WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:12.160 You're listening to the rogue with Pastor Teacher Steve Holmes. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:15.759 You are the church. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:17.359 Listen, men and women. 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.160 You are the rogue. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.800 That's what I don't say when I have appointments. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:24.480 Meet me at the church. 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:26.800 I say meet me at the ministry center. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:28.719 This is a ministry center. 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:30.879 This is not the church. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.799 You're the church. 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:34.880 You guys are the church. 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:36.719 You don't go to church. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:38.560 You is the church. 00:00:40.479 --> 00:00:46.159 At the road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:50.640 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:56.079 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from pastor teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:06.000 Turn to the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:13.840 Malachi prophesied during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra. 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:29.760 So we believe that he was prophesying at a time of resurgence of patriotism, resurgence of nationalism in Israel. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:35.599 But simultaneously, we're all slow to learn. 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:45.439 Israel has a forehead like flint and a hardened heart most of the time as we read through the scriptures. 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:55.840 Even though they had come from captivity back to Jerusalem, built the wall, they still slipped back into moral decay. 00:01:56.239 --> 00:02:19.680 And so Malachi is raised up by God to be a prophetic word to Israel of God being a refiner's fire, like launderer's soap, that he's coming to his people to bring forth a spotless people. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:24.319 And he was speaking to Israel at that time, but men and women, it's prophetic to us. 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:31.680 How many of you know that it's Old Testament concealed, New Testament revealed? 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:40.479 That God shows us in picture form, in actual story form, what he wants to do in his church today. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:43.439 And so I want you to look at Malachi chapter 3. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:53.120 Malachi 1 and 2, he covers some of the sins, their offerings, the infidelity of even the priest. 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:59.919 But we come to chapter 3, and this is a word for us at the road, men and women. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:01.919 This is a word for you. 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:04.479 This is a word for me. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.840 I've had a rough week. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:12.000 Really hard week with some stuff that have happened. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.560 A lot of stuff going on. 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:18.560 I took two days to get away and spend with the Lord. 00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:35.520 And he met me in a powerful way and and he came upon me during this time with the Lord and told me some things that I needed to do that I don't want to do. 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:40.719 And I said, that's a bad idea. 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.319 Refiner's fire. 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:54.800 The refiner's fire coming in my life and in my heart, and some things that I need to kind of clean up. 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:57.360 Here's what he says. 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:00.159 Verse 1, Behold, I send my messenger. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:23.759 We believe that's John, speaking of the first coming of the Messiah, and he will prepare the way before me, capital M, the Lord, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, Christ, in whom you delight. 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:28.959 Behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:32.319 So there's two-edged meaning to that. 00:04:32.480 --> 00:04:41.120 One is that he's speaking of Christ coming and literally coming to his temple after John prepared the way for him, the coming Messiah with the new covenant. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.959 But he's also speaking to us today through the words of Malachi. 00:04:46.319 --> 00:04:49.040 But who can endure the day of his coming? 00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:52.319 And who can stand when he appears? 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:55.519 For he is like a refiner's fire. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:04:57.839 He is like a refiner's fire. 00:04:57.920 --> 00:04:58.800 You ought to underline that. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:00.639 Circle that, highlight it. 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:02.639 Whatever you do with your phone. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:04.319 What do you do with your phone? 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.480 I mean, can you underline it on some of those apps? 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:06.959 Okay. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:10.959 And he's like launderer's soap. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:17.360 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:32.639 He will purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:38.959 You know what I love about refiners fire is it doesn't say forest fire. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.600 We've had a lot of forest fires, haven't we? 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.319 We've had a forest fire in Waldo Canyon. 00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:46.240 Before that, Hayden. 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:49.439 We've had a forest fire in Black Forest. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:54.639 Forest fires indiscriminately destroy everything. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:59.120 Refiner's fire purifies. 00:05:59.360 --> 00:06:06.000 There's a purpose between a refiner's fire and a forest fire, and it's not indiscriminate. 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.439 It is coming after a purification. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:13.759 A purification of gold and silver is what he says here. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:24.240 And he's speaking here of this refiner's fire that God wants to bring into our hearts and into our lives and the work of his spirit within us. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:36.399 And so you know that silver in particular is heated up to 1,764 degrees. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:38.560 That's pretty hot. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:43.439 And if I was the piece of silver, that would not be a good day. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:49.279 But he takes that silver and he puts that silver into that bat and he heats it up. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:54.720 And you know, if you go past that temperature, you can destroy the silver. 