Telling the Truth

Guest (Male): Today on Telling the Truth, Stuart Briscoe shares from Romans what can happen when you let the gospel do its work in your heart. But first, your generous support this month is vital as Telling the Truth prepares to close out our financial year and step into a new season of proclaiming God's truth.

With partners like you, we can reach even more people with biblical truth in the year ahead. Right now more people than ever are searching for truth, and through this ministry, God's word is reaching them where they are, across digital platforms and around the world. And thanks to an $82,000 matching grant, your gift today will be doubled, helping extend that reach and keep messages like this one going out to you and to others who need the hope found in Christ.

As our thanks for your gift, we'd love to send you Stuart Briscoe's book A Peace of My Mind, a powerful resource to help you experience God's peace in whatever you're facing. So call today to request your copy: 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648. Or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's Stuart with the conclusion of his message, Peace, Joy, and Hope.

Stuart Briscoe: Notice the second thing. Not only do we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, it is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we have gained access through faith into the grace in which we now stand. We have gained access into grace. Now, what does that mean? Grace is, by simple definition, grace is God's unmerited favor.

It is God giving us what we don't deserve and couldn't earn. Basically, that's grace. We are introduced to grace when for the first time we realize that God in his grace gave himself in Christ as a sacrifice for our sins. We didn't deserve it, and we couldn't earn it, but he did it anyway out of love and mercy and grace.

We were introduced to grace at that point. And when by faith we receive what grace offers, we now find our standing before God is a standing in grace. That is the basis on which we now relate to God. It's on the basis of grace. We stand in grace. However, that does not mean we just arrive in grace and then forget about it.

What it means is that we continue to stand in grace as day follows day and year merges into year until time disappears into eternity. We stand in grace. Now, perhaps one of the best succinct statements on what this means is found in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, chapter nine, verse eight. Listen to what he says.

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. That's what I call excessive superlatives. Just look at all the superlatives. God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound unto every good work. Those are superlative statements.

When you stand in grace, what it means is this: initially you've been reconciled to God on the basis of grace. Now you are going to be empowered to live the reconciled life through grace. You stand in grace all the time, in all situations, so that whatever comes down the pike, you with the grace of God will have all that you need. Not all that you want—all that you need.

This was something that I wrestled with in the very early days when I came as pastor to Elmbrook Church. I didn't know diddly about being a pastor. It was on-the-job training, and I'm still there, on-the-job training. I talked to an old seasoned pastor, and he said, "Stuart, one of the things you're going to learn very, very quickly is this: that a lot of people will come to the pastor in the church in America with very high expectations."

I said, "What would those high expectations be?" He said, "They will come with their problems and they will come with the high expectation that you will be able to point them to a solution. And they would prefer that this solution be quick and painless and cheap." He said, "That does not reflect on people. That's a reflection on our culture. That's the way we're wired up in our culture now."

We do not expect to have difficulties, and if we do, we expect to have a solution for them. And we believe that the solution should be painless, it should be quick, and it should be cheap. So there's no basic difference in our spiritual needs sometimes. This older pastor said to me, "You will have people who come to you with enormous problems, and they would like a word of encouragement."

"And you must give them a word of encouragement, but," he said, "it must be the truth. It must be the truth. It’s not a case of telling them what they want to hear so they feel good. It's not just a case of confirming what they've already decided to do and telling them it's fine so they'll feel you're the greatest pastor on God's green earth. The important thing is you tell them the truth."

And he said, "The sad truth very often is this: such is the immensity of the problems that people face that there are certainly no easy, there are certainly no quick, and there are certainly no cheap solutions. And they don't want to hear that. But what you tell them is this: as far as I know, I know of no solution to your problem, certainly nothing quick, easy, and cheap."

"But this is what I do know. I know that whilst I cannot tell you what the solution is, I can tell you that God will provide you with grace to live well in the situation." All the difference in the world. For he is at all times in all circumstances, whatever comes down the pike, able to make all grace abound towards you. And you stand in grace.

