Gold Quality Faith

[0:00] We talked about 1 Peter 2, now we're going back to chapter 1 Peter 1.

[0:28] 1 Peter 1, and talking about gold quality faith, 1 Peter 1, praise God. 1 Peter 1, faith, gold quality faith. Peter writes to God's people here in a time of persecution, and he talks about gold, and when we think of gold, it's a rare and precious commodity. Gold holds its value, it fetches a high price, especially when it's in its purest form, 24 carat gold.

[1:14] And pure gold has to undergo intense heat. And Peter talks about a faith that is gold quality faith. We see that here in 1 Peter 1, verse 7. He writes that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold, that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Peter's writing, as I say, to a church in a time of persecution. You'd imagine in Rome's day, with the various Caesars, they were quite callous and hateful towards God's people. And Peter was writing to the church, encouraging them to this kind of faith that will go through the time of testing.

[2:07] When we think of gold, of quality of gold, we think of a trying process, of a testing of metals through fire, where it says that trial, though it be tried, this word tried, it speaks of metals being tested in a furnace. And I know Julie and I lived at Mount Isa at one time, and we went to the gold mine, and they were pouring out this liquid gold, and it was just pouring out like water almost. And it was gold quality gold. It was refined gold. And it had to be through the heat for it to be made so pure. And gold quality faith is faith that is refined in the fire. And friends, tonight, your faith is more valuable than any kind of gold, than only 24 karat gold. True faith. Friends, the faith that we can know is a faith that is more precious than of gold. It never perishes. It's indestructible. True faith is indestructible.

[3:13] And Paul tells of reasons for rejoicing here. In the concepts, verses 3 through 6, Peter talks about the reason of rejoicing, of being born again unto a lively hope. And how you have, as he picks it up here in verse 4, you have an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. Verse 5, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. It will be revealed in the last time. And it says, for the meantime, in these times of trial, wherein ye greatly rejoice. Though now for a season, if need be, you're in heaviness through manifold temptations.

[4:02] Praise the hardships of life can be heavy. They can sometimes weigh us down. I know someone was thinking of me lately and saying that I'm going through a big test thing because there's this little sore on my face. But really, there's nothing. There's absolutely nothing. We think of what? The suffering of the people of God through history. Think of the martyrs, the saints of old, the early church, the suffering they went through, the crucible of their faith.

[4:27] Friends, the word shows us that our faith can be such that it will work in us. Even in times of heaviness and trials, when things are difficult, it's going to help us grow as believers. And when you look back in your own life, you know, I put it to you that as you do look back, true, where God has led you. It was those times that were the hardest, that were the making of you. They helped you to grow. They help us know the Lord. When we go through trial, we lean on Him and we become more like Him. He helps us through and we'll thank Him for it when we look back. Peter tells how there's some grief for the meantime. There's some trials of our faith. It's what we're to expect to happen and not to be daunted by it. Yet the result will be, after those trials, we'll see a tried and tested faith, a faith that is more precious than gold, more great value, greater worth than gold. We see, friends, today, that faith that we can know, a faith that is refined by fire and it will be tested and found real.

[5:32] And that faith, ultimately, it says that it will be to the praise and glory of our God when our Lord Jesus is revealed. God's purpose, for the meantime, is that our lives be lived out in view of that coming of our Lord. If our faith is genuine, then it will last until the revelation of Christ, when He comes, and it will be a time of glory. The church at Laodicea is the light to the church of our day, as we edge ever closer to the return of our Lord.

[6:00] And our Lord called the lukewarm Laodiceans to a fervent faith. What does He say to them? In Revelation 3, verse 18, He counseled them to buy from Him gold tried in the fire. Revelation 3, verse 18. The Laodiceans, He said, buy, find that gold tried in the fire. Revelation 3, verse 18. Friends, our Lord is coming. He's coming soon. He's sooner today than He was yesterday. And friends, we face a time of much challenge. We need gold quality faith as we prepare for His coming. And that's my prayer for you tonight. The Lord wants us, each one, to have a faith genuine, found genuine, a faith that's tested and found true. A faith that will bring Him praise, honour and glory at His returning. Faith is something precious. And we can know that.

