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  THE TEST OF A TRUE CHURCH
  by Shane Idleman
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the
Christian walk, drawing parallels between the challenges in life and the
need to persevere in faith. It highlights the need to seek God's
principles of perseverance, discipline, and self-control, even in the
face of trials and tribulations. The message encourages listeners to
hold fast to their faith, to endure through difficulties, and to have an
urgent and fervent relationship with God.

Topics: "Perseverance in Faith", "Endurance through Trials"
Scripture References: Hebrews 10:36, James 1:22, Revelation 3:10, Hebrews 3:15, Mark 1:15

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the Christian
walk, drawing parallels between the challenges in life and the need to
persevere in faith. It highlights the need to seek God's principles of
perseverance, discipline, and self-control, even in the face of trials
and tribulations. The message encourages listeners to hold fast to their
faith, to endure through difficulties, and to have an urgent and fervent
relationship with God.

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CONTENT
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Company, or succeeded in business, succeeded in parenting, amen?
Succeeded in marriage, persevering. Anybody trying to get rid of those
holiday pounds from eight months ago? It takes perseverance. And
sometimes as Christians, we forget these principles that we know so well
in the world, perseverance, discipline, self-control, fortitude.

But when we get to Christianity, we forget that they also apply into
Christianity. The reason is they are God's principles. And God's
principles are so powerful that even an unbeliever can apply them and
succeed in business and in athletics.

How important is perseverance in athletics? Anybody that you've ever
heard of in the NBA or the MLB, major league baseball or football, NFL,
anybody that has ever done anything had to persevere. Natural ability
will take you so far, but it's the perseverance that will see you to the
end. Same thing this morning, you need to be encouraged in this area.

The power of perseverance, the test of a true church. And you're seeing
a lot of, anybody not unaware of what's going on in our nation? As they
raise the rainbow flag in the fire departments and right below the
United States flag, it is mockery. It's perversion at the highest level.

And you're starting to see churches that remain silent. They don't wanna
say anything. Then, and those who do, there's a line of demarcation
being drawn in the sand between those who will speak the truth of God
and those who will not.

And often you see the churches speaking the truth that are growing and
flourishing. A lot of persecution, but they are still growing and
flourishing because God is behind them. God is not behind a weak, woke
church.

He blesses those who want to speak His truth and love. And as I was
preparing this message on perseverance, I came across this old hymn.
Does anyone remember these words? When peace like a river attendeth my
way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot thou has taught
me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul.

Man, some of the greatest hymns we have ever sung have come from the
pain of perseverance. Like Job, sometimes we have to say, though He slay
me, yet will I trust Him. Guys, this principle is so important because
this really tilts the scale to whether you become a bitter Christian or
a better Christian.

Because as we go through challenges, we can become bitter and resentful
and angry at God, or we can say, though He slay me, yet will I trust
Him. Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. And
let me remind some of you, most of some of you know, but some of you
don't know that this hymn was written as Horatio Spatford, I believe he
was over the Atlantic possibly, probably the Atlantic back then.

And the captain woke him up and said, okay, sir, you can come out. This
is about the spot that the vessel went down earlier in the week and
where all of your daughters perished. And his wife sent him a telegram
back.

I think he was in London or somewhere, or she was, and she said
basically that all are gone, all have been lost, saved alone, I think
was her two words, saved alone. And he lost his daughters at sea. I
don't know what you've went through, but I don't think you've went
through four or five kids all at once.

And he was able to write that, though that has taught me to say it is
well, it is well with my soul. And guys, this is so important because
I've seen so many people become bitter and critical and just walking
around in a state of depression for the rest of their life because of
something they went through. And I'm not minimizing what we go through
because it can be challenging, extremely difficult, but at the end of
the day, you need to strengthen yourself in the Lord and say it is well,
it is well with my soul.

I will persevere to the end. No matter, God, what you take me through, I
will hold on to you, but you better be holding on to me as well because
He's the one that keeps you going. I mean, we talk a lot about, I'm just
holding on to the cross, I'm just holding on to Christ.

That's good, but thank God He's holding on to me because I don't trust
me. I don't trust me to hold on all the way. I trust Him to hold on to
me.

And perseverance is a mark of a true church. And so we are in
Revelation. We're finishing up next week on Father's Day.

Make sure you're here, man. We're finishing up with the last church in
Revelation, and then we're getting into the next message after that. The
title is Rapture Anxiety.

Rapture, do you know that's a clinical term now? Rapture Anxiety. So
many people have anxiety about the rapture. And that kind of tells you
where they're at spiritually because I have, many of you, we have no
anxiety about the rapture, and I'm gonna teach through it.

When is that gonna happen though? That's the question. That's the
question. We might go through some difficult seasons before God comes
again.

And I'm gonna be doing a podcast on that. I'm gonna be teaching more
because it's a very important topic. There's different views on this,
and that's where terms like pre-wrath or post-tribulation or these
terms, that's where they come from.

A lot of them, the millennium, of course, is one, but the rapture is
where a lot of Christians can be divided. Are we out of here before the
Antichrist is revealed in this one world system? Or will we go through
this time of tribulation, but God will preserve His people just like He
preserved the nation of Israel when He judged Egypt? And so I'm gonna
get into the different things. I'll just tell you up front, I don't have
a strong, this is what I believe without a shadow of a doubt, this is
exactly how it's going to happen because when great men of God,
theologians are divided.

What's a country preacher? How am I gonna take a position when these
great men of God are divided on the issue? But it's an important one
because my concern has always been, I didn't talk about any of this at
the first service, so you get an extra here. My concern is, and ever
since I came back to the Lord, 1999, reading, I mean, I've read, of
course, David, Jeremiah, Amir, Sephardi, Jacob, all the Calvary guys. I
know the rapture theology, premillennial, postmillennial, inside now.

I know the amillennialism. I know these views. I've studied them and
love these thoughts on it, and there's different thoughts.

