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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want to give you a little test on trial because we all have them, we know that. But the title is Faith on Trial. Now turn in your Bible because you need to see this verse in your Bible. And if you don’t have it underlined, I would underline this verse in your Bible. It’s in the book of 1 Peter in chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. After we trust Christ as Savior, we know that our faith is on trial.

And God says the trying of your faith is more precious and golden-sized and gold and silver, though it would be tridewood fire. And that one day, believe it or not, those trials that we go through in life is worth more than gold and silver. Then every man shall have praise, honor, and glory. So I don’t know how that’s all gonna work, but I’m sure God will take care of that. Let’s just be found faithful. We may not figure out all the details about this stuff, about these reward and the crowns and the praise, honor, and glory, but let’s just be faithful and keep serving the Lord.

And God will take care of all those things we don’t know and don’t understand. But let’s be found faithful to serve Him. So the statement there is if you serve God, there is a price to pay. If you serve God, now we talked about this here last week, where we talked about being a disciple and coming from the book of Luke chapter 14. And so the cost of discipleship, believe it or not, we’ve already got it up and got it on the website.

But I want you to take a look at it because you always are weighing things in your mind. What am I gonna get out of it? And what’s it gonna cost me? What do I get out of it? I thought about what am I giving up to serve the Lord? And I realized I may be giving up something, but I can’t afford not to serve the Lord. Cause when you learn enough, you realize, how can I not? And so there is a price that you had paid.

Now the next statement, if you serve the devil, slash sin, there is a price to pay. So it’s gonna cost you one way or the other. This life isn’t free. It’s gonna cost you one way or the other. So if you gotta pay, you might go try to get as much as you can for your money. Redeeming the times because the days are evil and realize that there is a price to pay. So you’re gonna pay a price if you serve a Lord, you’re gonna pay a price if you don’t serve a Lord.

It’s gonna cost you either way. But when you serve the Lord and you pay a price, it’s just a temporary price here, but look at what you’re going to get when you get to heaven because this is what the Lord talks about. So the question here is the cost of rebellion versus the cost of obedience. Nobody can make this decision for you. Every man has to decide for himself, will I or won’t I? So look at the first thing here, the cost of rebellion.

Number one, there is a price to pay. In James, in chapter one, in verse 15, I want you to take your Bible, and we’re gonna look at these verses as we go, so just be prepared because you need to get where you can find all these verses very easily in the Word of God. That’s what gives you a working knowledge. If you only read notes and only had notes with the Scriptures on them, and never look at your Bible, then you’ll never get to the Bible.

And so I’ve got to get you there one way or the other. And James, in chapter one, look down here at verse 15. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Where does temptation come from? God, right? Well look what he says in verse 13, let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempted he any man. God never tempts us to do wrong.

Never. He allows us to be tested, but he never tempts us to do evil. But are we going to be tested? Yep, we’re going to be tested. And so it’s just like when you pull, you know, plumbing in a house, they usually put some pressure on the pipelines or the gas line to see whether it’s going to hold. And so they put more pressure on it than the normal use so that you know if it ever does build us to pressure whether or not Is he gonna spring a leak you got to fix it?

Can you take the pressure? So God allows us to have pressure there is pressure in our life so In your notes there When it is finished it bring it forth death now understand it everybody is gonna die physically But death also means separation and can mean separation in a lot of other ways So I wrote down separation from the will of God. In other words, sin will separate you from the will of God because that’s not where God is.

That’s not what He wants you to do. Sin will separate you from the rewards that you could have had if you’d have been faithful and served the Lord. So it can separate some of these things from you. And also it can separate you from service because God will not use your put you on the shelf and you want to be used by God. One of the greatest things we have this side of eternity is to be used by God.

The last thing you ever want is to be put on the shelf and just left alone. God wants to use us. And so I also have separates from the joy of the Lord. And I’ll show you that in just a minute because, and I want you to look at this first, look here in the book of Psalms 51, because when David had messed up, he had to pray to the Lord. And this is what he prayed and you need to see that in the book of Psalms, book of Psalms, and chapter 51.

