 --> 0:13:49.500 go to jail today if she if she was ever 0:13:49.500 --> 0:13:53.380 with me today. Here's what I would be saying to myself. 0:13:53.820 --> 0:13:58.620 She can't whoop me forever. She can't whoop me forever. 0:13:58.820 --> 0:14:03.059 She can't whoop me forever. And sometimes I thought she 0:14:03.059 --> 0:14:05.340 was trying to make me out a liar. I thought 0:14:05.340 --> 0:14:10.460 she could read my mind. Any of y'all had them? Moments? 0:14:10.460 --> 0:14:15.900 Can do them all day. Whippings. Lord have mercy. Yeah. 0:14:16.100 --> 0:14:23.060 And it was over. Mm. Look, I'm telling you, he 0:14:23.060 --> 0:14:25.620 says we gotta count it all joy. What do you mean? 0:14:25.620 --> 0:14:28.260 That's what Paul did. Paul said, they said, Paul, we're 0:14:28.260 --> 0:14:30.260 going to kill you. He said, that's cool. To die 0:14:30.260 --> 0:14:32.700 is gain. They said, well, we'll let you live. He said, well, 0:14:32.700 --> 0:14:34.820 to live is Christ. They said, well, we'll make you suffer. 0:14:34.860 --> 0:14:37.260 He said, cool. Uh, for I reckon that the sufferings 0:14:37.260 --> 0:14:40.020 of this present time is not worthy to be compared 0:14:40.020 --> 0:14:42.740 with the glory which shall be revealed in us. He said, 0:14:42.740 --> 0:14:44.860 come on, bring it on. Because if you kill me, 0:14:44.860 --> 0:14:47.380 Imma be with Christ. If you let me live, I'm 0:14:47.380 --> 0:14:49.500 going to live for Christ. And if you make me suffer, 0:14:49.500 --> 0:14:51.820 I'm going to get a reward for Christ. So bring 0:14:51.820 --> 0:14:55.180 it on. It's all about Christ in Philippians 310. He said, 0:14:55.180 --> 0:14:57.700 I want to be like Jesus, to relate to him 0:14:57.700 --> 0:14:59.740 in Romans five two and three. He said, I want 0:14:59.890 --> 0:15:02.410 to look like Jesus and be a resource in Second 0:15:02.410 --> 0:15:05.050 Corinthians 417 and 18. He said, I want to be 0:15:05.050 --> 0:15:08.650 with Jesus. That's my reward. I can relate to him. 0:15:08.690 --> 0:15:14.570 I'll be a resource. I get a reward. Wow man, 0:15:14.570 --> 0:15:18.090 I gotta let you go. Cuz sometime I'm just like Pharaoh. 0:15:18.090 --> 0:15:21.930 Don't want to let God's people go. But I. I 0:15:21.970 --> 0:15:24.170 have to let you go. But but let me, let 0:15:24.170 --> 0:15:27.210 me summarize what he's saying. Let me summarize what what 0:15:27.210 --> 0:15:29.970 what he's trying to get us to understand. He wants 0:15:29.970 --> 0:15:35.010 us to know. Listen, you and I are are individuals 0:15:35.210 --> 0:15:38.970 who know what the Lord is able to do. Here's 0:15:38.970 --> 0:15:42.850 what he's saying. He's saying, listen, he's all we have, 0:15:43.930 --> 0:15:47.890 but he's all we need. Uh, yeah. See, he's our supplier. 0:15:47.890 --> 0:15:51.650 Philippians 419. But my God shall supply all your needs 0:15:51.650 --> 0:15:54.770 according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. If 0:15:54.770 --> 0:15:56.650 you need a little or you need a lot, uh, 0:15:56.650 --> 0:15:58.930 if you need a little, he's Jehovah Jireh. If you 0:15:58.930 --> 0:16:01.330 need a lot, he's El Shaddai. Shad, the Hebrew word 0:16:01.330 --> 0:16:05.570 for breast. Many breasted one I pluralizes it. In other words, listen, 0:16:05.570 --> 0:16:08.210 we have Jesus on our side. So then here's the 0:16:08.210 --> 0:16:11.130 principle that he tells us. Seek ye first the kingdom 0:16:11.130 --> 0:16:14.090 of God and His righteousness, and all these things and 0:16:14.090 --> 0:16:17.530 all these things. What things? All the things that everybody wants. 