But something that has always concerned me, and I said, you know, when I
have children, though, I'm gonna be careful because I don't want to tell
my kids, hey, don't worry. As soon as it gets tough, you're out of here.
Because what about if they're not? What about if they're not? Can you
imagine the blow to your faith? Dad taught me, we see the Antichrist.

We see the one-world system. Should I question everything about the
faith now? And because we do not know. I know people get upset at me,
and they might get upset at me now.

People have left this church over about what I'm telling you. At least
there is a part of it. I cannot, for certain, tell people they're out of
here when I don't know if they are gonna be out of here.

We might go through difficulties. We might see the Antichrist. And I'm
gonna break down why there are different views.

Now, I'm hoping God comes again. But what happens is you'll see a lot of
the Scriptures. I'm gonna go through all these.

It's gonna be a long teaching, probably a couple Sundays. All these
teachings, these Scriptures that are used for the rapture, where we
leave before the tribulation, those same Scriptures are used for the
second coming of Christ at the end of the age. And you can't use
Scriptures for two different events.

And so I'm gonna try to unpack all of that. I'm gonna show you the view
of the rapture before the tribulation. And the reason a lot of people
believe that is because God's wrath isn't poured out on believers,
obviously.

So either He preserves us or we're out of here before the tribulation.
And also, a lot of people believe that God's plan for Israel can't
happen until the church is removed. But I've always asked the question,
why not? Why can't God run two parallel plans? And so I'm gonna try to
unpack these in the weeks to come.

But I'll also be preaching in Idaho and different places. So it'll be
sporadic here and there with Pastor Abram preaching while I'm gone.
He'll be, I think, in the Gospel of John still.

And so it's great to mix the Gospels with the Revelation series. So
anyway, Revelation 3, Jesus is talking to the church in Philadelphia. He
said, write these things to this church and remind them that this is
coming from He who is holy and He who is true.

I have the key of David and I open and shut doors. And when I shut a
door, no one can open. And I was reminded of the dire and urgent need
for truth and holiness again.

Isn't that so true? The predicament we are in in our nation is directly
related to these two issues. Instead of embracing holiness, we're
embracing perversion. And if you've seen some of the clips from the gay
pride parade in Hollywood, little kids watching, it breaks my heart.

This is Sodom and Gomorrah times 10. And yes, that's gonna upset people,
but that's the truth. We need to return to God's standard, return to
holiness.

And if that upsets people watching later, I don't care, I don't want to
accept God. I'm more afraid of God than you. Did you know that? I'm more
afraid of God than the negative Nellies out there.

It's kind of nice the lights are low because I can't tell if you're
upset or not. Because you know, sometimes you get these looks. But
holiness, guys, we gotta get back to the holy standard of God.

His Word says, come out from among them and be holy. Teach your children
what is right and good and things that are pure and honest, not things
that are perverted. And especially sexual perversion of all things that
will take a nation down.

I can just, can you imagine the boardroom in China at their executive
level in their military? Look at these clowns. Look at these clowns in
the United States. They're teaching their children how to break down a
nine millimeter.

We're teaching them how to change your sex. And also truth. Jesus said,
I am He, full of holiness and truth.

The truth of God's Word. The truth will prevail. And that's one thing
that we have that the others don't.

We have the truth on our side. So yes, I might be marginalized. Yes, I
might be canceled by the canceled culture.

But I want to wake up the woke. I want to get back to God's Word and the
truth of God's Word. And this type of authority, Jesus said, I have the
key.

And this authority points to the fact that Jesus fulfilled God's
covenant to David. What God said to David, they call it the divinic
covenant. And Jesus fulfilled that.

And this last one, you need to be reminded of often. Who can close a
door that God opens? We get so worried, oh, look what's going on. If God
opens a door, who's going to close it? Who's going to stop God Almighty?
Is He confused? Does He not know what's going on? Nothing can stop God
Almighty.

We need to remind ourselves. I wish I could just tell you that every
Sunday. All right, guys, next thing, let's get started.

Who can stop God Almighty? No matter what you're going through, what
plans can be thwarted by the enemy that God wants to do? How can God
stop, or how can the devil prevent what God wants to do in your life?
How can the enemy rob your children of spiritual victory if God is for
you? Who can be against you? And reminding ourselves, who sits on the
throne? The enemy is a created being. God is not a created being. He
says, the earth is My footstool, and I will put a step on the neck of
the enemy.

And we remind ourselves that if God be for you, who can be against you?
But it's also interesting, Jesus said, I tell you the truth, I am the
door. I am the door for the sheep. And in that passage of the Gospel, He
talks about that there are many wolves and thieves and those who try to
come in and grab the sheep.

Jesus said, I am the only true shepherd. He comes, I am the door for the
sheep. And of course, it parallels with Him saying that nobody comes to
the Father except through Me.

So this could have obviously far-reaching implications. And He said, I
know your works. I know your works.

I see, even if nobody sees what you're doing, God does. God sees how
you're giving to people and your gracious heart, your humility. He sees
those things.

And He says, see, because of this, I've set before you an open door, and
no one can shut it. Now, theologians are divided if you look at
different commentaries, Ellicott Commentary, the different Bible hub has
different commentaries on there. And it could be an actual door where
the church is able to go through and minister more or possibly a new
building.

You know, in this time, they had church plants, maybe a bigger, you
know, or an open door to testify for me. We're not really clear exactly
what it is, but we know that Jesus set before them an open door and
nobody's going to shut it. For you have a little strength.

Anybody here this morning with a little strength? I can relate. I can
relate. You know, as we often say, if you're barely holding on, make
sure it's to the hem of His garment.

Do you know God just needs a little strength? It's amazing, just a
little strength because in your weakness, you are strong, Paul said. And
it's interesting, Jesus took the smallest seed almost in the world. Have
you ever seen a mustard seed? I could drop it and you wouldn't even see
it.