He makes a great prayer here, but notice some of the things that he says. You’ll notice in Psalms 51, he talks about, yes, I was shaping in iniquity and in sin did my mother can save me and so forth. But this is what he says here in verse 12, restore unto me and you ought to unline this part of it, the joy of my salvation. He didn’t lose salvation, but you lose the joy that you ought to have. And he says, and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Then after which he gets right with the Lord, then he says, I can do this. Then while I teach transgressors, their ways and sinners shall be converted in these. In other words, Lord, I want to be used. I want to be used. Restoring me the joy of my salvation. And I will teach others what you’ve taught me, what I’ve learned. Look at what else he says. Look down there in verse 17. The sacrifices of God are in your underlyingness in your Bible.

A broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. Oh God, thou will not despise. God’s always allows us to be tested, but the testing sometimes reveal to us our pride. So when we fail, God wants a broken and a contrite heart. In other words, to humble yourself to the Lord, Lord, I messed up and God forgives and we move on. And then you can be used by the Lord to teach from the lessons that you’ve learned. We’re to learn from every trial we go through.

Some of them will pass. Some of the tests we may fail, but always keep moving on with the Lord. Look at the next statement we have We have here in pressures of the yoke and due to army 28. I want you to look at that verse. I’ll often refer to it when I’m. precious of the yoke. And look in verse 47 and 48. Now remember he’s talking to the children of Israel. told them some things about the do’s and the don’ts.

And he makes a statement here in verse 47, because thou serveth not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things. When you consider how good God has been to us and all the things he’s given to us. And if you don’t serve the Lord with joyfulness of heart, then this is what he says He’s going to do. In verse 48, therefore, shall thou serve thine enemies, which the Lord shall send them against the inhunder, in thirst, nakedness, in one of all things.

And he shall put a yoke of iron upon thine neck until he has destroyed thee. So in your note there, He shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck. In other words, it’s that pressure, that heaviness that comes upon you when you don’t serve the Lord with joyfulness of heart. There’s a price to pay. And pressure isn’t bad. It all depends on if it pushes you closer to the Lord. Or if it becomes a wedge and pushes you away from the Lord.

So everybody’s got pressure. Everybody’s got problems. It all depends on just what kind of an attitude do you have? Do you let the Lord use those things to make you happy? you stronger or you can let it come between you and the Lord and you’ll get weaker. You get further from the Lord. The next thing I want you to see is Proverbs chapter 29. I’m looking Proverbs chapter 29. I don’t think that notes in your notes but the book of Proverbs in chapter 29.

Proverbs 29. If you don’t have that verse wrote down here, you ought to write this verse down in your notes because it’s a good verse to remember. And look what he says here, these are always the warning, they’re instructions in the word of God, because every person needs to learn how to examine himself. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed without remedy. In the word God works with us, God gives us time, but if you can either humble yourself or be rebellious.

You can be submissive or harden your neck. So this verse is in the Bible and it’s something for us to keep in mind. So that’s what causes pressure of the yoke and this is a yoke of iron and it can become mighty heavy if you don’t serve the Lord with joyfulness of heart. Look at number 3 there, pleasure to enjoy and look there in Hebrews in chapter 11. Look in Hebrews chapter 11. And as I talk and if I say something you say, well that was good.

Once in a while I might say something that’s good. Write it in your notes because later on you can be able to use whatever you learn. Remember the purpose of learning is not just to ourselves it’s so that I can use it and you want to be used by the Lord. In Hebrews in chapter 11 look what he says about Moses here and look in verse 25. In verse 25 where it says, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Always remember there is pleasure in sin for a season but he was looking beyond this life and see that we’re choosing God lets us choose. Moses made a choice. Wasn’t it Joshua that said in chapter 24, verses 14 and 15, that I, me and my family, we choose, we’re gonna serve the Lord. That’s for me and my house, that’s what I choose. You have to make a choice. And so make your mind up, I am gonna serve the Lord.