[6:55] Faith that is going to last forever. Faith that is much more precious than gold. And I urge you to that, to that vein. God is developing gold, solid gold, through and through, and eternal gold, much more precious than of gold, the parisade. Friends, 1 Peter 1, verse 7 says this, that the trial of your faith being much more precious, much more precious than of just mere gold that parisade, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. So firstly, notice this, that gold quality faith knows a refining. A refining. Number one, the faith that we're talking about tonight is a faith that is like gold, it is refined. And this refining process is a repeating thing. It's repetitive.

[8:00] When they seek to refine gold, they do it numbers of times. And a refining process is often time consuming. It's very intense. Metals are refined of their impurities. Gold quality faith too. It knows this refining. So brother, sister, if you feel like you're in the fire, it's actually good. It's a good thing. We can thank God. He'll help us through it. A Bible teacher, Vernon McGee, wrote, when God tests us today, he puts us in the furnace. He doesn't do it, do that to destroy us or hurt us or harm us, but he wants pure gold. And that is the way he'll get it. He goes on, friend, that is what develops Christian character. At the time of testing, the dross is drawn off and the precious gold appears. That is God's method. That is God's school. We don't hear that teaching very much in our day. Rather, we're being taught to become sufficient within ourselves.

[9:02] Oh, my friend, you and I are not adequate. We are not sufficient. And we never will be. We simply come to God as sinners and he saves us by his grace through the blood of Christ.

[9:14] Then he wants us to live his life through us. He tries to teach us through our trials. He is drawing us closer to him. End quote. That's the refining work that God is doing. Don't shy away from the refining. God is working.

[9:29] He's getting rid of the dross. You know, I reflect again on, as I mentioned, when we lived in Mount Isa, they had a time at night where they would take the, what did they call it?

[9:45] The dregs, the, yeah, it was copper probably. Yeah, it was the slag or, yeah, it was the copper, the molten copper. And as they would kind of scoot off the rubbishy stuff that came to the top of the molten, it was copper, I think, really, yeah. But they would scrape it off and they put it in this truck and it was like a big bowl in the back of the truck. And at night we would go out and watch them. You could go and watch them as they poured it. And they poured this great big bowl on the back of the truck. And it just went, poof, just went in this, went in this great big explosion as the, as the, the dregs, the, um, this rubbish, this, the slag, they called it, that it would fall off and, and it would form this little pool that then they would kind of scrape away and get rid of later. But it was like the rubbish of the process. And, and they said sometimes you have to be actually too careful that you didn't park too close because this, when it kind of fit the, poured this bowl into this kind of pond, uh, it shoot up as the, it hit water or whatever. And you had to be careful because apparently sometimes the, uh, cars would get, uh, holes in their roof with the, because it rained this molten, um, this molten metal, um, rubbish. So, uh, but the point I'm making is that there's impurities that like, uh, like to that process, he gets rid of, rid of impurities in our lives. And when we go through a refining, it makes us want to be closer to our Lord. It makes us want to get rid of those things that are not the gold quality.

[11:25] My friends, the refining, it makes you stronger. It will make you stronger through those trials and tests and temptations through the trying of your faith. I know Julie and I watched a little video of, of Gladys Aylward and you think of what she went through. And apparently Julie's mum met Gladys Aylward as a child because she went to England and, and shared her testimony of the amazing feats of, of God's working through this, uh, small woman of faith who went to China and, and served the Lord in such astonishing ways that she went through incredible trials and testings. And it's often the making of a man, a woman of God, but they go through such a thing. They'll shine brighter. You'll shine brighter for that refining process, brother, sister, or make you stronger. And it's like James says in James one verses two through four, he says, my brethren, count it all joy. Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, when you go through these trials. He says, knowing this, that the trying of your faith, it worketh patience. It's going to make you stronger, more persevering, more steadfast.

[12:36] It's going to work patience in you, but let patience have her perfect work. That you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Friends, there's that sense of, there's a perfecting process. You're being refined. What happens on the inside of us is more important than what happens to us. And as it's been said, it's the sand in the oyster that makes the pearl. God allows distresses in our lives. He allows things so we can still trust him through that, knowing he's always in control. And the refiner will work that which is good. He'll work that which is good out of it. Notice here, secondly, as far as we see the refining, notice, secondly, the receiving. When we face trials, receive it from his hand. Receive that working of the refiner. Don't shy away from God. When we face trials, trust him. When we face trials, we can react or we can receive. When you face a trial, brother, sister, I urge you, receive it from his hand. Let God use it in your life. God is at work. God is doing something.

