Dependence upon God

Romans please chapter 4 reading at verse 19 and being not weak in faith he considered not his own body now dead when he was about a hundred years old neither yet the deadness of Sarah's wound he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God Ephesians chapter 6 reading at verse 16 above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 1st Peter chapter 1 reading at verse 7 that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes though it be tried with fire might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ now this morning or last night rather we were reminded very very pointedly from God where our doubt this morning we've been hearing of a searching message as to the altar from God we've been reminded now of that blessed privilege of the Lord's Supper and we are remembering it showing forth his death to God I'm glad our brother Frank did not refer to the place of the unlearned as the backseat don't refer to that as the backseat brother that's the University of observation it's the observation deck we learn at that place so it's not a place of the backseat after all you might have the place of those that are not in fellowship at the front of the building so how can you refer to it as a backseat when it's in the front so it is not the backseat it's the place of learning I want to I want to stress if I if I don't finish can I get up this afternoon and finish I want to speak just a just a short message this morning about the fact that it's from God I come to the conference with one message and that is we have read from Romans chapter 4 about strong faith Ephesians chapter 6 it is the shield of faith first Peter chapter 1 it's sorrowing faith God I am convinced your brethren that we walk too often apart from a dependence upon God I'm convinced your brethren that we leave God I'm just looking at this poor speaker up here I'm convinced brethren that we leave God out of our plans just too often and it does not does not guide us it does not hold it and at the end of the day we've somehow a fallen short and we feel empty is God really in control on January 28th I'm sitting reading judges chapter 6 I'm concerned very much with the Lord's work I have been encouraged by several assemblies to consider the gospel work but I didn't have it from God it wasn't from God and even though I could have quit the company earlier just on that but it wasn't from God on January 28th at 1030 at night Gloria is ironing in the living room I'm reading judges chapter 6 and clearer than my salvation go thou art the lowest of the tribe of Benjamin have not I sent thee I said thank you Lord because I got something from God it was something that was real it was something that was pointed it was something from God my parents weren't saved until the age of 50 I began to wonder are they ever going to get saved we were saved us kids were saved earlier at the age of 50 finally my dad trusted the Savior at the age of 53 my mother they got it from God but I learned something in those years when we were praying and longing that God would work I learned something that I had to get before God I could not help dead and say this and and pull strings here and and be able to maybe shape his mind maybe just think that this verse would help or that verse would help it had to be from God so my little message this morning is simply this that there was the absolute reliance upon God if we used to turn to Mark chapter 11 we would find that the Lord Jesus enters into the temple he tips over the money changers and he he throws out those boys that are having all kinds of deals in the money it's the very same chapter that the cult is still the illustration the Lord has made of him it's the same chapter dear brethren when the the disciples asked him about the fig tree the fig tree had been withered up and the Lord answers that question about the fig tree with a simple statement have faith in God and then he goes on to explain in Mark chapter 11 having faith in God if we ask anything in his name he will give it to us if we know what it is to have his will he will give it to us I'm thinking this morning dear brethren that what the searching word we heard this morning the empty altar having my faith in God having full assurance and full dependence upon God having no other way having no other pull than God I'm thinking that the passage in Romans chapter 4 imagine Abraham 100 years of age you're going to have a son and he's going to be the promise see and he's gonna be the one that God's great blessing is going to come through that line and that's a hundred years of age he says he's good you're going to have a son and he staggered not at the promises of God how about it dear fathers if God showed you at the age of 100 of course probably don't have too many 100 year olds here but if 100 years of age you were shown something that's something that was an impossibility you would say no way Abraham said I absolutely absolutely no way that Abraham didn't say that whatsoever Abraham staggered not in other words mr. Newell writes in his book and his excellent exposition on Romans he was full of assurance that what God had said he would perform and he did so there is the marvelous marvelous truth of having having faith in God I'm thinking as well that that in our longing for our families there's probably some here this morning and your families are connected to traditions of men the religions of men and you wonder will they ever get to the Savior is it possible that they're going to miss it you are so blessed by being brought into the great wealth of eternal life the inheritance that awaits because circumstances that were beyond your control there was that circumstance that brought you under the perhaps maybe a young woman asked you out and a young man asked you and you're brought to hear the gospel and led to marriage and it led to a family marvelous the grace of God we have in our assembly at Ankeny a lovely lovely Korean family Sonny and Dasik if you ever meet him once you won't forget him Sonny asked Dasik once in college in Korea come to the gospel meetings will you come I think it was Dasik that