And then from that, He said, if you have faith as a mustard seed, it's
going to grow into one of the biggest fruit-bearing trees there. I don't
know what mustard is. I don't know how they make mustard.

I guess let me retract fruit-bearing. I don't know what that tree is.
It's a big tree though.

I've seen pictures of them in Jerusalem and in Israel. It's a big green,
it looks almost like a bush, but it's enormous. And it comes from this
tiny seed.

And so He said here, you have a little strength, but it's great strength
in God's kingdom. And you have kept My Word and have not denied My
faith. This will be the biggest test to your Christianity that you have
ever faced, and that is persecution and tribulation.

That's where the rubber meets the road. That's why you have a lot of
these actors and actresses in Hollywood, oh, I thank God, and I thank
God for this. Yeah, watch when the hard times hit.

Watch when it might cost you something. This is the true test of a
church and a believer, perseverance. Perseverance, because that means
your faith is golden.

It's real, it's genuine. Because no matter what it costs, Christ's cost
paid a greater price. And the cost to follow Him outweighs any other
cost.

So they have little strength and they have kept His Word and they did
not deny Him. Now, that word kept is interesting. In the Greek, it means
like a vessel, a boat that they would have where you'd steer with the
rudder, it keeps its course.

So when a vessel heads out, does it keep its course perfectly? Or does
it drift off sometimes? The wind can blow it off course. But instead of
the wind blowing it off course and it getting completely out of
direction, what does it do? It uses the compass. And it turns the rudder
and it keeps the course.

So even through the storm, even through the waves, even through the
wind, it keeps the course. That's what He's saying here. The believer,
even through the waves, the storms, the difficulty, you are keeping your
course.

And that's why I often say it's not about perfection, it's about
direction. Stop beating yourself up because you're not perfect. I know,
I've played that game before.

And it's hard. I'm not giving you permission to sin, but I'm giving you
grace to get back into God's will when you fall. Keep that course.

Keep the course regardless of setbacks, storms, and difficult
situations. Now, because we're on this topic of open doors, I want to
offer a few thoughts on open doors. Because the question comes up a lot.

How do I know if God is opening a door? Well, these will help you.
Number one, did you know the enemy can open doors? Oh boy, can he. He'll
bring this person you should not meet and you together and try to detour
you from your destiny.

He'll open doors. Oh, look at this door. I got this incredible job
opportunity.

I'm going to make double the income. This has to be God. Not
necessarily.

Do you know how many, over the years I've seen, how many men have fallen
away from the Lord or it cost them their family because they chased the
almighty dollar versus letting God bring things to them and open certain
doors? Just because a door opens doesn't mean God. It's God. The devil
can do certain things.

Number two, revisit your motives often. What are motives? It's why we do
what we do. So as we think this door is, God's opening this door for me.

Man, it could mean so many different things. An opportunity for you to
work somewhere, to invest in something, or to meet someone, right? If
you're single, or to start a ministry, or to relocate this or that. I
mean, it could be a lot of different things.

But we do know that our motives can get in there. And we can force a
door open because my motives aren't right. My motives aren't pure.

And number three, a good idea isn't always God's idea. Anybody relate to
that one? Good idea is not always a God's idea. A good idea isn't God's
idea, always.

And if you listen to last night's message when I talked about prayer, it
was so important on this topic that the enemy often uses the good to get
you away from the great. So in other words, the reason many of us, think
about this, the reason many of us don't pursue God more is because we're
too busy with good things. And if a good thing takes you away from the
great thing, you have to reevaluate your life.

Now of course, there's seasons where you've got things going on, and
there's busy seasons, but it shouldn't be the mark of who we are. It
shouldn't be the mark of our lifestyle. And so a good possible, man,
this is a pretty good open door, doesn't mean it's God opening the door.

Number four, wait and pray for confirmation if possible. Obviously,
sometimes we have to make quick decisions, but pray and wait for
confirmation. Okay, this looks like an open door, this looks like a good
opportunity, but Lord, I don't trust my instincts, or I don't trust my
motives necessarily.

Would you give me confirmation? Would you show me that this is you? I'm
just gonna pray and wait on you, and as you pray, what happens? You
build faith. As you're building faith, you build peace and assurance. Or
you begin to realize, I don't know if this is God.

Because what happens immediately? If you're like me, you have immediate,
oh, this feels right. Or this, I could see this potentially happening.
And you begin to, how does it feel? And that's why if you take it to the
prayer closet, wait on God, you can sift through those feelings and just
see what God wants to say to you.

Number five, peace should be present. There should be peace, even in the
midst of storms, even in the midst of challenging situations. If you're
asking God, Lord, is that you opening the door? Is this something you
want me to do? Is there peace? Now sometimes I know something is God's
will, but it's challenging.

You know, you get bombarded or hit with depression or anxiety or fear,
that can be normal, but you have peace knowing, okay, I have peace about
this decision. Or how many people have stopped something because you
didn't have peace? As believers, I just can't move forward. I don't have
peace about this.

Peace is such a great indicator. I remember one time a church approached
us after we planted the church, two years after we planted it and wanted
us to take over their building and merge with them. And it sounded good
initially, but the more we pray and waited on God, do you ever have that
sense like I just don't feel, I just don't feel good about this.

I just, there's like, it's like a gnawing at you. Like you're just not
comfortable. You don't sleep as well.

Things like you get agitated easier. It's like, I'm trying to make
something happen that shouldn't happen. And let me tell you, the longer
you delay, the harder it is to get out of it.

The longer you keep pushing that lack of peace away and you keep
basically rebelling against God's will, the harder, go ahead and get
that. The harder it's going to be able to get, become to push away. Does
that make sense? So God, okay, I don't have peace about this.

I don't think I should do this. And the sooner you obey that, the easier
it is. But the farther you get into that rabbit hole, down that path,
oh, I know I shouldn't be, but I know I shouldn't be.

And it's the harder it is to get out. You don't believe me? Ask somebody
who's been, went on a few dates and they broke it off. Whew, I didn't
have peace.