Which means not only do you have that deep-rooted sense of well-being that comes from peace with God, it means you have that inner resource of sufficiency, not self-sufficiency—that inner resource of sufficiency that comes from knowing who God is and knowing that you are in a right standing with him by grace through faith.

This is what he then says in Romans chapter five: "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." We rejoice in hope. When the Bible talks about hope, be very, very careful. There are two ways of using hope. I'll give you an example. I'm standing outside a high school, a kid comes out, and I get into conversation with him.

I say, "Which grade are you in?" He says, "Twelfth." "And what are your plans?" "I hope to graduate in May." "And how's it going?" "Well, I'm flunking every class." I see. Well, you're consistent, aren't you? "Yes." Okay, you've got to have an encouraging word for him, you see. Encouraging. And what did you say your plans were? "I hope to graduate."

Well, the Lord be with you. God bless you. It ain't going to happen. All right, off he goes, but he hopes. He hopes he's going to graduate. Then another little student comes out, and of course carrying a big pile of books and big glasses and a very intense look on her face as she's rushing off somewhere.

And you say, "Excuse me, are you a student here?" "Yes." "Which grade are you in?" "Twelfth grade." "What are your plans?" "I hope to graduate in May." Oh, good. And how's it going? "Well," she said, "I've got all the credits I need. I finished them all in my junior year, and I've just been taking classes at UWM. I'm just basically waiting."

And what were your plans? "I hope to graduate in May." Two students, same class, same teachers, totally different future. One hopes where there's no hope. The other one's hope is overwhelming confidence. Which is biblical hope? Hope where there's no hope or overwhelming confidence? Well, it just depends what your hope is in.

If your hope is in a righteous God who has incredibly accepted in himself on the cross the consequences of our sin, so that he, the righteous God, can justify the ungodly—he who delivered up his own son, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? The answer to that is of course he will. Of course he will.

So our hope is in him. Our confidence is in him. And we rejoice in this hope. Now, the hope that he is referring to here particularly is the hope of glory. That's what he says: the hope of glory. What's that? You remember Romans chapter three, verse 23? It says we have all sinned and are coming short of the glory of God.

We're coming short of the glory of God. And at that time I pointed out to you that the glory of God means literally a demonstration in some way, shape, or form of the incredible beauty, unsurpassed brilliance, magnificent awe-inspiring majesty of God's person. All right? It has to do with beauty and brilliance and majesty and awesomeness.

These words are all descriptive of God in his perfection. And perfection perhaps sums it all up. We have sinned, and we have come short of perfection. We know that. We know that. Now incredibly it says we rejoice in hope of the glory of God—perfection. How can that be?

Well, how it can be is this: that when you have gone through life and you've enjoyed peace with God, and you've enjoyed standing in grace, and you are enjoying this deep-rooted confidence that comes from commitment to who God is, then you know what he's committed to. And you know what he's committed to?

He is committed one day to take you to glory, assuming of course you've been justified by faith. If you haven't been justified by faith, then you would hate it in perfection. It would be awful. You wouldn't want to go there. If you've been justified by faith, then of course you have been put in a standing where you qualify to be there.

And you long to be there, and you look forward to being there. And you know what's going to happen when you arrive in glory? People often say, "Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing him, and I'm looking forward to seeing her." Well, of course that's great. That's wonderful. What you're really looking forward to is seeing him.

And when you see him, incredibly you will be like him. Glory. And that's where you're heading. That's all she wrote. End of story. Where we're going: glory. This is your confidence, and you rejoice in it. Now, this word rejoice is a critical word too. It's all about joy.

We talk a lot about happiness. Bible doesn't. Talks about joy. You know the difference? Happiness depends on happenings. And if your happenings don't happen to happen the way you happen to want your happenings to happen, you're unhappy. Have you got that? There's a test. Okay.

Happiness depends on happenings. And if your happenings don't happen to happen the way you happen to want your happenings to happen, you're unhappy. So what do we spend our time doing? Trying to organize and manipulate and restructure our happenings. So we live in the realm of the "if only." If only what?

