Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20030330.htm

JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY
Part XXXII: Adjusting To The Fiery Trials God Lets Us Face
(Zechariah 13:7-9 with Matthew 26:31,56 et al.)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

"Fiery trials" seem to be part of the "normal" landscape nowadays:

(1) In our Sunday evening service last week, one of our Church members shared a prayer request regarding a story that appeared around the world regarding abuses done to American prisoners of war in Iraq. As she testified of the need to pray for all involved, I noticed the grim expressions abounding on the faces of the congregation. This was a "fiery trial" we were experiencing on a national level due to the unparalleled media coverage of this particular war.

(2) On top of this, we know of various private trials the war has produced on people we know:

(a) A Christian husband and father of several young children who many in our Church known, a man who is in the national guard received news this week his unit has been activated. He is going this weekend with his unit to an undisclosed location.

(b) My daughter received an e-mail message this week from a Christian young man who is involved in the Iraq War. Though his duty of repairing helicopters keeps him "out of harm's way" as he put it, on a regular basis, air raid sirens sound, forcing him to don his awkward chemical warfare mask and suit, "a real pain" as he put it. He asked for prayer that he would be able to come home soon!

(2) I know of several families in our Church who are facing "fiery trials" on top of our national challenge of war.

(3) As my wife dropped me off at my Church office on Thursday, she planned to visit a believer who is experiencing ongoing, severe physical pain. The doctor had just told her the upcoming surgery would not really heal her, and so she was headed for a "pain management" program where the doctors would seek only to control her pain, not END it! This party is facing a true, severe "fiery trial."



Well, WHY does GOD LET such "fiery trials" come even to those who revere and follow Him? WHAT is going on in these events, WHY, and HOW are we to respond WELL to them?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "Whether it's the trauma of television reports about the war in Iraq or personal challenges faced, I or a friend who reveres God does not know WHY God is letting him experience such difficult trials. What is going on, why, and how are we to respond to it all?!"
  1. The RISEN Jesus told His disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
  2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV , s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
  3. The Zechariah 13:7-9 prophecy where God called for fiery trials against His Messiah and Israel in light of its fulfillment reveal an amazing divine REFINING ministry through such difficult events:
    1. Jesus predicted Zechariah 13:7 would be fulfilled when He, Israel's spiritual Shepherd would be smitten at the cross, and His disciples as typified by the Shepherd's sheep in Zechariah 13:7 would then scatter.
    2. The Zechariah 13:7 prophecy initially shows the trouble Jesus' twelve disciples would face in His suffering, but it also foreshadows the Great Tribulation sufferings of the "shepherdless" Israel due to her rejection of Jesus as her Messiah (as follows):
      1. Though the slaying of the Shepherd is predicted in Zechariah 13:7, the long-term prophetic fulfillment would include God's discipline of Israel during the Great Tribulation when two-thirds of the nation will perish, Zech. 13:8; cf. Bible Knowledge Com., O. T., p. 1569.
      2. Then, the one-third that will survive will repent, believing in Christ as her Messiah and being cleansed by God from sin, Zech. 13:1.
      3. That remnant would be refined in great trial as silver and gold are refined with fire: God would once again claim Israel as His people, and they would hold to the Lord as their God, Zechariah 13:9.
  4. Accordingly, in viewing God's refining of Peter in the prophetic SHORT-term, WE discern WHAT God does, WHY and HOW we are to respond to such fiery trials He permits us to have TODAY:
    1. When Jesus told His disciples of His shameful and painful death to come, Peter rebuked Him, saying this could not happen, Matt. 16:21f.
    2. Christ's response shows Peter's outlook was influenced by Satan, that this viewpoint savored the things of man and not of God, Mtt. 16:23.
    3. Jesus noted the right view to have included not gratifying the lusts of the flesh and the eyes and the pride of this life in the world (1 John 2:15-16), and that by yielding to the Father's will even if it meant temporary shame and pain en route to eternal reward, Matt. 16:24-27.
    4. Well, the trial Peter faced in Christ's suffering shows how God purified Peter of his worldly outlook so he would achieve God's will:
      1. As He was preparing the disciples for His death, Jesus told Peter Satan wanted to sift all of the disciples (the first "you" is plural in the Greek text) like wheat, meaning to put them through a trial and cause them to sin, Luke 22:31; cf. Bib. Know. Com., N. T., p. 260.
      2. Yet, Jesus said He had prayed for Peter (the second "you" is singular, referring to Peter) that his faith not fail, and that when he was restored following this Satanic trial he would strengthen the rest of the disciples, Luke 22:32; cf. UBS Greek N.T., p. 304.
      3. Well, we recall how Peter out of fear for his physical safety (in this case, the lust of the flesh) and/or pride (in this case, the pride of life) failed to keep his pledge not to deny Jesus, Matt. 26:33f, 69ff.
      4. Yet, after Christ's resurrection, when the disciples met the Lord in Galilee, Jesus publicly led Peter to repent of his threefold denial by three times leading Peter to admit he loved Jesus, John 21:15-17.
      5. Once Peter was restored, Jesus told him he would follow Jesus into the event that first tempted Peter's denial of Christ -- namely, into HIMSELF being CRUCIFIED, John 21:18.
      6. Peter also strengthened the WHOLE Church, evangelizing in Jerusalem (Acts 2:14-41), influencing the Church to stay true to the Gospel of justification-by-faith-alone (Acts 15) and writing two epistles (1 and 2 Peter) before his death.
      7. Thus, Peter's initial defeat by his fear of the cross (lust of the flesh) and/or pride (pride of this earthly life) was overcome by fiery trials so that he could himself victoriously experience crucifixion.
Application: If facing a fiery trial, (1) we should obey God by trusting in Christ as Saviour from sin, Acts 17:30; John 3:16. (2) As a believer, we are to realize God allows these fiery trials to occur to expose the futility of living for this world's lusts (1 John 2:17a) so we will do God's will in the Holy Spirit's power, Gal. 5:16-23. We thus overcome the world in accord with God's will!