0:16:17.530 --> 0:16:19.610 He just gives them to us. We don't even have 0:16:19.610 --> 0:16:24.130 to ask for. Seek first his righteousness, his kingdom, his purity, 0:16:24.130 --> 0:16:26.610 and all these things will be. See if you want. 0:16:26.650 --> 0:16:29.650 If you want finances. He owns cattle on a thousand hills. 0:16:29.650 --> 0:16:31.810 He can slay some of em. Sell the beef and 0:16:31.810 --> 0:16:34.970 give you the money if you're sick. He's the Great physician. 0:16:34.970 --> 0:16:39.010 He's got northwestern and rush in the hem of his garment. 0:16:39.010 --> 0:16:42.010 You need food. John six says he's the manna, the 0:16:42.010 --> 0:16:45.410 bread that came down from heaven. If you need water, 0:16:45.410 --> 0:16:47.890 he's the living water, he said. Those who come to 0:16:47.890 --> 0:16:51.010 him out of their innermost being will flow rivers of 0:16:51.010 --> 0:16:54.050 living water. If you want beauty. He's the lily of 0:16:54.050 --> 0:16:57.609 the valley and the rose of Sharon. If you need sunshine, 0:16:57.610 --> 0:17:01.290 he's the bright and morning Star. If you need a friend, 0:17:01.290 --> 0:17:04.250 he's a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He's 0:17:04.250 --> 0:17:07.530 a friend that loves at all times. If you need 0:17:07.530 --> 0:17:10.730 the stability. He's the Rock of ages on Christ, the 0:17:10.730 --> 0:17:14.290 solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. 0:17:14.290 --> 0:17:17.730 If you need guidance. He's the great shepherd of the 0:17:17.730 --> 0:17:21.450 sheep who leads me in paths of righteousness for his 0:17:21.450 --> 0:17:24.409 name's sake. If you're tired, he said, come unto me, 0:17:24.410 --> 0:17:27.170 all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I 0:17:27.170 --> 0:17:30.210 will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Learn 0:17:30.210 --> 0:17:32.770 of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, 0:17:32.770 --> 0:17:35.489 and you shall find rest unto your soul. If you 0:17:35.490 --> 0:17:38.330 need peace, he says, my peace I give unto you, 0:17:38.369 --> 0:17:40.930 not as the world giveth I unto you. And what 0:17:40.930 --> 0:17:42.169 I don't know what to do. You know what he 0:17:42.170 --> 0:17:45.050 tells me? He says, trust in me with all your heart. 0:17:45.090 --> 0:17:47.810 Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways 0:17:47.810 --> 0:17:51.210 acknowledge me, and I will direct your path. And then 0:17:51.250 --> 0:17:53.650 you know what he says when I'm struggling. I was 0:17:53.650 --> 0:17:57.129 talking to my lovely wife and I'm feeling bad. I 0:17:57.130 --> 0:18:00.730 added them up. We've been in Chicago 35 years. My 0:18:00.730 --> 0:18:05.650 wife has had 17 major illnesses in 35 years. I'm 0:18:05.650 --> 0:18:07.610 not going to take time and name them all, but 0:18:07.609 --> 0:18:12.729 I'm telling you. 17 major. Now she's going to struggle 0:18:12.730 --> 0:18:14.770 for the rest of her life. Have to use an 0:18:14.770 --> 0:18:18.090 inhaler and nebulisers and all of that. And she was 0:18:18.090 --> 0:18:23.050 crying and she was saying, oh, I don't know why again. 0:18:23.369 --> 0:18:28.889 Why me? Why don't he get you sometime? And I said, 0:18:28.890 --> 0:18:31.210 I guess, baby, he just want me to be the strength. 0:18:31.290 --> 0:18:34.169 He just want me to stay by the stuff, you know? 0:18:34.210 --> 0:18:37.090 I guess he know. Just like having a baby. I 0:18:37.090 --> 0:18:40.889 can't handle all that. She said, I said so you 0:18:40.890 --> 0:18:42.690 know I can't help you, I can't. I can pray, 0:18:42.730 --> 0:18:44.730 you know, pray with me. I said, well, what you 0:18:44.730 --> 0:18:47.290 doing now, baby? Here's what she told me. She said, 0:18:47.290 --> 0:18:49.770 you know what I'm doing? I'm praying for strength in 0:18:49.770 --> 0:18:54.210 my struggle. Amen. Because it's obvious he ain't going to 0:18:54.210 --> 0:18:55.570 heal me. Because I done prayed and I know I 0:18:55.570 --> 0:18:58.490 got faith. So I'm praying for strength in my struggle. 