If only I had a different job. Or if only I had a different boss. Or if only I lived in a different house. Or if only I could drive a different car. Or if only I could get to a warmer climate. Or if only I could trade my husband. If only. New husband, new boss, new job, new climate, new home. Wonderful! Glory!

If only. Isn't that what people are doing all the time? Isn't that what they're doing all the time? Trading things, changing things, altering things, manipulating things. Why? They're trying to get their happenings like well-behaved ducks in a row. And they're frustrated because all the ducks won't go where they want.

Oklahoma happiness, remember it? The old musical. "Oh what a wonderful morning, oh what a beautiful day," something like this. "I've got a wonderful feeling, everything's going my way." When did you last have one of those? How about this one? "Oh what a rotten morning, oh what a bummer of a day. I've got a nasty, low-down, sneaking suspicion nothing is going my way."

Okay, well, I guess they're both somewhat extreme. How about being in a situation when you say, "You know, there are some things about today I would like very much to be able to alter, but I'm afraid I can't. But I'm not going to allow today to be governed by my happenings. Because if I do, I'm going to be unhappy a lot of today."

"I am going to focus today on the fact that I have been justified by faith. I have peace with God. I stand in grace. And I'm heading for glory. And I'm full of joy. I'm full of joy." You know, people would notice. People would notice. And particularly if you are then able to say the next thing Paul said, which is this: "And not only so."

Now, I know you thought I was going to stop there, but Paul didn't. So blame him. And not only so. What else? "We rejoice in our sufferings because we are masochists." No, I'm sorry, that was a mistake. We rejoice in our sufferings, not because masochists enjoy their sufferings because of some perverted sense of feeling good, I believe.

I don't know anything about it personally, and I've no intention of finding out. But Paul doesn't say anything about feelings. We rejoice in our sufferings not because of what we feel, but because of what we know. Because of what we know. And what we know is this: pressures—that's the word for sufferings here—pressures produce perseverance.

Go to a health club and what they tell you? "No pain, no gain." No pressure, no perseverance. No perseverance, no character. No character, no confidence as you face the vicissitudes that come down the pike next. If on the other hand you realize that God in his love whispered into your heart by the Holy Spirit is saying, "I'm going to allow you some pressures because I love you so much."

We say, "Oh, if you love me so much, take them away." And he says, "No, I love you so much, I don't want you to grow up to be a wimp. I love you so much, I don't want you to grow up and be a spiritual crybaby. I want you to grow up and become mature, with character and perseverance, stick-to-itiveness and reliability. Rock-solid reliable people."

I say, "Oh, is that why you're doing it?" Yes. So you're allowing these pressures to come because you love me and because you want me to mature. Yes. So I can be what you want me to be. Yes. Okay, well, I can rejoice in knowing that. I don't rejoice in how it feels, but I rejoice in what you're doing.

So now you go through life and people look at you. And some of the people say, "I don't understand. That person is going through exactly what I'm going through, but I'm worried sick, and they seem to have a deep-rooted sense of well-being." And somebody else comes along and says, "I don't understand."

"She is suffering from what I'm suffering from, but she seems to have inner resources that I lack. I don't understand it." And I have no idea how this lady goes through it because what she is living through, I don't think I could get up in the morning if I had to put up with what she's putting up with.

But the amazing thing is this: she just seems to have an inner sense of joy, not a giddy happiness that always needs to be entertained. No, an inner sense of joy. And I want what she's got. And the result would be the gospel is working because you understand it, and you embrace it, and you're communicating it. And that's what Romans is supposed to be about.

Guest (Female): That's Stuart Briscoe on today's Telling the Truth. He's headed right back with more on how the gospel can fill your life with peace, joy, and hope. But before we dive back in, here's a note from Leslie, a listener in Maryland who says, "Thank you again for your ministry. These teachings are timely and always provide good insight. God bless you all."

We're grateful for you too, Leslie. That's the kind of impact your gift can have right now, helping more people encounter God's truth at the very moment they need it most. As Telling the Truth approaches the end of the financial year, finishing strong is critical so that many more people can be reached in the coming year.