And I want God’s will for my life. But no, it’s going to cost you because pressure’s gonna come. God is gonna test you in a lot of ways that you may not even expect, but He wants you to be found faithful. And remember, if you ever studied the book of Job, you ought to read the book of Job one time. But you didn’t do it in 15 minutes. But you ought to sit down and try to get that thing captured in your mind of what this one man went through and all the testing that he had and what was going on behind the scenes he knew nothing about.

And that can happen to you. Look at the next statement down here and I want you to look at this verse. Ephesians chapter 5, look there are any Ephesians, and chapter 5. The purpose of sowing, the purpose of sowing, because God is working with you and I as His children and we are to sow. But remember this, you cannot expect to reap a harvest if you kept all the seed in the barn. Did you understand what I said? You can’t expect the harvest if you keep all the seed in the barn.

You can have this Bible and 10 other Bibles and all the books on the shelves. This is my seeds. This is my bin. These are seeds and I’m supposed to sow the seed. And if you don’t sow the seed, don’t be looking for a harvest. So the seed. Learn what the Word of God has to say. Let me give you this old poem. by the sea of Blue Galilee. The Savior passed time and again. From the shore of the sea He call follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

He is calling today in the same earnest way. He is calling for fishers again. And the brightest names known up around God’s throne will be those who are fishers of men. You like that? If God left us here to be soul winners, if you want to get in his Hall of Fame, you better be a soul winner. Or that’s the purpose of your life. And God will bless you because of it. Now, look back here in this book of Ephesians in chapter 5.

chapter five, looking verse one and three, one, two and three. Be ye therefore followers of God, that word following me, be like imitators. You’re imitating your father, your child, you imitate your dad. As dear children, walk in love, as Christ also have loved us and have given himself for us and offering in a sweet sacrifice to God for a sweet smell and savor. In other words, our love for the Lord and the praise we give It’s like a sacrifice to God that he said, that’s a sweet smell.

Have you ever gone by a steak place and you can smell it cooking before you ever get inside? Oh, I can smell it. Smells so good. And Betty says, we can salad tonight and they can make it smell so good. Well, it smells good in the nostrils of God. And that is the service that we have, the joy that we have, the praise that we have, those sacrifices we’ve given on the bin. Thankful. All those things are wonderful to the Lord.

He says in verse three, but for an occasion all uncleanness or covetousness let not be once named among you as become of saints. Then you jump down here where he says in verse nine, he says, for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Now we know about the fruit of the spirit and the book of Galatians and chapter five and also the works of the flesh, all those are mentioned, but there’s something else I want you to see there.

look what he says in verse 11. Well, let’s look at verse 10, first of all, it just looks so good. Where it says, approving what is acceptable unto God. Now discerning life and discerning scriptures has been able to fund what is acceptable to God. Don’t trust your judgment, trust God’s judgment. And does God accept this? Is this what God wants? Always ask that. Verse 11, and have no fellowship with the unproofful works of darkness, but rather reprove them for it is a shame even to speak of those things, which are done of them in secret.

There’s something God don’t want us to know. He didn’t want Adam and Eve to even know the consequences of sin. He didn’t want them to sin. But when they did, they found out a whole lot. And there’s a little truth to what the devil told them. He says, you shall be like God, you’re no good and evil. And it’s not that they did. But there’s something God doesn’t want us to know. That’s why we don’t try to teach our children how to be bad.

We want to teach them how to do right. Because there’s something God doesn’t want them to do. We teach them the truth, the right thing to do. So that verse here, having no fellowship with the unproofful works of darkness. That’s not what God wants us to do. Now look at the next one, perfect vision. Perfect vision means that God has perfect vision and he can see through the dark. You and I, we have a problem. God can see everything.