0:18:58.530 --> 0:19:00.050 I said, okay, I'm going to pray for it too. 0:19:00.090 --> 0:19:02.650 She said, wait a minute, here's my verse. They that 0:19:02.690 --> 0:19:05.170 wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall 0:19:05.210 --> 0:19:07.690 mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and 0:19:07.690 --> 0:19:11.330 not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. She said, 0:19:11.330 --> 0:19:14.570 I'm going to take everything that he is for everything 0:19:14.570 --> 0:19:17.929 that I need, and I am going to glorify him. 0:19:17.970 --> 0:19:20.889 Then guess what she did? Brought me to tears, because 0:19:20.890 --> 0:19:23.490 in the midst of her pain and she could hardly breathe. 0:19:23.490 --> 0:19:27.689 But she had heard that, uh, my my secretary's father, uh, 0:19:27.690 --> 0:19:29.889 had been rushed to the hospital, and she got on 0:19:29.890 --> 0:19:32.570 the phone and she said, Miss Emma, I just called 0:19:32.570 --> 0:19:34.690 to tell you we love you. And we're. And she's 0:19:34.690 --> 0:19:38.610 doing this while she's wheezing. Miss Emma, just wanted to 0:19:38.609 --> 0:19:41.650 tell you we love you. And I want to pray 0:19:41.650 --> 0:19:44.410 for you. I want to pray for you, said Sister Ford. 0:19:44.410 --> 0:19:45.609 Get off the phone. You don't need to be on 0:19:45.609 --> 0:19:47.810 the phone. I need to pray for you. I need 0:19:47.810 --> 0:19:50.010 to pray for you and your father. And she prayed 0:19:50.010 --> 0:19:57.609 for her and her father. And I said, baby, why 0:19:57.609 --> 0:20:02.609 do you punish yourself? Herself. She said, I have purpose 0:20:02.609 --> 0:20:10.530 in my path. What about you today? Do you have 0:20:10.530 --> 0:20:14.210 purpose in your pain? Do you understand who he is 0:20:14.250 --> 0:20:17.330 and all that he's done? Do you know that even 0:20:17.330 --> 0:20:19.930 though he had no servants, they still called him master? 0:20:20.290 --> 0:20:22.090 Do you know that even though he had no degrees, 0:20:22.090 --> 0:20:24.730 they still called him teacher? And even though he had 0:20:24.730 --> 0:20:27.810 no medicines, he still was a healer. He had no armies. 0:20:27.810 --> 0:20:31.530 Yet kings feared him. He won no military battles, yet 0:20:31.530 --> 0:20:35.490 he conquered the world. He had no formal education, but 0:20:35.490 --> 0:20:39.210 he knew everything there was to know. He had no 0:20:39.210 --> 0:20:41.810 place to lay his head. But he said, Heaven is 0:20:41.810 --> 0:20:46.090 my throne. Earth is my footstool. He committed no crime, 0:20:46.090 --> 0:20:50.090 yet they crucified him and hung up the sun of glory. 0:20:50.210 --> 0:20:53.050 But guess what he said he in the Garden of Gethsemane. 0:20:53.050 --> 0:20:55.170 Let this cup pass, let this cup pass, let this 0:20:55.170 --> 0:20:57.330 cup pass. And his humanity. He didn't want to do it. 0:20:57.330 --> 0:20:59.840 He didn't want to drink the dregs of our sin. 0:20:59.880 --> 0:21:01.840 He didn't want to be separated from the father for 0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:05.160 the first time in all of eternity. God turning his 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:08.000 back on God because of our sin. But yet the 0:21:08.000 --> 0:21:10.920 Bible says in Hebrews 12 two, who for the joy. 0:21:11.119 --> 0:21:15.280 Independent of the suffering, independent of the circumstances. Jesus had 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:18.480 joy when he went to the cross. Why? Hebrews 211 0:21:18.520 --> 0:21:23.000 through 15. Because he saw you, and you, and you, 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:26.720 and you and me and you. And it brought him 0:21:26.720 --> 0:21:30.240 joy that he would take us from hell to heaven. 