[13:48] He's doing the work. Trust him. Trust him. And I say that's easy for you to say. You know what I'm going through. I'm not in your shoes. But brothers and sisters, we've all got things we've got to grapple with. See James 1 verse 3 again, knowing that the trying, that trial, that trying, that testing, that trying of your faith, it worketh. Something is working.

[14:11] Something is being done. God is working something out of it. Trials work for us. Trials make for strength and sturdiness. As we know, a tree that stands out in the open must stand and it must send its fruits deep down to withstand the fierceness of the storm. We have to learn to trust him. Trust him. Knowing that all things work together for good. They work together for good. To them that love God. To them that are the call according to his purpose. Trust his hand. Trust his hand. Trust his purpose. He knows what he's doing. He's working out. He's working it out. These things work together for us. The trying of your faith worketh patience.

[14:55] All things work together for good. Trust him. Trust his working. His working is building your strength through adversity. When we learn to grow through adversity, will our adversity drive as close to God. It can do. That's the purpose. God is building us to that next level of spiritual maturity. He's teaching us to grow and learn. There's a saying, smooth seas don't make for a skillful sailor. Life isn't always smooth sailing, is it? You know that. Can you relate to that? As we navigate life's seas, there's chopping seas, there's storms, there's winds, there's fogs, there's icebergs, gigantic waves, dangerous reefs. Sweat seas don't make for a skillful sailor. It's that. Tough things. It's those tough things. And you've battled through more than me, some of you. I know that. You go through things. There's tough things going on for you.

[15:50] Those difficulties, those challenges, those obstacles. It's the making of you. God's working the working you. That working. He's working patience. He's working all things for good.

[16:03] And sometimes life is like you're getting turned upside down. It's like you're on that choppy sea, but he's doing the work. We need this. Why? The trying of your faith. Work it. It's working for you. Receive it. Receive it from his hand. Receive what he's teaching you by it.

[16:21] We grow when we're stretched and tested. And so too when it comes to our faith. We all face tests. All kinds of pressures of life, physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually.

[16:33] Where are the stronger saints? They're the ones who've been most tested, aren't they? Look at the men and women of God in countries where it's criminal, it's illegal for you to be a Christian. A gathering like this would be banned. This would be not allowed.

[16:50] They have to have strong faith even just to get together, one or two, to pray for one another and read the Bible. And to even have a Bible in some of these places. These are the strong saints. They've been tested. They've learned to depend on the Lord. Their faith is steadfast. They're leaning on his strength. And brothers and sisters, we need to have that same heart, don't we? That God is working in us. He's working something beyond our limited time zone here on earth. It says this in Hebrews 13, 14. But here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Our trials now are producing something that is an eternal quality, there's an eternal city, there's an eternal glory. We only have that eternal perspective in view. Here in the sense that trials we have are for a season. It's just a little while. These times of struggle at times, it's just a season. You know, how long does a season go for? Three months?

[17:51] It may not be three months, but it's a season in the sense that there's a time praying and it's limited. And trials work for us eternally. We've got no continuing city here. We seek one to come.

[18:06] Trials work for us. It stands for our light affliction. We're just but for a moment. Worketh for us. It's working again. Working, working, working. It worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal way of glory. So receive them. Believe God is at work. Know your Saviour. He cares.

[18:23] He's with you. He'll help you ride the storm. Ben's happened, an old time preacher, said it takes the grindstone to sharpen the axe. It's the grindstone that makes you sharper.

[18:36] Trials work for you, fellow believer. He'll make you a sharper Christian. We cry out when we face a trial and our focus can snap back on him. We begin to pray when we face a trial. We actually look to the Lord. That's a good thing, isn't it? It's a good thing. Look to him for the way out of the trial.

[18:58] We seek after God. Matthew Henry says, Afflictions are sent to this end to bring us to the throne of grace, to teach us, to pray, and to make the word of God's grace precious to us. Many are taught with the briars and thorns of affliction that would not learn otherwise. Faith gets tried, as it was with Abraham, as it was with Job and Habakkuk and so on. All the men and women of God, of gold quality faith, they went through that trial.