Glad that's over. Versus the day before their wedding and crying. Oh, I
know I should.

There have been times where people not showed up for the wedding because
they couldn't muster up the courage to say no initially. And see, that's
why it's much easier to obey God initially than try to fix the damage
later. But thank God if you're in damaged areas right now, God can
rebuild and restore.

It's better to be inside of His will doing the right thing than outside
of His will running in the wrong direction. So if you sense there's not
a lot of peace about something, don't delay obedience. Because it just
gets more difficult.

I've been in situations where I wish I would have obeyed early on. And
it becomes harder and harder. So He gives us that peace.

Number six, wisdom is vitally important. People, God gives us wisdom for
a reason. So many people I've seen, people make bad investments or make
bad choices because they say the Spirit is leading.

And I believe in the Spirit's leading. How many of you do? I believe
that God speaks to His people. I believe that God directs us.

But He gives us wisdom in His Word as the primary mechanism for
guidance. I'm very confident in saying that. I'm not going to say, you
know what, I think He leads me better by inner voices and divine
impulses.

Okay, but how do I gauge that impulse? A divine impulse from a Shane
Idleman impulse? Because if I just go by impulses or what feels good or
what I think is right, I can be led astray. That's why the Word is the
guide. The wisdom is the guiding point.

In Proverbs, it actually says wisdom is the main thing, the principal
thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And in all you're getting, get
understanding.

She will exalt you. She will promote you. So as a Bible-believing, Holy
Spirit-inspired, Spirit-led Christian, like many of you, that's what we
call it, Spirit-filled church, open to the gifts of the Spirit, open to
the power of the Spirit, the anointing of the Spirit, the leadership of
the Spirit.

My voice better not be going out this soon. I was passionate at first
service. But, oh, and last night too, I guess that's why it's happening.

There's a, we're open to the work of the Spirit, but what God does lines
up with His principles. And He gives us wisdom for a reason. You know,
I'm not going to say, well, I just feel, I feel, you know, but this
isn't wise.

I feel I need to empty my retirement for those of you who have
retirement, and my savings, and I just need to venture out in this. I
mean, that's a good thing, but is it a God thing? Is it wise? Because
I've had to counsel people and tell them, hey, stop tithing, and get
your family finances in order. And you need to, that whatever deal
didn't work out, you need to get back into hard work and using wisdom.

And sometimes we can follow the wrong things. And I've seen that. In
conservative churches, sometimes it's just too much about the Word.

Not open to the Holy Spirit whatsoever. As a matter of fact, do not
mention the Holy Spirit. Unless you read it in the Bible, of course.

But other than that, don't get into that Holy Spirit stuff. And that's
not very, that's pretty, it's like a dead church. Because it's the
Spirit that gives the Word life.

They go together. I have the Word, but I need a little help. Holy
Spirit, help me.

Is this really you? Did you really call me to be a pastor? Because I
can't find it anywhere. 1 Thessalonians or John 12, there's nothing. I
need a little help.

I see it's biblical. I see it's possible. And that's where the Holy
Spirit can come in and bring people to help you and encourage you.

But then the other side, the Pentecostal churches, the charismatic
churches, right, you've heard me say it before, if it's odd, it's God.
If it's weird, it's God. And just, man, whatever, whatever, whatever.

The Holy Spirit's doing this, the Holy Spirit. No, but you're not using
any wisdom. There's no discernment.

I don't care how high you jump. I want to know how straight you walk
when you come down. And so you have to have wisdom to see, okay, is this
a why? Because God gave us wisdom.

Our mind to think and apply the Word of God and to make choices that are
wise. And I can look over my life, I'm sure many of you can too, how
important wisdom was. Because sometimes I didn't have clear direction.

What is wise? What is the wise thing to do? Because we can just be led
astray by our feelings. You know, I'll tell you, it's kind of common
knowledge, I'll tell you. I don't know if I should or not, but I'll tell
you.

But many of you know we bought 91.9 and 88.5 in Bishop, and we bought
these radio stations, right? And I got to a point where, I've talked
about this, I can't tell you how much confirmation, because, man, I was
like, I do not want to be out of God's will. I don't know anything about
running a radio station. This can't be of God, right? And then that
week, He brings in a Christian radio station manager who helped us ever
since.

So, God knows what He's doing. But anyway, so it's a good idea. It's a
good idea.

And like, hey, let's just go for it. But they wanted $150,000. I said,
nope.

Wisdom says, half of that. And they got mad at me. And next day they
said, okay, we'll take it.

See, wisdom. I could have just went for the whole thing. Hey, it's God's
will, let's just go for it.

No, that's not wise. And when we first came up to this building, we
started to make double and triple payments on the loan to get it paid
off within a year and a half. We didn't have to.

We actually could have took out another loan. People said, why don't we
take out a $500,000 loan and fix everything up? Because that's not wise.
All the elders agreed, let's not be.

So see, you can do things that are good, but you've got to apply wisdom
to your life. And I saw this a lot of times. I don't know how many of
you know this, but I stayed in real estate when we planted the churches
for a few years and just built up the church financially in all
different areas.

I would do short sales and REOs and foreclosures and land deals,
commercial housing. I just loved it. And God called me to pastor
instead.

But so many times I would take Christians out and they would, let's say,
qualify for a $500,000 house. You know, just barely. If they didn't pay
their tithe anymore, they didn't go to, you know, they didn't eat on
Wednesdays and Fridays.

And you know, they could just barely, barely qualify. And I mean, I'm
talking dozens of times I heard this. Well, let's go ahead and put an
offer in and if they accept it, hey, that's an open door at God's
opening.

I'd say, no, no, no, no, no. They can accept it regardless. Don't just
trust in that.

Don't throw it out there and just, hey, if the offer's accepted, it must
be God. Nope, they might accept your offer and then not be God. See how
we play games sometimes? Now, there are times though, I believe in
certain situations.