asked her for a date first yeah Sonny says okay but let's go to the gospel meeting Dasik had no idea what the world she was talking about so they went and to make a long story short they're lovely addition to the assembly because of that unforeseen circumstances come in but he heard something there dear believer have faith in God have God as a priority look to God in behalf of those that are on the outside and still blinded by religion and and whatever look look to God may we know what it is to be able to say that we staggered not at his promise having again this hope having this longing and this hope that there is a God that supplies he supplies the unexpected that which we perhaps maybe do not think will be supplied but he supplies it we supplies the unexpected may we know what it is to have ourselves on the altar having God as the one who are going to honor the rest of the Lord's people will forgive me for being so brash to think I had to finish my message I can remember going to conferences and feeling very very little as far as my faith in God is concerned I cannot help but think of those times when after listening to the scriptures and after listening to godlier men than than myself thinking myself of admiring the faith of those dear men and wondering how is it possible to be able to have the faith and the character that they have I'm wondering at even as we have come out to another Blue River conference that if you were like myself back in those days and maybe even today feeling that perhaps my faith in God my faith in God is not what it should be it is perhaps maybe it could be could it possibly be raised a notch to where I can lay hold of what God is giving me that was the that's the sum and substance of my burden for the Blue River Saints and those that are connected with it so we have a strong in faith I can't couldn't help but think that Abraham when he was told to go out he didn't question it he didn't wring his hands and wonder there was not the hesitation but he went out not knowing whether he went he relied upon his God and he took a hold of what the promises of God were you say that's my burden this morning whoops this afternoon that's my burden laying hold of what God has given to us that I might know what it is to be brought into the secrets of God's great program and of God's desires and purposes for us if he staggered not at the promises of God is that promise that he had then is it still good in 2024 and the answer of course is yes the God of Jacob the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac that they had is the same God that we have so brethren and I know the circus the dark the days are dark I know the times are difficult and was even considering the unsaved and asking people to come to gospel meetings it's becoming more of a miracle to see someone walk through the door perhaps maybe that's the reason why we need to go out the gifted men and that are here in Blue River I've often thought that if anybody could have an attempt an assembly function it would be the man it would be the assembly at Blue River who were the outstanding gift that they have amongst younger men so he was not divided was he in his belief there are 38 times in the book of Romans that faith is mentioned and of course time would allow us to go into even a portion of them but in Romans chapter 1 I'm reminded I can live by faith in Romans chapter 4 I'm reminded I can walk in faith and when to be wonderful brethren if I can live by faith and walk in faith when to be wonderful to come to Hebrews chapter 11 and die in faith how important is my faith I would like to with the help of God to speak about how the importance of faith is I'm reminded in if Colossians chapter 1 if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled if I continue in the faith it simply means I'm growing in other words to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus I'm to continue day by day in that faith 2nd Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 16 reminds us of standing fast for the faith faith cleaves to Christ doesn't that faith cleaves to Christ in opposition to the world faith works by love to Christ and it withdraws and it withdraws from the world a faith sanctifies faith sanctifies the heart and pure pies it from every wicked way faith derives strength from God we can understand that drawing upon God drawing faith drawing upon the strength that we have from God faith conquers flat and for the flattering of the world a faith has access to the Spirit of God and if I has access to the Spirit of God we are then let in to the area where he that is greater in us is greater than he that is in the world but I like number six the best of all faith prepares me for the invisible seeing him I have to come all the way through the book of Hebrews to chapter 11 and verse 27 and where I read seeing him who is invisible so faith makes what I cannot see alive faith brings it into view faith brings it into an understanding understanding of God's purposes there was meetings in 1984 in the assembly at Marion and we went into those meetings and God began to work there was a nice number of teenagers that were saved marvelous time and of those teenagers that were brought to the Savior there was one that missed it I remember getting out of the car and meeting my wife in the kitchen and we had an embrace she missed it you say I went into those area and I went into that series of meetings strong in faith but when I come out of that series of meetings I kicked myself should I have preached this should I have preached that in the course that doesn't do anybody any good it only it just draws attention self-centeredness is horrible but she missed it for three days I was in discouragement for three days I took the burden and I left it on my shoulders and it was all it was all it was here on the shoulders and I walked around very very depressed and discouraged on the fourth day I'm reading my Bible in John chapter 2 Mary's mother the Lord's mother says they have no wine make wine they have no wine the wine is out and the Lord says mine our is not yet come I my snapping of the fingers aren't