[19:30] As one preacher urges us, rejoice in your darkest hour. The world may think you're crazy, foolish, but keep trusting God. Keep building your faith on the word of God. Rest in that book. Do what he says do. He will help you. He will lead you in the same way he led Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, David, Peter, James, John, and the Apostle Paul. That was Pastor Lee Roberson. Friends, he's doing a work.

[20:01] He's working a work and it's an eternal thing. People are searching for deeper faith. The deeper life, the deeper life, gold quality faith, but sometimes it's those hard things that we need that are the hardest that will help us get there. And that's the place God wants us to be.

[20:18] Be willing to trust him as he tries you. Learn to trust him more. Question, have you found the gold yet? Now sometimes, I know sometimes in my backyard, I mean, a few miles from me is the gold fields. And when I'm digging in my garden, sometimes I just wonder, am I going to get a nugget? And am I going to find the gold? I haven't found any yet, but maybe I'm sitting on a gold mine. But you know, friends, it can be like that for us, can't it? The trials of life, the times where you're digging away, you're going to strike gold. There's going to be gold.

[21:02] Job said, he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I will come forth as gold. Job remained true to God through much hardship. You know, he had his ups and downs, but he hung in there.

[21:15] Through the trials, the suffering, God gave him the grace to get through. And Matthew, he says, the faith of good people is tried, that they themselves may have the comfort of it, God the glory of it, and others the benefit of it.

[21:29] Now what did James say? Count it all joy. It sounds kind of weird, doesn't it? It sounds crazy. Count it all joy. It's intuitive to count trials your joy.

[21:41] And that's what God says to do it. Receive it from his hand. Receive what God's doing in this time of trial. You're being shaped according to his will. And we're being made hopefully stronger through the dark valley.

[21:56] Now we've seen one of our number pass away. And the sadness of losing someone in our midst, one of our folk, Delphine. And we see the time of loss, and it's a hard time losing friends.

[22:12] Friends, pain can be productive. Pressure can produce. We can know God's hand. We can know God's help. The trying of our faith is going to work that patience. God's going to make you shine.

[22:23] Through the trials of life, you'll be a testimony of his grace. You can show forth his praises. You can comfort those that likewise are going through testing too.

[22:34] Gold quality faith. It's the making of you. To develop that stamina, that enduring faith. To bear up under heavy loads without discouragement.

[22:44] Think of if it was all plain sailing. We'd be weaker for that. We would be weaker. We trust that God will see us through. He's making gold.

[22:56] Some of you are already shining. I can see the shining of the gold here. There's gold nuggets here. There's gold quality faith being made. There's gold quality faith. God's doing a refining.

[23:08] And your faith is being refined. Gold quality faith. It knows a receiving of the fact that though, what does it say? Though he's slaving, yet shall I trust him.

[23:20] You know, I shall come forth as gold. I know that my redeemer liveth. You know, gold quality faith. He knows whatever happens, he's with me. I'm with him. The trying of your faith, the work of patience.

[23:32] God is working in us. Our light affliction is working for us. It's just for a moment. And there's a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Now some of you are going to have big sacks of gold.

[23:44] It's going to be far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. You're going to be loaded with gold in the sense, I'm just kind of being a little colorful here. But that sense of the light affliction is just for a moment.

[23:59] There's gold. Gold's doing, God's making gold here. You are gold quality. Our trials are for our refining.

[24:10] Your faith is being refined. The gold quality faith. It knows a receiving that God is at work. And thirdly, trials are strangely a cause for rejoicing.

[24:24] As I said, count it all joy. There's a cause for rejoicing. Your trials are actually something you can rejoice within. There is reason for joy. The sun still shines through, despite the threatening storm and the darkening clouds.

[24:38] As the psalmist cried, it tells in part, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Just hang on.

[24:49] Morning's coming. And as sure as day, fall as night, morning is coming. Weeping may endure for a night. Yes, there will be those times of weeping, of tears, of hardship, of heartache.

[25:02] But joy comes, it says, in the morning. One preacher said this, sorrow will last for the night, but morning cometh when you will meet both your loved ones and the Lord Jesus.

[25:14] Are you travelling through on the detour of loneliness? Sometimes we do find ourselves completely left alone. We do not have close friends and our loved ones are far away from us. Yes, you may feel yourself one of earth's loneliest creatures.