Okay, Lord, we've been looking. You know our budget. You know this.

And you trust God and you stay below, live below your means. If you
barely qualify for 500, go find something for four. Trust me, you're
gonna be happy you did it at some point.

And God will lead you to step out in faith and put an offer to see if he
opens that door. But nine times out of 10, it was not a good idea for
people to do this. And that's where wisdom comes into play.

That's why it's so important. What about number seven? Godly counsel is
God's safety net. So, if there's an open door, it's good to go to godly
counsel.

You know, those who know the Word and are unbiased either direction and
they will speak truth to you. But you know what, sometimes we do, right?
We kind of tell a half truth. Like we only tell them part of the
situation because we want to hear a yes.

And God's safety net is godly counsel. And we've seen over the years, I
remember 30 years ago or so, even when I was a younger man, and my
parents or my mom, we sought godly counsel. Me and my wife sought godly
counsel a lot.

We talked about five different people before we got married. Nowadays,
it's almost like nobody really seeks godly counsel in many areas. It's
like, hey, here's what we're doing.

And they don't ask. Me and Abram talk about this often. Rarely do people
ask us anymore for counsel.

Hey, what do you think about this situation here? They tell us, hey,
here's what I'm doing. Like, okay, well, good luck. I mean, are you
sure? I mean, so we've kind of just thrown this one out there.

And I know it's difficult. Sometimes I avoid godly counsel because I
don't want to hear it. Correct? Let's be honest, come on, 11 a.m. Let's
be honest here.

I've made up my mind. I've made up my decision. I know spirit-filled
believers, mature Christians aren't going to necessarily agree with me.

They might challenge some things about this, so I'm not going to go
there. I'm going to tell them what I'm doing. And so, though, they
forget that this is a safety net.

This is a safety net. Because what happens with godly counsel, you tell
them the whole story. And I believe it is an act of obedience to God's
Word.

Hey, I've got these people in support of me. It seems like it's God's
will. It's God's Word.

It lines up with God's Word. I'm going to step out in faith. But if we
have to alter the truth a little bit, and we don't want to seek godly
counsel, often that's a good indication that we need to step back and
really rethink what we're about to do.

Because that's an internal alarm clock that we're ignoring. I do it too.
It's hard to tell people the truth all the time.

Sometimes I'll tell my wife, hey, I've got to go get gas in my truck.
But I'll forget to tell her I'm going to stop by Starbucks and get a
chocolate pop. Right? So I'm really not going to get gas.

But that's my thing not to hear, okay, Mr. Fitness Nut, chocolate pop.
Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. And that's okay on
a small scale.

But on big major plans, we can't play those games. Because how many I've
talked to, I mean, over the years, a lot of people who did things that
weren't necessarily bad, but they didn't seek godly counsel and they
come up regretting it because they didn't see all the different things
that come into play with the decision they're going to make. But then
number eight is important too.

Faith plays an important role. We must have faith and trust God to open
doors. But presumption can knock us off course.

Okay, here's the difference. Faith is I trust, Lord, that this is You.
I've been in Your Word.

I've been praying. I confess besetting sin. I've been up front with
people.

I've sought godly counsel. And Lord, I feel this is the direction You're
leading. And I'm going to step out in faith, not completely knowing,
because part of why faith pleases God is because you don't know
everything.

That's where trust comes in. Hey, if I know exactly how things are going
to happen, and that's not really faith. That's like, thanks God, I got
this.

But to say, Lord, I don't know how, I just feel You're calling me to do
this, and you step out. You feel that solid rock beneath. But it's not
until you step out that you feel it.

Presumption comes, the word presuming comes from it. Presumption is
usually married to pride. Right? Here's what I'm going to do.

God bless my plans. I don't want godly counsel. I've been really taking
this to prayer and fasting.

This is what I want to do. And I'm going to step out and assume it's
faith. Oh, it's not.

Uh-oh, I presumed. See, the attitude behind it's a lot different. Faith
waits on God.

And when it steps out, it knows because it's been waiting on God. It's
got the peace of the Holy Spirit. It's got the, Lord, I've been waiting
on You.

I've got to make a decision. And they step out in faith and there's
peace. Presumption is a more of a prideful, kind of arrogant, this is
what I'm doing, regardless.

It's the person, I've done this, Lord, here's what I'm doing, now bless
my plans. This person says, Lord, I want to know what You're doing. And
I'm going to step out in faith and I'm going to trust You.

You see the difference? It's a heart issue. And it can be the same
thing. Same thing, you're stepping out on, but one be of God and one not
be of God just yet.

Timing plays a role too, there's so much. I just know when I've presumed
that God was doing something, it's usually because it's something I
want. And I don't really want to take it to the Lord because I don't
want Him to say no.

Anybody can relate to that one? You singles can. If you've dated the
wrong person. That happens a lot in dating.

We've counseled people all the time. You know, the presumption, but it
just felt right. But I'm attracted to them.

Well, that's called the lust of the flesh. You don't just gauge
something off of that. Versus the person waiting on God, equally yoked.

And God seems to put this together. It's really the attitude behind it.
And so after telling them about keeping His word, you've not denied my
name, He goes on to say, indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of
Satan, basically these belligerent anti-God people in the church, He
says, who say they are Jews, but they're not.

They lie. I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know
that I have loved you. In other words, God will show Himself strong.

God will prove the validity of your faith. God will smash the face of
the enemies right before you. Like David said, He will make a table
before me, before my enemies.

And God will, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He will make a
table out in front of my enemies. I will fellowship and eat and act as
if they are no threat to me.

But this group will not worship. It's not this group comes and worships
the people. What they do is they fall down at their feet, confirming
that they know the true and living God.

And we see this in Paul when he writes in Corinthians. He's actually
speaking about tongues. He said, don't speak in tongues because an
unbeliever's gonna come and think you're out of your mind.