Through expanded digital outreach, biblical teaching is reaching people across the world who are searching for peace, direction, and hope. And when you give this month, your gift will be doubled thanks to an $82,000 matching grant, to extend that reach and keep broadcasts like this one going strong all year.

We'll say thanks for your generous support with Stuart Briscoe's book A Peace of My Mind. Stuart wrote this resource to help you experience the peace of God in the midst of whatever you may be facing. It's our thanks for your financial year-end gift, worth twice as much when paired with the match, to help more people experience life through the teaching resources of Telling the Truth.

So request your copy when you call 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648. Or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, once again, it's Stuart Briscoe.

Stuart Briscoe: Now incredibly it says we rejoice in hope of the glory of God—perfection. How can that be? Well, how it can be is this: that when you have gone through life and you've enjoyed peace with God, and you've enjoyed standing in grace, and you are enjoying this deep-rooted confidence that comes from commitment to who God is, then you know what he's committed to.

And you know what he's committed to? He is committed one day to take you to glory, assuming of course you've been justified by faith. If you haven't been justified by faith, then you would hate it in perfection. It would be awful. You wouldn't want to go there.

If you've been justified by faith, then of course you have been put in a standing where you qualify to be there. And you long to be there, and you look forward to being there. And you know what's going to happen when you arrive in glory? People often say, "Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing him, and I'm looking forward to seeing her."

Well, of course that's great. That's wonderful. What you're really looking forward to is seeing him. And when you see him, incredibly you will be like him. Glory. And that's where you're heading. That's all she wrote. End of story. Where we're going: glory. This is your confidence, and you rejoice in it.

Now, this word rejoice is a critical word too. It's all about joy. We talk a lot about happiness. Bible doesn't. Talks about joy. You know the difference? Happiness depends on happenings. And if your happenings don't happen to happen the way you happen to want your happenings to happen, you're unhappy. Have you got that?

There's a test. Okay. Happiness depends on happenings. And if your happenings don't happen to happen the way you happen to want your happenings to happen, you're unhappy. So what do we spend our time doing? Trying to organize and manipulate and restructure our happenings. So we live in the realm of the "if only."

If only what? If only I had a different job. Or if only I had a different boss. Or if only I lived in a different house. Or if only I could drive a different car. Or if only I could get to a warmer climate. Or if only I could trade my husband. If only. New husband, new boss, new job, new climate, new home. Wonderful! Glory!

If only. Isn't that what people are doing all the time? Isn't that what they're doing all the time? Trading things, changing things, altering things, manipulating things. Why? They're trying to get their happenings like well-behaved ducks in a row. And they're frustrated because all the ducks won't go where they want.

Oklahoma happiness, remember it? The old musical. "Oh what a wonderful morning, oh what a beautiful day," something like this. "I've got a wonderful feeling, everything's going my way." When did you last have one of those? How about this one? "Oh what a rotten morning, oh what a bummer of a day."

"I've got a nasty, low-down, sneaking suspicion nothing is going my way." Okay, well, I guess they're both somewhat extreme. How about being in a situation when you say, "You know, there are some things about today I would like very much to be able to alter, but I'm afraid I can't. But I'm not going to allow today to be governed by my happenings."

"Because if I do, I'm going to be unhappy a lot of today. I am going to focus today on the fact that I have been justified by faith. I have peace with God. I stand in grace. And I'm heading for glory. And I'm full of joy. I'm full of joy." You know, people would notice.

People would notice. And particularly if you are then able to say the next thing Paul said, which is this: "And not only so." Now, I know you thought I was going to stop there, but Paul didn't. So blame him. And not only so. What else? "We rejoice in our sufferings because we are masochists."

No, I'm sorry, that was a mistake. We rejoice in our sufferings, not because masochists enjoy their sufferings because of some perverted sense of feeling good, I believe. I don't know anything about it personally, and I've no intention of finding out. But Paul doesn't say anything about feelings.