[25:28] But if you are a child of God, then you have the promise of the presence of Jesus. This is his promise to obedient followers. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

[25:40] Amen. That's Pastor Lee Roberson. You know, there's those detours, there's those lonely times. But he is always with you, brother. Always with your sister. He's never going to leave you.

[25:53] And even in those times of weeping, that's when he's closest to you. You can find that rest upon him. You can find that trust, that closeness. Weeping in those dark times.

[26:08] After that, joy come in the morning. Joy's coming. Gold quality faith. It finds joy, even in the times of heaviness. As Peter puts it in 1 Peter 1 verse 6.

[26:20] We're in. In those trials we're in. You're going to rejoice in them. Within them, you're going to greatly rejoice, he says. Peter says you're going to greatly rejoice. This faith will rejoice.

[26:31] No matter what. This faith that you have. This trust in your Saviour. It's a God-given joy. It's a joy no matter what. It's a joy knowing God is at work. In us. In our trials.

[26:41] 1 Peter 4. 12 through 14. Beloved, says Peter, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial. Which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.

[26:55] He says, verse 13. But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.

[27:10] If you be reproached for the name of Christ. You know, if people have a go at you, you're a Christian, they, you know, put you down. They ridicule and mock you.

[27:23] He says, if you're reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. For the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

[27:37] God is working. He's working his work of salvation. And it's even in time of trial. So friend, brother, sister, know that the trial will produce. You can find joy.

[27:49] Tremendous, great joy, exceeding joy. We can rejoice, even in a fiery trial. Now, we know, as I've said, Peter is speaking here to people. They're literally facing the danger of being thrown to the lions.

[28:05] It's being locked up and tortured and murdered for their fate. Even in that fiery trial. It's only after we've been fired in the furnace that the refiner can begin to skim that dross from our spiritual character.

[28:22] Take away the rubbish on the top and skim it off. And he's building you. He's making you. There's a great comfort there. God's joy. So friends, tonight, trials can deepen your faith.

[28:36] And I just urge you, I know, and I'm not talking just in a conceptual thing here. This is real. I know Monday morning, who knows what's going to hit us.

[28:46] You know, when I preach a sermon like this, sometimes it does. You've also got to apply the sermon. You know, sometimes you're going to get hit with something out of the blue. And how can we have joy?

[28:57] Well, we're in a time of trials. The Bible shows us how. It's real. It's applicable. It's for you. It's relevant. Focus on that great salvation that you have. The joy of your new birth.

[29:08] That inheritance that's reserved for you. That security of your faith. Of your saving. It's his doing. Focus on his eternal work. These trials are temporary.

[29:21] They're brief compared to eternity. Focus on God's rule and purpose. He sees above everything that's going on. He's got that, really, that full helicopter view, hasn't he?

[29:33] He sees the beginning from the ending. He sees the past, the present, the future. He sees what he's making of you. He's building you, your faith. So trials can help keep us humble, to lean upon him, to know God is doing the work.

[29:49] He's working patience. He's developing endurance. He's completing his work. Trials. Train us for higher service.

[30:00] If God wants to make you step out, he'll put you in the refining process. So you'll be stronger. So you can do something more for God.

[30:11] So you can go deeper for God. And harder. And stronger in your faith. He's opening opportunities. You know, who knows where there's mission fields calling out for laborers.

[30:25] And we're in a mission field here. Let's not discount that too. And there's great areas of service. It's all around you. Open your eyes and you'll see these opportunities to serve.

[30:36] You know, there's people crying out for the gospel. As I shared this morning, there's a lonely man that I know, he's only got his dog to talk to.

[30:47] You know, I urge him to talk to God, not his dog. I mean, you can still talk to your dog. But rather talk to God, amen. I was just appealing to the man.

[30:58] A lonely man. There's people with heartaches. They live in these four walls of their home. And they've not got a life. And we tried to reach out to that man yesterday.

[31:09] And I've got a friend who's going to try to, one of the things that he talked about was he's worried about his dog. His beloved dog hasn't got a shelter. So a friend of mine is going to try to build him a shelter.

[31:23] And the church can help with that need. Just to bless that man, to reach out to him. Reach out in love because we want to reach that man for Christ. And it's just an opportunity.

[31:34] What about these opportunities all around us? There's people crying out. People unloved. Lonely. People without hope. Virtually suicidal. There's nothing for them to live for.