But if you prophesy, if you preach God's word with passion and
authority, and the Holy Spirit's convicting them, they will fall down on
their face before you as an unbeliever saying, truly, God is in this
place. So it's not falling down worshiping these people. It's
confirmation.

God proves Himself in a living church. Have you ever been, I'm not gonna
name names, but have you ever been in, I've had to go to certain events
at cultish churches. Man, the power of God like left, it's not even near
the road.

Like just going through the motions. The teacher has no passion. They
have no purpose.

They have no unction of the Holy Spirit. They're going through dead
rituals. It's void of the Spirit of God.

And that's why nobody's changed and nobody's challenged and nobody is
convicted. And Jesus says, because you have kept my command to
persevere. Did you know perseverance is a commandment? Like Jesus said,
when you give, when you pray, when you fast, when you do these things,
here's a new commandment I give to you.

Love your neighbor. I command you to persevere. In other words, I
command you to pick yourself up off of the ground.

Get back up like David. Strengthen yourself in the Lord and move
forward. Let the fear of God rule and reign in your heart.

And the love of God rule and reign in your heart as well. Persevere. Get
up and fight again.

He said, I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon
the whole earth. Shane, here's the proof of the tribulation right here.
Maybe, maybe, hold on.

I will keep you from the hour of trial which will come upon the whole
earth to test those who dwell on the earth. Well, a few things.
Persevering through life's challenges has many rewards.

Let's not forget that. See, even though it's very hard, persevering
through life's challenges has one of the greatest rewards that you will
ever know. And that is intimacy with God.

Intimacy with God. I just talked to a family going through a very
difficult situation. I won't go into any details at all.

And on the surface, it looks like it's not something to be encouraged
about whatsoever. And it's not on the surface. But underlying that, I
try to get people to realize if that persecution can push you down to
the foot of the cross, and therefore, as I said last night, you get to
know God in these different ways.

Like the Hebrews, they didn't just give God one name. They used to say
Elohim, Elohim, Elohim, Elohim, Elohim, all throughout Scripture. They
would say Jehovah-Jireh, God is my provider.

He saw me through Jehovah-Nissi, Jehovah-Sikkenu, Jehovah-Rapha, all
these names of God. He is my shield, He is my banner. This is the God of
the angels of army.

He has conquered my enemy, I will call Him this. This is the Lord who
has not left my side, I will call Him this. This is the Lord who
provides, this is the Lord who heals.

And they would give Him these different names because they met Him in a
special way. Listen, you talk to mature, spirit-filled believers, I can
tell you, they've been through hell and back. They know God as a
sustainer.

They know if God, without Him, there would be nothing. They know Him as
healer or redeemer, or if He's brought them through difficulties and
challenges, they don't understand why didn't things work out. They know
Him as an ever-present help in time of need.

They know Him in all these ways. The only way to know somebody is to go
through the challenges of life. So could it be the very things we're
running from are the very things we need to mature us for battle? That's
how you become strong in the Christian faith.

You go through hell and hold on to the rock of your salvation. That's
how you know Him as Jesus Christ. And you can see it many times in
worship.

You know, when those who sing amazing grace, how sweet the sound that
saved a wretch like me. Or we sing the songs about Christ setting us
free and breaking every stronghold. And we can relate because He's took
us through those difficulties.

That's why worship is sweet. A sweet sound to our ears. And those who
have not went through much can't relate.

Christianity is boring. The relationship with Christ is dry and dull and
dead. The Bible, I don't even know where to start.

But for many, it's their food. Their daily, their spiritual food that's
more important than physical food, Jesus said. Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

He says, I have bread that you know not of. I don't need your food. I
need God's food, the spiritual food.

And this will be an encouragement to some of you as well. It's not about
perfection. It's about direction.

Get back up and fight again. And perseverance is biblical momentum and
it's linked to God's promises. If you want to hold on to the promises of
God, you have to persevere.

Those who persevere till the end will be saved. If you persevere, the
rewards will be such and such. Perseverance, holding on to Christ.

Keep them from the trial. He says, I will keep you from the trial that
shall come upon the whole world. Now that can mean deliverance, like
completely remove them.

And I could take you through verses that could mean that completely.
Just He reroutes the enemy. He reroutes this catastrophe.

He parts the Red Sea. He can deliver them from the catastrophe. But half
the time, I don't know if it's exactly half, but half the time, He takes
you through it, not around it.

Lord, like a big tornado there. I don't want to go through it. I want to
go down to Florida.

Get away from that tornado in Oklahoma. God says, nope, come with me.
You were going through the eye of the storm.

We're going right through it. And that's why all the scripts like Job
said, though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. When the enemy comes in
like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord raises up a standard against him.

When the waters begin to consume you, I will not drown because the Lord
my God is with me. That tells me He's swimming in some pretty deep
water. When I walk through the fire, you will not be scorched because
the Lord your God is your God.

Jehovah, Jireh, Nisi, Sikhanou, all those terms, you know Him as you go
through the storm. It's the storm that builds and strengthens the
Christian. And that's why we can't be helicopter parents.

You know what that is? Surrounding your kids and never let them do
anything. Try to shelter them. And I try to shelter my kids a lot, of
course, but they need to experience a little bit of life too.

What do we do? Shelter them and at 18, just... Good luck, good luck. And
it's usually the young adults, the teens have experienced difficulties
and storms. They can weather life.

They can weather life together. You can show them evolution versus
creation and not be scared. Oh, just shelter, shelter.

If not, they're gonna go into the world and go, what is all this?
Prepare them for battle. I remember a couple of people didn't agree with
me, but that's okay. I took my daughter.

She was, I don't know, 15 then. You know, Dr. Rainbow who teaches at
A.V. College. We took him to his class on evolution for three hours.

And I taught and we talked about afterwards. And they have a deeper
understanding now for creation and for that. And by the way, hopefully
you'll see them at church soon.

We've been emailing and touching base. We've remained friends for four
or five years. But it's okay to show them because you have the truth.

