Love Worth Finding

Adrian Rogers: Sometimes we don't understand why God does things. If you've prayed and asked God to do a miracle for you and He's not done it, it's not because He can't. And it's not because He does not love. And don't you pout at God. Don't get offended. A wise man once said, faith is not receiving from God so much what we want as it is accepting from God what He gives or what He allows. That is faith.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Love Worth Finding, featuring the insights and lessons of pastor and author Adrian Rogers. In this life, we'll experience situations in which we try to trust in God and our faith seems to fail. In part one of today's message, we learned that mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God.

When reminded of the numerous miracles of God, we can be comforted to know that if God does not do something, it's not because He cannot. He is sovereign and has a purpose. If you have your Bible, turn to Hebrews chapter 11, as Adrian Rogers shares part two of When Faith Seems to Fail.

Adrian Rogers: You can't live the Christian life apart from faith, for the Bible says clearly, plainly that we live by faith. The just shall live by faith. The Lord Jesus said, according to your faith, be it unto you. The writer of Hebrews says, apart from faith, it is impossible to please God. So we need not only to possess faith, we need a faith that possesses us.

But what happens sometimes when faith seems to fail? Sometimes trials, temptations, tribulations, heartaches, tears, fears, they come, and faith doesn't seem to remove them. I want to give you three propositions this morning so that you will have a mature faith. Many people have a superficial faith and a superstitious faith, rather than a strong faith and a spiritual faith and a biblical faith. They're doing fine until the crisis comes, until the bottom falls out. And they quit. They don't endure. They don't continue. They say, in effect, it's not working. And so they quit. They have an immature faith, sometimes a superstitious faith.

All right, you ready for three principles? Number one: mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God. Now, that means if God doesn't do it, it is not because He cannot. Look again in verses 32 through 35: "And what shall I more say? For time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were—" Stop right there.

Now, all of these are supernatural. Supernatural deliverance. And friend, we all love those stories. We have learned them from childhood. Daniel in the lions' den. Don't you love the story of old Daniel? They said, "Daniel, don't pray, or we'll throw you in the lions' den." He prayed anyway. They threw him in the lions' den, and God gave the lions lockjaw. Old Daniel pulls up a fluffy lion and fluffs him up and uses him for a pillow, gets his Old Testament out and begins to read between the lines.

We love those stories. We love the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They said, "Bow down to the pagan idol, or we'll cast you into the fiery furnace." They said, "We're not going to worship your filthy idol." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into the fiery furnace. They wouldn't bow, they wouldn't budge, but they wouldn't burn. And David slew Goliath. We've heard that story since we were children. Goliath over nine feet tall. The NBA would love to have him.

We love those stories. I love those stories. And I'm going to tell you something: if you have walked with Jesus for a long time, every one of you have a story like that. Where God miraculously, supernaturally, inexplicably worked in your heart and your life, and no way to explain it apart from God. And you say, "Praise God, the supernatural power of God." Now, I'm telling you, mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God, and don't ever say there's something God cannot do. God can do anything, anything, anything but fail. God cannot fail.

Now, that's a mature faith. So if you think I'm trying to explain away the miraculous in this message, you miss the whole thing. The writer of Hebrews gives all of these illustrations. Mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God. Number two: mature faith bows to the sovereign purposes of God. Now, there is God's supernatural power, but there is also God's sovereign purpose. And sometimes God's ways are mysterious, but that doesn't mean they're weak.

Notice again, beginning in verse 35: "Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise."

Now, we love the exciting victories, but sometimes they don't seem to come. You see, God has not promised that we would not know difficulty. As a matter of fact, what He has promised is we will know ultimate victory. He has promised never to leave us, never to forsake us, but He has not promised that we will never have difficulty. Now, if difficulty comes, you may be ready to quit. That happened to John the Baptist.

You know, John the Baptist was a great man. I suppose the greatest compliment ever paid to a human being was paid by the Lord Jesus of John the Baptist. You know what Jesus said of John the Baptist? "Not a greater born of woman." Pretty good compliment, right? Not a greater born of woman. Yet John the Baptist had a spell of doubt. John the Baptist was perhaps ready to hang it up, ready to throw in the towel, ready to quit. Why is this?

He was a rugged prophet, a man of God. But then he's taken and put in prison. Can you imagine John the Baptist now in prison? Some dungeon, some damp, smelly dungeon. Why can't He get me out of prison? And friend, I want to tell you something: if you've prayed and asked God to do a miracle for you and He's not done it, it's not because He can't. Amen? It's not because He can't. And it's not because He does not love. And don't you pout at God. Don't get offended.