too big but mine our is not yet come ah I got a word from God a word from God and I put my whole weight into that I bit into the promise of God and my faith took a high notch up as strong in faith you say when did the hour come the hour came I'm glad to tell you that the hour came a 25 months three weeks six hours and 22 minutes later I didn't bother with the seconds and I got a phone call dad yes Tammy dad yeah say it to me I got the Christ sitting in the back whoops sitting in the observatory seat wondering reading her Bible while the rest of the Christians were remembering the Lord it dawned upon her that the just one who died for me the unjust and brought me to God I took she took it in you say I tell that for this reason dear brethren that it's possible that it's possible to have strong faith because when God showed me that truth mine hour is not yet come I put my whole weight onto it it give me joy it give me strength it give me power again to go through life so dear brethren it can be done strong faith put your whole trust your weight and take that as a promise from God that he that he that had promised shall perform that which he also had said so there was great joy and seeing her one of those girls that professed in that series of meetings never dreamed it would be my stepdaughter Ephesians chapter 6 we read about the shield of faith the shield of faith how important this is and I have to stress this dear brethren because I feel a time Satan attack you must feel also at times the attack patience begins with high truth we're in the heavenlies and the opening chapters of the book of Ephesians seated in him and heavenly places far above principality power dominion and might we're in the we're in the heavenlies but when we come to chapter 6 of the Ephesians we're down to we're down to where the rubber meets the where the rubber meets the road you see Satan wants to do everything I'm convinced brethren Satan wants to do everything to keep the spiritual from prospering to keep you and I off of the to keep you and I and perhaps in a in a state of bewilderment to keep you and I away from the spirit of away from the truth but if the Spirit of God if the Satan wants to do that yet when I come to Ephesians chapter 6 I'm reminded take the whole take they'll put on the whole armor of God and able to stand the wiles of the devil for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against wickedness against the rulers of darkness of this world against spiritual wickedness in high places so I'm not too interested in getting real close to that type of a thing I don't want to know what goes on in the heavenlies with a demonic with a demonic activity that goes on there I want to stay away from that but later on in the chapter in chapter 6 as you have read many times were to remind you to take the whole armor of God there are three things and Ephesians chapter 6 that we are to take we're not to leave alone we are to take them and take them and make them our own having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel but I like verse 16 and above all taking the shield of faith that shield in war times was almost almost as big as a full-grown man that shield was held in one hand the dagger and the other hand and so the shield would again would stop the darts that were coming would stop the arrows that would come I only asked the question dear brethren what are the darts today the darts that have been put into the tip of those darts have been put into the oil have been set ablaze and when the dart is slung and when the arrow it goes it hits the target and it does the damage you ever heard of the doubt you ever heard of the dart of doubts doubts can come into the mind of the believer and that shield of faith that holds I can hold up can can withstand the can withstand the doubts and as those arrows keep coming the arrows of doubts you see the unsaved they believe their doubts and they dealt their beliefs and it's possible that we too we can believe our doubts evil surmisings you ever heard of that you wouldn't be troubled with evil surmisings would you oh he sure didn't look at me right this morning I don't think he even wanted to shake my hand I think possible that maybe and all the time these evil surmisings creep into our little brain and we dwell upon them and we seek to cultivate them and we make that so real and so precious and we go to bed thinking about them and all the time that's exactly what that was evil surmisings put up the shield we put up the shield of faith gripping God's word put up the shield of faith withstand those darts I'm thinking also of temptation to sin and likely every single one of us can rely or rather can relate to something of this nature we can put up the shield that shield of truth flee fornication flee follow after righteousness as Paul to Timothy and so as a result I can put up the shield of shield of faith I have I have known what it is you have to and to have the shield hang down and let the dart hit the target and put us in misery land so to the point where it robs us of our joy robs us of our ability to lay hold of God robs us of that which we would so much enjoy strong in faith the shield of faith I wish we'd sang number 47 more James Evans wrote these words faint not Christian though in rage Satan doth thy soul engage take the face anointed shield bear it to the battlefield may we take the shield of faith his truth truth and stop the darts stop those darts that are so prevalent to come we read of sorrowing face first Peter chapter 1 reminds us of faith it's precious Peter tells us that the trial of your face is much more precious than of gold that perishes if I had not had first Peter chapter 1 I would say my faith doesn't really mean that much but Peter tells us our face our faith is precious what is used to examine face there is something that there is something that is sometimes painful to use and that's purging fire examines face see that's just exactly what Brandon was bringing to us today or at least the chapter Abraham was given an examination and that examination he proved he got an a-plus I give him the examination of my