Unshakeable Confidence in God
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of maintaining confidence in God amidst suffering, drawing lessons from the life of Job.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the unshakeable confidence we can have in God, rooted in the understanding that Jesus, our High Priest, empathizes with our struggles and pain. He encourages believers to approach God's throne boldly, knowing that Jesus understands our trials and offers grace in our times of need. Wilkerson contrasts the responses to suffering, highlighting Job's unwavering trust in God despite immense suffering, illustrating that our trials can lead to spiritual growth and the development of grace within us. Ultimately, he reassures that our present sufferings serve a greater purpose in God's plan.
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Most Christians are familiar with this verse: "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). We see here that our high priest, Jesus, feels our sufferings along with us. In other words, the Lord is personally touched by all pain, confusion and despair that we feel. There is nothing we experience that he has not endured also, in one way or another.
Because we have such a great high priest, we are instructed, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16). We are being told, "Your savior knows exactly what you are going through and he knows how to minister his grace to you."
We have heard most of the theological definitions of grace: unmerited favor; the goodness of God; his special love. But when trials come, we have a choice of how we will react. In the book of Job, we see that Job's wife became embittered at the unspeakable tragedy they were suffering. She foolishly blamed God and urged Job, "Curse God and die!" (Job 2:9). She was saying, in essence, "Why would the Lord bring down such unthinkable tragedy on this godly family?"
But even in his great grief and anguish, this godly man declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).
Job was saying, "It doesn't matter if these boils take me to my grave, I'll never give up my confidence that he knows what he is doing. Even though I don't understand anything about any of this, I know God has some eternal purpose."
Beloved, your present sufferings are producing something precious in your life as you are being formed into a grace giver.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Understanding Jesus as our High Priest
- His empathy with our sufferings
- The significance of Hebrews 4:15-16
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II
- The nature of grace
- Common misconceptions about grace
- Grace in times of trial
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III
- The story of Job
- Job's wife's reaction to suffering
- Job's unwavering faith
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IV
- The purpose of suffering
- Transformation through trials
- Becoming a grace giver
Key Quotes
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” — David Wilkerson
“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” — David Wilkerson
“Your present sufferings are producing something precious in your life as you are being formed into a grace giver.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Trust in God's plan even when you face trials, knowing He is with you.
- Seek to understand the purpose behind your suffering and how it can lead to growth.
- Embrace the role of a grace giver in your community, reflecting God's love to others.