A wise man once said, faith is not receiving from God so much what we want as it is accepting from God what He gives or what He allows. That is faith. Therefore, you need to have an "if not" clause in your faith. It doesn't mean that your faith is weak; it means that it is stronger than ever. God, I know You're able, but if You don't do it, Lord, I'm going to serve You anyway. I'm not going to make bargains with You.

Sometimes we don't understand why God does things. What I'm talking about is a mature faith bows to the sovereign purposes of God. Let me give you another example. Wicked King Herod took James and put him in prison and killed him. Everybody thought, boy, that was a good thing to do. So he took the big guy, Simon Peter, put him in prison, was going to kill Simon Peter also. And God miraculously delivered Simon Peter. I already told you the story how he walked out of there, and the jail gates just swung open and all of that.

Question: Herod takes James and puts him to death. Herod takes Peter, and he's delivered from prison. You explain it. Was James wrong and Peter right? Did God love Peter more than He loved James? No. God has some sovereign purposes in life. Are you willing to let God be God? Are you? Are you willing to have an "if not" clause in your faith? That's not to diminish the supernatural power of God.

You say, "Well, I want faith to escape." I hope you have it. But if you don't, do you have faith to endure? I want you to have faith to be healed. But if you don't, do you have faith not to be healed and still serve God and praise God and say with old Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him"? I will serve You no matter what. Habakkuk 3 verses 17 and 18: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Now here's the third and final thing I want to say to you this morning. Listen: mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God. We never diminish the supernatural power of God. Number two: mature faith bows to the sovereign purposes of God. It lets God be God. Number three: mature faith is based on the settled promises of God. Every promise of God is yea and amen in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now notice Hebrews 11, verses 39 through 40: "And these all, those who escaped and those who endured, these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise," that is, they haven't received it as yet. "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Now what does that mean in plain English? God has such a wonderful plan, and God is working on that plan, and it includes not only these Old Testament saints and these early Christians, but it includes all of us.

One of these days, God's going to bring it all together. And God is going to fulfill His promises to them and to us. God will keep His promise. God cannot lie. God cannot fail. And these people had faith, and if they did not have the answer in their hand, they had it in their heart. And they're basing their faith on the steadfast promises of God. That is, they had an eye to the future.

Sometimes we expect too much of life and not enough of God. We measure life by eat, drink, and be merry. And then the stock market caves in, and some people jump off buildings and so forth because that's where their faith was. Friend, even the good things of this life are going to ultimately fail you. I don't care who they are. You fall in love and get married, sooner or later you may sit in an empty family room looking at pictures on the wall. Life is fickle. If you're looking for everything in this life, you're not going to find it.

You need to rest on the great eternal promises of God. If things go upside down on you and all of your money is lost, remember that's not your greatest treasure anyway. If you never, ever become known and famous, it's what God thinks about you that really counts. If you have a loved one in Jesus who dies, there's a homecoming in heaven. God has not forgotten His promises.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Be meek today and see how much of it you get. I'm not saying don't be meek, but it's yet to come. We pray for our loved ones to be healed and they die. Was that prayer lost? No, it was heard. Those in heaven are whole; we are sick. They're made like the Lord Jesus Christ. You get an average prayer meeting, what are we praying for? We're praying for the sick more than we're praying for the lost. More interested in keeping the saints out of heaven than the lost out of hell.

Jesus is praying, "Father, I pray for those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory." We're the bride. He's the bridegroom. Don't you think the bridegroom wants the bride with him? So Paul said, "For me to die is gain." We get things upside down sometimes. Sometimes people look around and they say, "Well, the church is failing. There's scandal and there's this and there's that." Friend, listen to me. Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The church of the Lord Jesus Christ is not dead, and we're not presiding over the funeral of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The promises of God are yea and amen.

I'm going to close this message this morning talking about the supernatural power of God, the sovereign purposes of God, and the steadfast promises of God by reading to you something that was sent to me in the mail. One of our listeners sent this, written one of the most poignant things I've ever read. I want you to listen to it now. I want you to excuse me for reading something a little long.

Here's what this man says. "Why I Follow Christ." Are you listening? "I have not seen clearer statistical evidence that fewer Christians die of cancer than non-believers, or that they are immune in greater degree from the diseases that afflict the human race. Some of the kindest, most selfless persons I have known have had more than their share of bad health. The fact that they belong to Christ did not insulate them from disease. Therefore, I will not follow Christ for promised healing. I will not deny or dispute evidence of restoration of health. I will rejoice at every recovery from what seems to be hopeless threatened death. I will not hesitate to pray for recovered health for my loved ones and acquaintances. I will set no limits on what God may do. But I will not follow Christ for promised healing."