[31:46] And what if this man's dog dies? His fragile world will just crump. Friends, we've got people out there that need the gospel. We've got to take it to them. God's opening opportunities to service.

[31:58] They're all around us. One day his glory shall be revealed. This earthly time span will seem as nothing. And any earthly trials and testings and hardships and sacrifices we make are going to seem as nothing.

[32:12] Is your faith real? Think of it, brother, sister. What if they declare Christianity illegal in Australia? It's not inconceivable. Faith will see you through.

[32:24] Faith will see those challenges. You'll get through those tough times. You'll stand for Christ even when it's not popular. Even when it's not easy. When the storms rock you, you'll be solid and strong.

[32:35] You'll plough through the waves. You'll go through those times of dark clouds. They won't overwhelm you. Because you'll know your God is for you. He has not left you.

[32:46] He's fighting for you. He is with you. And friends, that's the kind of heart we can have. As the difficulties of being a Christian in Australia might get more so. We've got it easy now.

[32:58] Let's face it. It's easy peasy, isn't it? To be a Christian, what if it gets hard? How many will stand? How many will stand the test?

[33:09] When he can't really find faith on the earth. If people can't have faith when it's easy, what's it going to be like when it gets harder? But, brothers and sisters, we've got to get sharper, stronger, more resolved.

[33:22] And it's the trials that will make us such. The trials of the making of us. To strengthen us. To steel us for the fight that might lie ahead. As things get harder. Paul says to Timothy, I fought a good fight.

[33:35] He says, I'm on the edge. I'm about to depart. They're about to announce my flight's leaving. I'm ready for my departure. He says, I've finished my course.

[33:46] I've kept the faith. Friends, Paul described his Christian life as a fight. And here he was on the front line. In a prison cell.

[33:56] Most of the time when he wrote things. And his genuine faith shone through. It was tested faith. It was gold quality faith. And friends, God's producing golden Christians who will shine.

[34:09] And so when those trials come, receive them. Say, thank you, Lord. I count it all joy. You're doing something. I don't know why. But I'm trusting you. I'm finding gold.

[34:20] It's here. The gold is here. The joy is here. Even in the pit of despair, we can learn to pray. As the writer of Hebrews says, let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace.

[34:32] That we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. The context here is of our great high priest. He knows where we're at. He's touched with the feelings of our infirmities.

[34:44] He knows pain. He knows suffering. This is not some unfeeling God. He's been there. He's done that. And we're looking unto him. We're finding that joy. That eternal joy.

[34:56] Friends, you can find faith. You can rejoice. And you can in this moment. When is it that we obtain mercy and find grace to help? In time of need.

[35:06] In time of need. It's when we need him that we call out, isn't it? Sometimes we don't pray because we've not got needs. Let's not wait to pray until we need him.

[35:17] But when we are needy, let's find his grace to help. Let's not neglect to reach out to find his help in time of need. He's with you, brother and sister. And you can know by faith that he's doing the work.

[35:31] And in time of trouble, he's most assuredly with you. Ever more, even more so, more so tangibly, you can know his presence with us. Think of the three Hebrew children in the fire.

[35:44] And the fourth man was our Lord. Right there. Amen. It's right there. Right there with you. Psalm 46.1 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help, in trouble.

[35:58] What are we to do in time of trial? Glorify God. Glorify God. At all times. And focus on your faith, the genuineness of your faith. Trials will prove that.

[36:10] Focus on the eternal glory. Just these little passing moments of trouble. Focus on the eternal glory. It's just around the corner. And your faithfulness in the trials will be rewarded.

[36:23] Focus on your relationship with the Lord. Trials can bring you closer and you'll walk with Him. So friends, gold quality faith. It goes through a refining. Gold is purified.

[36:35] And the gold that is purified is highly valued. I don't have any gold. But you might have some gold on your fingers or around your neck or in your ear. But you might have some gold.

[36:46] How do you go through some fire? How do you go through some refining? That it can be a quality gold. And it's the same with our faith. The refining fire.

[36:57] It's a fire. It's hard. Painful. I'm not discounting. I know some are going through great trials. You know, hardships and sickness and testings and uncertainty for the future.

[37:12] Just making a living. The stresses of life can be at times overwhelming. But friend, know this. That in fiery trials, God is with you.