faith recently was a d-minus there is something about losing your loved one there's something about death dear brethren that you cannot understand unless you've gone through it but when you lose a spouse her world she was my world she's been taken I wish I could tell you I had strong faith I wish I could tell you my faith didn't didn't weaken because I I was a mess she's gone you know what happened I got all taken up with this guy I'll take it up with him where am I going what am I gonna do you know it was miserable why couldn't I get taken up with a one of that has told us to be strong in faith but as it wait at any rate trials dear brethren are necessary there's two things about a trial number one they are temporary number two they are necessary the temporariness we know trials are seasonal he wants to see if I'm really real did God wanted to see my faith and see if it was genuine trials are the result of suffering he puts us into the furnace and as he puts us into the furnace he turns up the knobs it turns up the heat and as he turns the knobs heat can can be almost to the point where you give up Isaiah chapter 42 reminds us this is what come to my dear wife when she was going through her deep trial Isaiah 43 when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee they shall not overflow thee when thou walk us through the fire thou shall not be burned neither shall the flame kindle the fire you know there was our faith was tested our faith was put into the furnace and I remember so very very well like it was yesterday that that faith the ability that I had to rest upon God it wasn't there not to go into a whole lot of detail but I locked myself in my room and for three days I thank God for 59 years of happiness of joy not once in 44 years of gospel work did she ever say stay home Al stay home more I thank God that I knew what it was to be linked and yoked with a woman that was all heart and soul and gospel activity the assembly was her life I thank God that we had so many good times and thrilling times when there was the movements of God and the Spirit of God was working and joy in salvation I think I confess to God my weakness my lack of faith my sluggishness I confess to God my sin and the air of my ways getting my eye off of the target off of the one who I should have been focused on but I got my eye off and I went down in the battle after those three days of coming out of that locked room there was something different I got back focused again there was the there was the renewed focus there was the eye that was fixed upon the mighty master himself there was the one who gave there was the one there I've been here all the time Al I can hear the whisper of the master today I've been here all the time where have you been and as a result of those hours locked in that room I got back got back to God you see dear brother trials are temporary but trials are necessary the purging fire the purging fire the result was the priceless find the purging fire brought out the priceless find what was a priceless find the priceless find is according to my Bible in Romans chapter 8 I was to be conformed to the image of his blessed son isn't that all that we were made for in a way brethren be conformed to the image of his son the trial of our faith might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at his appearing the trials of faith my father and the faith set an important statement probably 35 years ago he was ministering at Heightsville I can see him raise his hands this far and then he grabbed the pulpit and he said when trials come hang on hang on we can hang on by our faith in him faith in the one who has told us to be faithful to the end our trials necessary yes our trials temporary yes is it going to be worth it dear brethren to go through the trials of life my dear young people likely some of them over I guess they're everywhere today young people wonderful to see you you're the leaders of tomorrow you're all beautiful even the men so there's delightful to see so many young people here but there is something about trials it's going to be worth it brethren I believe with all my heart it'll be worth it it's not to be compared to the glory that is to follow it's nothing comparison to that which follows the tremendous honor glory and honor that we have we received him I have to tell you Rachel's story Rachel my granddaughter she was two at the time I'm sitting on the floor with Rachel we're going through the animal book she says grandpa as she puts her finger on a horse she says grandpa what's this I said Rachel that's easy I said that's a cow not a word of complaint not one single disgust look she tries it again and she puts her finger on a giraffe and she says grandpa what's this oh I said Rachel that's easy I said that's a horse not a word of looking up at me no complaints nothing she puts her finger on a mouse and she says grandpa what's this and I said Rachel that's a mouse and she looked up at me and she says grandpa good job good job I believe brethren I believe with all my heart I think of this this dear mr. Pike he's slain in a nursing home four daughters not saved I think of Lois Brulee Dick Brulee went to heaven got three boys on the wrong road going down to death and hell these dear men and women who have sons and daughters not saved our heart goes out to you but in every trial I believe with all my heart when we hear the well-done when you hear the well-done won't it be worth it won't it be worth it to go through the tough times the difficult times the hours of tears that you have shed the difficult times will perhaps may be being ostracized in the family maybe being ostracized even in the assembly to a point won't it be won't it be wonderful brethren won't it be worth it to go through all of life's trials and to hear good job good job may we know what it is dear brethren to finish our course with joy going that in this world we are it's a promise from the Savior John chapter 15 or is it 16 in this world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world may the Lord help us to be strong in faith using the shield of faith even through the trials of faith