That’s why he makes a statement here. And you oughta fill those out. Be sure your sin will find you out because nothing is ever hid from God. Now you’re making up a decision. Your mind, you’re always debating what you’re going to do. And so your faith is on trial and God is watching us and God is allowing us to be tempted and to be tested. He permits it, but he wants you to be found faithful. Give what else he says.

Done to bottom of the page there, the permanent result. Hebrews 1126, extemming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, greater riches. This means that there’s treasure in this world, but there’s something greater than this world. And that’s the rewards that we have when we serve the Lord. So the more you know and understand about this, the better decisions you can make, the wiser you can be. You only get one trip through in this life. You don’t get a rerun.

No instant replay is just one trip and you wanna get it right. You wanna get it right. All right, look at the other side of the page there, the cost of obedience. If you do wanna serve a Lord, if you do wanna serve a Lord, you gotta pray the salvation going to heaven, that’s free, don’t cost us anything. But serve the Lord, it will. There may be things you’ll have to quit and give up and so forth because it won’t help your testimony, won’t help you accomplish something.

is talking about running a race and getting rid of every weight, the sin that does so easily be said, set those things aside. So the more you study the word of God, the more you find out, that doesn’t help me. That doesn’t help me. That doesn’t help me. And being able to be mature enough to let that go. Let that go. Let that go. It’s not that you can’t do a lot of things, but are they gonna help you accomplish what God wants you to accomplish?

I want to give you something. It’ll take a second, but I think it’s worth it. I have people all the time that I have to talk to, you know, marriage couples and thing of people, college kids, teenagers, camp. We’re always trying to figure out about whether to get a boss or he got camp coming up. We’ve got the graduation coming up. We’ve got the other thing coming up. Betty’s going to the hospital and she’s got, you know, after a while it seemed like there’s an awful lot of pressure.

Do you think the preacher ever gets on the end pressure? Say, no. Somebody asked me today, he said, how are you doing? Fine. Now let me just kind of give you the preacher’s heart. Okay, you’ll bear with me while I read this to you. I didn’t write this, but this is my heart. This is saying how I think and I feel sometimes. I have a burden, pastor, that I’d like to lay on you. I listened, though he never knew that I had a burden too.

I took a tearful look toward mine, then his came into view. It was plain to see my burden was the larger of the two. I saw his load alongside mine, and though they both were real, the yoke he bore was made of wood, mine was made of steel. To him I said, come unto me, I’ll gladly carry thine, then whispered unto selflessness, but who will carry mine? I softly laid my burden down to help him bear his. While knowing that my heavy load, I’m not allowed to share.

I’ll help him with his burden then, regain mine after a while, why, or When will I sigh and wait once more? Well now I force a smile. I felt the chains of bondage till a captive came to me. He made me help him break the bands and aid him to be free. I saw the fetters bind in him and felt a pity pain. For his were made of little ropes and mine of heavy chain. I laid aside my heavy chains so he my help could borrow.

I’ll help free him of bondage now and think of mine tomorrow. A daughter knocked at study door. I had an urge to groan. Why bring your pebble out to me when mine are made stone? I smiled at him and listened. While believing in my doubt, I laid it down reluctantly and feigned a happy shout. I sat alone in darkened room and felt a shadow’s knife. Another came to share with me some darkness in his life. As I compared my night with his, his dart possessed a lack.

For his was just an evening shade while mine was midnight black. I slowly laid my nighttime down to help him seek for light. I’ll tread my dimming path again when I have made his bright. A troubled soul came to my door, problem to confide. I had a problem to that day. It was hard for me to hide. My problem was a mountain steep. His was just a little hill. My problem was an ocean wide and his a tiny reel.

Yet this my lot to fill his need and put mine on the shelf. For I must lay my heartake down and hide it from myself. He told me of a broken heart while mine was breaking too. I told him of amending God who makeeth all things new. He told me of his thirsty soul. I gave him living water. He said he was a broken vase. I told him of the potter. Another came when I was sick to say he had the flu.