[37:24] He is with you. He's helping you. And He will make that a pathway to spiritual growth. So know His refining work. He's doing something good. Know that receiving.

[37:37] Gold quality faith receives. Don't reject or react. Receive from His hand. Trust Him. He's working. Know that the Lord is at work.

[37:48] Even in the midst of hardship. As you face the realities of life. Sometimes harsh realities. As people are going through pain. I can't get my head around what they're going through.

[37:59] I hear the worst of things that are happening for people. And I cry for them. It overwhelms me to know what some people are going through.

[38:11] And we may not always understand the pain for ourselves. Yet we can receive from His hand. Trust Him. Let that faith grow. Even as you receive the trial.

[38:24] Trust Him. That you can be made spiritually more mature from it. So there's a refining. There's a receiving. There's a rejoicing.

[38:34] Count it all joy. Believer. Count it all joy. It's but for a moment. There's an eternal weight of glory. You're under God's wings. There's compelling reasons to trust Him more.

[38:45] But you can count it all joy. That's going to take some mind shift, isn't it? Count it all joy. But yes, even the trial, you can be rejoicing.

[38:56] Because in eternity you will shine. And you will be like these Chinese and Russian Christians that have gone through concentration camps. And yet their faith is shining so brightly.

[39:08] Your faith will shine. And His appearing will understand it all. His appearing is imminent. His appearing is close. And our life's journey is really fleeting, isn't it?

[39:23] Our faith will be more precious. When we see His face, friends, there'll be joy. You know the old saying, the cross before the crown. There's the cross before the crown.

[39:34] There's a time of suffering. There's a time of loss. A time of tearing the cross. A time of bearing that burden. And then there's the crown. The cross before the crown.

[39:45] In eternity you will shine. And you wonder sometimes it's those Christians who go through that wrenching, that heartache, that hard stuff.

[39:58] That they'll be the ones closest to the throne. And as we, what is it saying? If we suffer for Him, we'll reign with Him. There's a sense where there's, it's almost, it correlates.

[40:09] It's hard to fathom, isn't it? But maybe those that are more tested will get more blessed. I don't know how that's going to work. But we know that He'll strengthen you through the present.

[40:21] And your faith will be much more precious when you see His face. So my prayer for you is this. That the trial of your faith, being much more precious, much more precious than just gold.

[40:34] What's gold? I know Julie likes to say, in heaven it's just going to be the pavement. You know, the gold, the gold streets. We'll be just walking on it. It'll just be like bitumen up there.

[40:45] The gold down here is nothing. But it's the faith that's gold. The suffering, the trial of your faith. It's much more precious than a gold that is going to perish.

[40:57] Now if you're tried with fire, you might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Let's just be prayerful as we wind up here.

[41:09] Lord, we come to your throne of grace. This time of need. We all need you. We always have that need to come to you. We pray if there's any here present that have yet to trust you.

[41:23] To be born again. To know that heart change. That turning around of a life. That trusting in your grace. That saving.

[41:35] That each one may know that. That faith that says, I'm going to call on your name. I'm going to believe you. I'm going to let go of my sin. I'm going to find your peace within.

[41:47] And know your forgiveness. And your filling. Your forgiving. Your saving. Your love. Your gift. Your salvation. I receive it. Lord, pray to all my know that.

[41:58] Trust. And Lord, help us. As each believer. Remember to know your grace in the daily walk of life. The grind at times. We know there's people going through some things that are really hard.

[42:13] And Lord, I know that each one has got a burden. A cross to carry. A trial of their faith. Make us stronger for it, Lord.

[42:23] Help us to see it's a refining process. That there's gold being made. Help us to receive it. Not to reject it.

[42:34] But to receive it. To say, yes, Lord, help me through it. I'll trust you in it. And Lord, to know that rejoicing. That yes, it's only momentary. There's an eternal weight of glory.

[42:46] And Lord, we're looking for your face. One day we'll see it. We'll be around your throne. And those crosses will be turned into crowns. Lord, those light afflictions of this earthly trial will be shed for that eternal weight of glory.

[43:04] Lord, as we see your face, it will be to your praise and honour and glory. We give you our praise, Lord. We pray for each one to know that wonderful joy.

[43:16] That we can count it. Count even the trial a joy. That we know you're with us in it. Help us, Lord, to be gold quality Christians.

[43:27] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.