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:33.800 Take us from sinner to saint. Take us from rejects 0:21:33.800 --> 0:21:38.560 to redemption, from earth to glory for all of eternity. 0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:43.720 There was purpose in his problems and his pain, and 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:46.680 so there is for you. 0:21:49.760 --> 0:21:53.280 This is a challenging message from Pastor Ford today. Finding 0:21:53.280 --> 0:21:57.040 joy despite our circumstances doesn't come naturally. It really does 0:21:57.040 --> 0:21:59.320 take the work of the Holy Spirit. You know you're 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:02.720 listening to treasure Truth and a message called Seeing Purpose 0:22:02.720 --> 0:22:06.119 in Your Problems and Pain. You know, here at Treasure Truth, 0:22:06.119 --> 0:22:10.240 we believe that the Bible is inerrant. It's utterly trustworthy. 0:22:10.560 --> 0:22:12.880 It's the Word of God, and the only book with 0:22:12.880 --> 0:22:16.119 a message that can save a dying world and introduce 0:22:16.119 --> 0:22:19.840 humanity to Jesus Christ. And the fact that you're listening. Well, 0:22:19.840 --> 0:22:22.600 that's a good sign that you probably agree. But many 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:25.719 people in our culture see the scriptures as just another 0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:29.080 book filled with wise sayings, genealogies, and maybe a few 0:22:29.080 --> 0:22:32.080 crazy visions. And then there are some people who fall 0:22:32.080 --> 0:22:35.720 somewhere in between. They know that the Bible is special, 0:22:35.720 --> 0:22:38.840 but they're not sure why. Or maybe they believe the Bible, 0:22:38.840 --> 0:22:41.240 but they don't really read it and so they can't 0:22:41.240 --> 0:22:44.760 explain their beliefs to someone. Maybe you feel like you 0:22:44.760 --> 0:22:47.680 fit into that category. I mean, can you answer or 0:22:47.680 --> 0:22:51.360 give good reasons for why you believe? Well, we'd like 0:22:51.359 --> 0:22:53.560 you to have a book by John MacArthur called Why 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:57.520 Believe the Bible? This practical resource reveals the truth about 0:22:57.520 --> 0:23:00.159 the Bible, and it will help you grasp its meaning 0:23:00.160 --> 0:23:03.240 for your daily life. You can request a copy when 0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:05.359 you give a gift of any amount to treasure truth. 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:10.919 Just call us at 880 844 7660 or go online 0:23:10.920 --> 0:23:15.360 to Treasure Truth Radio.com. To send a check. Our address 0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:22.000 is Treasure Truth, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. 0:23:22.920 --> 0:23:25.560 Support the teaching of God's Word on this station by 0:23:25.600 --> 0:23:28.120 giving a gift of any amount and receive the book 0:23:28.480 --> 0:23:31.640 Why Believe the Bible by John MacArthur. Again, our phone 0:23:31.640 --> 0:23:37.719 number is 888644 7660. Or come to treasure Truth radio org. 0:23:38.720 --> 0:23:41.280 I'm Steve Hiller, our producer is Amy Rios. Join us 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:44.520 again Thursday for more Bible teaching from Pastor Ford here 0:23:44.520 --> 0:23:49.080 on Treasure truth. A production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:23:49.080 --> 0:23:50.640 of Moody Bible Institute.