His fever was 101. Mine was 102. Another came when I was faint to say that he was weak. Another came when I was dumb to say he could not speak. Another weeping seeker came for me his tears to dry. I went alone and wiped my eyes and told him not to cry. Another came when I was tired to say he needed rest. I lifted him with my weary arms and tried to give him zest. Now it’s late, and all have gone, each one to his abode.

So I must find my problems, then regain my heavy load. Where’s the burden I had born? I had it a while ago. Where’s the problem I must solve? I left it here I I know. Where’s the darkness I once knew? I now see only light. The chains, the tears, the pains, the fears are nowhere now in sight. I cannot find my broken heart. Where’s my fevered brow? I have a song the tears are gone. I cannot find them now.

My sickness now have turned to health and trust replaces fright. Assurance covers all my doubts. My darkness is now light. I heard a voice from heaven say, my child is always true. When you take care of others’ needs, I’ll take care of you.” You get it? You’ll find out. You’ll solve most of your problems when you get involved, helping people solve their problems. Because most times the advice you give, the wisdom in your counseling, whatever you do, is exactly what you needed for yourself.

You’d be surprised at some time the problem that I’m having, somebody else has the same problem. I’ve got to help them solve theirs. So I wind up counseling myself at the same time. But anyway, I wanted to share that with you because, see, there is a cost, a price you have to pay. And you wonder how in the world you’re going to get through certain things and everybody’s got problems. But you’ll read in the book of Galatians in chapter 6, talks about bear your own burdens.

Then he talks about bear the burdens of others. In other words, you got your load and then somebody else has got a load and you try to help them care theirs. You’d be surprised. The Lord take care of some of those things in your own life you couldn’t take care of. But just believe it, don’t figure out how it works. Just do it. Just trust the Lord and stay busy. But look at this first statement here. In 2 Timothy 3, 12, all that will live, what’s the word?

Godly. In Christ Jesus, what’s the next three words? Shall suffer persecution. If you live Godly, you’re gonna be, You have people that are going to fault you. They’re going to blame you. They’re going to cut you because by the very fact that if you serve the Lord, you are a natural rebuke to anyone who does not serve the Lord. And so you might as well know, not everybody is going to love you. But you’ll know that there’s somebody in heaven that loves you.

And sometimes that’s the only love you may get. So keep serving the Lord. Don’t stop. The next verse that we have here is in Luke chapter 14 where it says, deny thy self. Now remember this, we all have the desires of the flesh, we have the desires of the Lord, two births. So the desires of the flesh are powerful and they’re strong. If the desires of the Lord in your new birth are not strong enough then the desires of the all sinful nature will overpower.

And if you want to be victorious and you can be, you’re the one that decides which desires do you want to fulfill. So you need the strength of the Lord to forsake the desires of the flesh. You’ve got to keep them under control. You cannot trust your all sinful nature. Remember the verse talks about in Jeremiah in chapter 17 when he says as the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and who can know it? You can’t trust yourself. You trust the Lord.

And that doesn’t matter whether I’m talking to you or if I’m talking to myself. I’ve got to watch myself all the days of my life. You realize how easy it is to get burning mad, the anger, lose your cool. Just put me in a car and somebody, well, anyway, we’ll forget that. But it’s so easy. It really is. Are you ready to learn how to live your life as a strong Christian, lead others to Christ, or excel as a church worker or ministry leader, then look no further, then Florida Bible College of Tampa.

With traditional and online classes taught by instructors, with years of experience, Florida Bible College of Tampa can help you grow in your Christian life. Whether taking individual classes or working toward a one-year degree, Florida Bible College of Tampa is here for you. To learn more, visit online. at FloridaBibleCollege.us or call the Register of Bob Gilbert at 850227 5325. That’s 850227 5325. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. One day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Cada can meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.