The truth always says, come, let's talk about the truth. Air will run
from it. That's why if you ever get any of these activists waving a
rainbow flag, they'll never sit down and have a conversation.

Hey, let's talk. No, no, no. You hate, you're a narrow-minded white
supremacist, white national fundamentalist, hate monger, homophobe.

Oh, you just don't wanna hear the truth? What do you do? You have to
call me names because you don't have the truth. Guys, this is getting
militant. This is getting very, very dark and perverted and demonic.

And we need to call it out. I can speak the truth and love and call
these things out because my heart isn't anger and hatred. It's to lead
people to the cross.

But at the same time, to stand for those who have no voice. Did you know
your silence speaks volumes? I don't wanna say anything with that little
kindergartners. All those little kindergartners are being confused.

Because some people won't say anything. How dare you? That's cowardly.
That's cowardly.

Yes, we're called to be gentles, doves. Don't forget the other part of
that verse. Wise as serpents.

We're called to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. How do you
expose it if you don't talk about it? And my heart breaks for some of
these people that they'll contact us. You shouldn't say anything like
that.

You just need to talk about Jesus. Well, don't talk about all these. No,
no, no, no, no.

That's outside the church. You just stay in your lane. Well, my lane is
to speak the truth and expose the unfruitful works of darkness wherever
they lie.

Wherever they lie. There's a lot of rabbit trails in this message. But
let's talk about this.

I'll close here shortly. I will keep you from the hour of the trial
which shall come upon the whole earth. Now, whole earth, sometimes, I
can show you a lot of scriptures that means the whole earth.

The whole North America, South America, everywhere. But there's other
scriptures that do not mean the whole earth. They mean, and they'll say
that.

A census went out to all the earth. Caesar, Augustus, or whatever. And
it's really that localized area.

Samaria, Judea, the nation of Israel. It didn't mean Canada and Mexico.
And so, this could be, does it have to do with the upcoming tribulation?
Possibly.

We just know he's gonna keep this church from the tribulation that is to
come. But here's my question. My thought is, this was written to an
actual church 2,000 years ago.

So how can we say it doesn't apply to them and applies to us 2,000 years
later? That's why I think it might have a dual application. Possibly,
could have to do with God preserving His church, which He will. But I
guarantee it had some type of application for the church in Philippi, or
he was lying, or Philippi, Philadelphia, or he was lying to them.

He said, I'm gonna keep you, Philadelphia, I'm gonna keep you from the
hour of tribulation that is to come. And we don't know exactly what that
relates to, but thank God, God is going to keep them and us from the
tribulation that is to come. Here's the thing, though.

If you look back at that Scripture, and you guys can do your own study,
just pull up a Greek lexicon and you study different things. I will keep
you from the hour. Many times in our mind, that means out of here.

But it also could mean keep you through it. In other words, if I take a
promise from God's Word, okay, He's gonna keep me from any type of
persecution, tribulation, praise God, the rest of my life is gonna be
carefree. Or is He gonna keep me through it? He's gonna hold on to me.

Aren't you glad that God holds on to you more than you hold on to Him?
He seals you with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to you as a
guarantee. So as I'm faltering, my faith is being challenged, God keeps
me, I will keep you through the tribulation that you're about to go
through.

Go ask Sister Sarah, who spoke here a few different times and spent,
what, five, six years in a Chinese prison. They would put a hot iron and
things under her mouth if she could feel her saliva boiling and beat her
up and rape her. He kept her.

You see, He kept her, not from it, but through it. And I'm just
concerned that a lot of people think He's gonna keep us from
tribulation. Now, I hope that's the case.

Don't think I'm all tough guy, Navy SEAL. Oh yeah, bring it on. No, no,
I'm saying don't bring it on.

No, no, no, no, no, Lord, you just keep it away. But we've gotta be
prepared either way. You've gotta be like the three Hebrew boys in the
fiery furnace.

Guys, why didn't God blow out the furnace? They said, we will not bow to
you. You're seeing the same thing right now. All this agenda, the
rainbow flag and all, that's what it's getting, it's gonna keep, where's
it gonna end? Come on, guys, wake up.

It's just a militant, vigilant thing. And at some point, they want you
to bow to that. And He said, King, oh, King, we will not bow to this
false religious system.

Our God will deliver us. Our God will deliver us. But what does the rest
of the sentence say? But even if He doesn't, oh, if you have that view,
you can get through life.

God will deliver me. I'm not going to jail, I'm not gonna be persecuted,
people aren't gonna harass me, but even if He doesn't, I will not bow to
the system. I'm well aware, I'm well aware, I'm well aware, like many of
you, I've prepared, my wife and I've talked, I'm well aware that this
type of voice could end up in prison, the way things are going.

Have you heard of hate speech laws? Do you know they stopped a lady, I
think it was in Canada, from praying in front of an abortion clinic, and
she wasn't praying out loud, the thought police. My God will deliver me.
But even if I'm sitting in Twin Towers, in Los Angeles, maximum
security, my God has still got me.

That's the only way you're gonna get through life, because that's
biblical. You show me where God just, nothing ever bad ever happens. He
takes you through it, and sometimes around it.

We don't know, we just gotta say, Lord, whatever my lot, it is well with
my soul, it is well with my soul. And I don't have a lot of time, but He
goes on to say, I'm coming quickly, I'm coming quickly, therefore hold
fast what you have. Again, even if you have a glimmer of hope, a glimmer
of faith, folks, reignite that this morning.

During closing worship, reignite that. Get to this altar and say, Lord,
my candle is flickering. I need to refuel it, the flame is dying.

Lord, would you pour some gasoline of the Holy Spirit onto my life and
my prayer life and reignite a passion for me. I want the word of God to
come alive again. I want worship to be sung down in my soul.

I'm tired of following the world and rejecting the things of God. God,
reignite a passion in me again. And He will do that.

And as you overcome, He will make you a pillar in the temple of God. A
pillar supports the load. You will handle the loads of life.