"I see no sign that Christians escape disaster and accident more often than others. A bullet makes no detour around the body of a believer. Therefore, I will not follow Christ for any promised protection from disaster. I will continue to pray for protection from wicked men and tragedy, but I will not follow Christ for promised protection from accident or catastrophe."

"I do not observe that Christians are especially favored with prosperity. Like James, we've all seen the rich oppressing the poor, and justice is rarely perfect in this world. The Psalmist has said that he had not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread, and in the deepest needs of this life, that is certainly true. But all of us have known people of integrity who have not prospered. Therefore, I will not follow Christ for promised freedom from physical want or hope of affluence."

"I have watched Christians suffer emotional and mental disabilities. And though it may seem heretical, I am not sure that I would really enjoy living in the same house with either the Apostle Peter or Paul. Not like that. God wills that the mind of Christ be formed in us, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Christian's attitudes and actions will be improved by his Christianity. But I will not follow Christ for any promised personality enhancement or perfection."

"Why then follow Christ? Why become a disciple of Jesus when life may become more complicated as He so often warned? For one reason alone. Are you listening? In Jesus we behold the face of God. He is the truth, the everlasting truth, God in the flesh. I know that in His life, death, and resurrection, I am reconciled to God, the giver of life. I believe that nothing can separate us from the love of God. He has all power and goodness, and I trust Him and His promises. To Him I offer my life, damaged or whole, brief or full of years. It matters not. He is the one certain thing in an uncertain world. He is to be worshipped, not so something will happen to me or to the world. Something already has happened to me and the world, but because He is God, who through Christ has reconciled the world to Himself. He saves me. He is my justification. He is the center that holds. To worship the God of our salvation, to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, that alone is our vocation. We offer our lives to God, not so as to be healthy, wealthy, or wise, not even so to gain the strength to do great things for Him. We offer our lives to Him because He alone has a claim upon us. God is not a means to an end."

Now friend, that's one of the greatest things that I've ever read. When faith seems to fail, it may be that you're asking of your faith something that God never really intended for your faith. Real faith, listen to me, real faith is to center your life on Almighty God. Mature faith believes in the supernatural power of God. Mature faith bows to the sovereign purposes of God. Mature faith is based on the steadfast promises of God. And one of the greatest is this: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you'll be saved. Simple and sweet. Wonderful promise.

It is simple and sweet, and it will make an eternity's worth of difference. Would you like to pray to receive Jesus right now? Join me in this simple prayer. Oh God in heaven, I know I'm a sinner and You're holy, and You sent Jesus on a rescue mission for me. He died on the cross in my place, and He rose again to new life. So I receive the gift that You're offering right now. Come into my life. Save me. Change me from the inside out. I claim You today as Savior and Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Guest (Male): If you prayed a prayer like that from your heart, let us celebrate with you. Go to our find God's love page on the website. There you'll find answers you may need about your newfound faith. Go to lwf.org/radio and click the tab that says find God's love. Welcome to His forever family. We can't wait to hear from you today.

Carrie Vaughn: Hi, this is Carrie Vaughn, and this program has been brought to you by Love Worth Finding, a non-profit ministry showcasing the powerful preaching and teaching of Pastor Adrian Rogers. We operate solely through the generous gifts of individual supporters just like you. To give a gift today, call 1-877-LOVEGOD. That's 1-877-568-3463, or write to us at Love Worth Finding, Box 38600, Memphis, Tennessee 38183. You can also connect with us online by going to lwf.org/radio. There we offer helpful resources inspired by the timeless teachings of Pastor Adrian Rogers. Additionally, you can sign up for daily emails, donate to the ministry, and learn more about how to become an ambassador of the Word. Thank you so much for listening today. Be sure to join us next time for more profound truth simply stated, right here on Love Worth Finding.

Guest (Male): We were blessed to read this comment from a listener in Bolivia who said, "I love listening to this program because it is a way to connect with the Word of God. I feel like every program is directed right to me." At Love Worth Finding, we love to inspire and equip you with messages and resources for your daily Christian walk. And when you donate to the ministry this month, we want to send you a copy of Discover Jesus. More than just a book, Discover Jesus is an invitation to encounter Christ, strengthen your faith, and share His truth with others. Experience the life-changing message from Pastor Adrian Rogers today. Request this book when you call with a gift at 1-877-LOVEGOD, 1-877-568-3463, or give online at lwf.org/radio. And thanks for your generous support of Love Worth Finding.