Lesson: (1) God lets fiery trials occur to His people to expose the futility of living for the worldly lusts of the flesh, the eyes and pride of this life so that we will do God's Biblical will no matter what lies in life's pathway. (2) Thus, in facing such trials, we are to observe the futility of living for this world's values so as to do God's eternal, Biblical will by HIS power!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Last Sunday, I closed the worship service message with an illustration about my following Louis' lead regarding how to click my computer "mouse" to correct a computer program problem.

Well, I really MUST let you know how the Lord again supplied me an illustration involving the computer mouse! [Though this illustration is not one of a severe "fiery trial," I use it instead of another I might choose in respect for the privacy of others.]

The computer mouse I had been using was in great need of replacement. It had gathered so much dust that, to make it work, Louis had to invert the mouse pad so the rubbery side was up and tape it to the table! I had often wished for a replacement, but due to my ignorance of what kind of mouse to buy, I had made myself content to produce my lesson notes as best I could, a bit of a "fiery trial" all its own (those who have computers understand this well)!

Well, Louis replaced the mouse this week with a new one -- one that works with great ease! I feel downright "spoiled" with it!

However, there's quite a story behind the new mouse! About five years ago, at a certain business gathering, Louis saw a collection of computer "odds and ends" on sale, including this mouse at a price of $10.00. Normally, a new mouse costs $100.00, but he thought it might be a good idea to buy it as he regularly works on computers, and he felt he might need it for a computer somewhere in his future.

Well, that ten dollar mouse just happens to be a perfect fit for updated computer we now have! Thus, Louis hooked it up for my use!

In learning to ACCEPT what we had to use in writing up these sermon notes, and learning to want GOD'S will above EASE in using even the computer, the LORD in HIS time allowed me the blessing of getting this mouse to use when I most NEEDED it, but ONLY AFTER learning to ACCEPT the "path" allotted of "trial" in handling the difficult computer mouse while doing God's will in sermon preparation!

As a RESULT, every time I now USE this mouse, I recall GOD'S WILL is preeminent in this ministry -- NOT my EASE in DOING it!

May we FACE our "fiery trials" in life with a resignation to do God's REVEALED will, whether it involves ease OR pain, and thus OVERCOME the WORLD'S lusts!