You will withhold the word of God. It's interesting that word pillar,
you can find it in another place where Paul writes. He said, the church
of the living God is supposed to be pillars who support the truth.

Churches are not supposed to be vague and seeker-sensitive and woke and
not offensive. They're actually supposed to offend sin and draw us back
to God, call us to repentance. And he said, I will write on you the name
of my God in the new Jerusalem.

It will come down from heaven and I will write on Him my new name. Are
you marked by God? Are you marked by God? Is He your God? Is the one
true and living God your God? There is no other God. Ask the Philistines
about their gods and how God defeated them.

Ask the Babylonians about their gods. Ask the Assyrians, does their God
still live? Ask the Egyptians how it worked out, worshiping their gods.
You can go down throughout human history.

No other God but the true and living God stands the test of time. He
stands unchallenged and unchanged. And of course, the final words, he
who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the
churches.

And I have a message for you this morning. He who has an ear to hear,
let him hear what the Word of God is saying to you this morning. Some of
you need to repent.

Some of you need to be encouraged. Some of you need to confess that
Christ is Lord and Savior in your life. Some of you need to get
baptized.

Some of you need to stop following sin and start following Christ. But
here's the thing about he who has an ear to hear, that tells me some
people don't have an ear to hear. They can hear what I'm saying, but not
hear what I'm saying.

Because any time the Bible talks about hearing, do you know what follows
the hearing? The obeying. Hearing without obeying is living in
deception. I may someday do a whole sermon on this, but in counseling or
being a pastor, I'm shocked.

Now I know because that can happen to me too, but I'm shocked at how
many people live in deception. And they know the Word of God. They'll
quote the Word of God.

But James says, be doers of the Word and not just hearers. Because if
you're just a hearer of God's Word and not a doer, you will actually
live in deception. Deception.

My closing thought, Christian, you were not meant for failure here. Get
up and win this race. I'm gonna give you a quote here.

Actually, it's a quick poem I've read before a couple times. It's about
this young boy, teenager who keeps, he's trying to win this race to
impress his dad. He's trying to win this race to impress his dad.

Have you ever been there, guys? We won't admit it, but often we wanted
the affirmation of our fathers. I might talk about that next week on
Father's Day. But he kept falling and kept falling three times.

Now he's in last place. And so the author wrote this, so far behind the
others now, the most he's ever been, still he gave it his all and he ran
like he could win. Three times he'd fallen, stumbling.

Three times he rose again. Too far behind to hope to win. He still ran
to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place. His
head was high and proud and happy. No failing, no falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster crossed the line in last place, the crowd
gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race. And even though he came
in last with head bowed low and unproud, you would have thought he won
the race to listen to the crowd. And to his dad, he sadly said, I didn't
do so well.

I felt like that with God many times. Have you? I didn't do so well. To
me, you won, his father said.

You rose each time you fell. And now when things seem dark and bleak and
difficult to face, that memory of that little boy helps me in my own
race. For all of life is like a race with ups and downs and all, and all
you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.

Praise God. Praise God. There's one more line that I've never read, I
don't think.

And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face, another voice
within me says, get up and win that race. Guys, perseverance is the mark
of the true believer. It is the thing that helps you weather the storm.

It is what helps you keep your testimony. It is what helps you lead your
family effectively and keep your marriage strengthened. It is
perseverance.

I saw something I want to share about the woman at the well. You've
heard the story of the woman at the well where Jesus came. And He told
her, woman, I have water of which you do not know, and if you drink of
My water, you will never thirst again.

And she said she realized it wasn't the water that Jesus came for, it
was me. Guys, never forget that. We have a loving Father who wants you
to fully surrender your life.

There needs to be a passion, a fervency, a desire to seek Him, to want
more of Him. And like we sometimes sing that song, there's an urgency
building up inside of me. Everything else can wait.

Is that the heartbeat of your soul? There's an urgency building up
inside of me. Everything else can wait. God, You're on the calendar.

You're the priority. All else must fall at the feet of King Jesus. I
need to rearrange my life to where I have this urgency towards Christ
and it's building up inside of me.

I have the fervency, the passion, of having that desperate relationship
with God. Think about that. We either have that or we're lukewarm.

Well, no, Pastor, I think there's a middle spot. I don't know. I've
never found that middle spot.

I'm either on fire or I'm fading. And you guys can make that difference.
And I want to encourage you to think about that urgency, that urgency.

The Bible isn't always urgent. Next week when you hear the voice of the
Lord, harden not your heart. Does it say that? Today, today, when you
hear His voice, harden not your heart, three times in the book of
Hebrews.

After the second time, you begin to wonder, the author, what is he,
forgetting what he wrote earlier? No, that's what urgency does. Isn't
urgency a reminder as well? Three times when you hear His voice, harden
not your heart. See, it's a choice.

It's a choice and that's why I get sometimes, I feel like Paul, like
King Agrippa, oh, King Agrippa, I wish you would come to know Christ.
Oh, I wish that many of you would soften your hearts and know Christ
intimately and passionately. But remember, the same sun that melts the
wax will harden the clay.

Same with your heart. It's your choice. Are you gonna let the Word of
God this morning cut deep and melt your heart? So there's an urgency,
urgency to seek Him.

And maybe some of you need to repent this morning. Repent, repent and
believe in the gospel. It's another thing about the American church, it
drives me crazy.

People think they can ride their parents' coattails in. They think they
were born in America, they hang a flag in their front yard, I'm a
Christian. Yeah, I've known God since I was born.

No, you have to repent and believe. I've been coming to church a long
time, pastor, or my favorite, oh yeah, I'm a Baptist. What does that
mean? Well, you know, I'm a Presbyterian.

You know, I'm a Methodist. If you have to identify with the denomination
and not Christ, you might wanna recheck your faith. He didn't die for a
denomination.

Listen guys, life is short. Turn to God completely.

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/wAiTR7dy6Xs.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/shane-idleman/the-test-of-a-true-church/
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