We rejoice in our sufferings not because of what we feel, but because of what we know. Because of what we know. And what we know is this: pressures—that's the word for sufferings here—pressures produce perseverance. Go to a health club and what they tell you? "No pain, no gain."

No pressure, no perseverance. No perseverance, no character. No character, no confidence as you face the vicissitudes that come down the pike next. If on the other hand you realize that God in his love whispered into your heart by the Holy Spirit is saying, "I'm going to allow you some pressures because I love you so much."

We say, "Oh, if you love me so much, take them away." And he says, "No, I love you so much, I don't want you to grow up to be a wimp. I love you so much, I don't want you to grow up and be a spiritual crybaby. I want you to grow up and become mature, with character and perseverance, stick-to-itiveness and reliability."

"Rock-solid reliable people." I say, "Oh, is that why you're doing it?" Yes. So you're allowing these pressures to come because you love me and because you want me to mature. Yes. So I can be what you want me to be. Yes. Okay, well, I can rejoice in knowing that. I don't rejoice in how it feels, but I rejoice in what you're doing.

So now you go through life and people look at you. And some of the people say, "I don't understand. That person is going through exactly what I'm going through, but I'm worried sick, and they seem to have a deep-rooted sense of well-being." And somebody else comes along and says, "I don't understand."

"She is suffering from what I'm suffering from, but she seems to have inner resources that I lack. I don't understand it." And I have no idea how this lady goes through it because what she is living through, I don't think I could get up in the morning if I had to put up with what she's putting up with.

But the amazing thing is this: she just seems to have an inner sense of joy, not a giddy happiness that always needs to be entertained. No, an inner sense of joy. And I want what she's got. And the result would be the gospel is working because you understand it, and you embrace it, and you're communicating it. And that's what Romans is supposed to be about.

Guest (Female): That's Stuart Briscoe on today's Telling the Truth. We're in a pivotal moment for Telling the Truth. As the financial year comes to a close, your support now can help us reach even more people with God's word in the year ahead. More people than ever are searching for a real peace.

And through this ministry, biblical truth is reaching them in those moments, across digital platforms and around the world. Thankfully a group of generous friends has offered an $82,000 matching grant, doubling your gift this month to extend that outreach even further. Your generous gift today, worth double when matched, will help more people experience life through the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth.

As thanks for your gift, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book A Peace of My Mind. Stuart wrote this resource to help you experience the peace of God in any circumstance you may be facing. Simply request your copy when you call today and give a gift to help keep the ministry of Telling the Truth going around the world.

Call 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648. Or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, let's talk with Stuart. Stuart, June is the end of our financial year. What does that mean for the broadcast ministry?

Stuart Briscoe: The older I get, the more I find myself talking about the past. But as we approach the end of our financial year at Telling the Truth, it's clearly an appropriate time for reflection. Because of the prayers and financial support of friends like you, we've reached thousands upon thousands of people this year with the life-changing truth of God's word.

People like Margo, who wrote to us: "Thank you for showing me how to live in Christ and die to myself. Praising God for another year of his grace." To help us encourage and disciple more people like Margo in the year ahead, some dear friends of the ministry have offered a generous matching grant.

So I'm asking you to consider making a generous donation by the last day of our financial year on June the 30th, knowing that your gift to help people experience fullness of life in Christ will be instantly doubled. Your help today will prepare us to seize every opportunity God sends our way in the upcoming year—opportunities to help more people experience life found only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Guest (Female): We hope today's message encouraged you. And before we go, here's something important to remember. There's still time to make a meaningful impact before the end of this financial year and help reach many more people with the truth of God in the year ahead.

Right now your gift will be doubled through an $82,000 matching grant, helping extend biblical teaching to people searching for peace, hope, and direction. As thanks for your gift, we'll send you Stuart Briscoe's book A Peace of My Mind, a resource designed to help you experience God's steady peace in whatever you're facing.

So call now to give, knowing your gift will be doubled, and remember to request your resource with our thanks when you do. 262-788-4648. That's 262-788-4648. Or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. We hope you'll join us again as the Briscoes share more powerful truth from God's word. Experience life next time, here on Telling the Truth.