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:56.879 Or you can destroy the gold. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:29.199 So it's really important to the silversmith that he reaches the 1,764 degrees, pulling out of that iron ore or whatever the substance is that was mixed with the silver, as it begins to be burned out of the silver and it flows to the top, and he begins to sweep that away, he begins to clean that up, but he's not going to go past 1,764 degrees Fahrenheit. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.199 Because then he ruins the silver. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:40.639 So he's beautifying that silver, and you may have heard, you know, it's I think it's a well-known story, that he sees himself in the silver. 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:44.800 So God puts us into heat. 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.399 God puts us into fires in our life. 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:52.160 Anybody going through any fires right now in your life? 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:53.360 Wow. 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.839 Anybody going through any fires in your life? 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:01.439 Say, I'm going through a fire right now, Pastor Steve. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:04.720 I'm going through a fire right now, Pastor Steve. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:08.240 And your pastor's going through a few. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:12.079 Because God's heating things up. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.000 Listen now closely to this. 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:29.600 Because he wants to see his character, his heart, his gentleness, his kindness, his love, his mercy in you. 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:40.720 He wants to see a reflection of himself in you, and he's heating things up, and it is painful because he loves you. 00:08:40.960 --> 00:08:47.840 And next week I want to talk more about how he works all things together for good. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:48.720 Not today. 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:53.360 We're going to do Refiner's Fire Part two next week. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:58.799 And hopefully by the end of this, you're not going, man, I'm not coming back because I didn't like that part one. 00:08:59.919 --> 00:09:15.120 But let's just start with this idea that God is doing something in our lives, church, that is testing us and building us for something he has for us to do. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.320 Look at James 1. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:18.159 If you have your Bible, turn to James 1. 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:20.240 Just turn to the right of Malachi. 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:35.919 James 1, we see this work of God in verse 2 that James describes as the testing of our faith. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:38.240 The testing of our faith. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:50.480 He says, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:54.879 But let patience, I hate patience. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:56.559 I just want to say that. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:09:58.399 I hate it. 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.120 I like things to happen now. 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:04.000 I like things to happen quickly. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:11.519 I like to see things happen successfully and effectively, and everybody's happy. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:22.960 Do you realize that today there's so little things that you have to be patient for compared to in yesteryear and in the past? 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:29.840 I'm old enough to know that there was a time when phones had little cords to them and they were hung on the wall. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:33.519 And that you watch the nightly news. 00:10:34.879 --> 00:10:37.519 Walter Cronkite. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:41.120 Or Peter Jennings. 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:45.120 Or Jessica Sawyer. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:48.399 And there was like three choices. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:51.039 And they all said the same thing. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:55.519 So usually you just stuck to one, and one maybe a little more good looking than the other. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:59.759 But now it's instant gratification, isn't it? 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:03.600 I mean, you can just have anything you want anytime. 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:10.240 Like I was in my time with the Lord this morning, and I was actually thinking about next week's message while I was working on this. 00:11:10.399 --> 00:11:13.440 I don't know what to do in the mornings on Sunday, by the way. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:17.200 I'm used to three or four services. 00:11:17.759 --> 00:11:19.360 I haven't gotten used to this. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.279 One service, it doesn't even start till 10 something. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:24.480 What do you do? 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:27.759 I mean, I've prayed up, I'm ready, I'm studied up. 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:31.200 It's like, let's get the show on the road, man. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:33.759 So I was working on next week's message. 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:36.559 So I just looked up chastening. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:38.960 In Hebrews 12, chastening. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:40.559 Like eight times chastening. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:47.039 And I had pretty much I had the Greek, I had the Hebrew, I had four or five dictionary versions. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:49.919 Man, I can tell you about chastening right now. 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:52.240 Five minutes. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:12:07.360 Before, you had to have a, I still got this massive concordance, and you'd look up the word, and then you'd look up the number, and then you'd go to the number and you'd look it up, and then you'd write it down in your journal, and then you'd put it into your notes and all that. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.960 So we have an instant gratification society, and guess what, men and women? 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:18.639 God's character does not come instantly. 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:28.159 He's forging, he's chiseling with his refiner's fire in our lives. 00:12:28.320 --> 00:12:31.519 And it takes time and it hurts. 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:34.000 Guess what he's making? 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:35.759 He's making you a witness. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:39.120 Did you know it doesn't make any sense to say I'm going witnessing? 00:12:39.519 --> 00:12:46.559 Like we're going to pick up our four spiritual laws, or we're going to go out to the mall, and we're going to pray for people, they get healed. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.279 That's not witnessing. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:56.240 Witnessing scripturally is not what you do, it's who you are. 00:12:58.159 --> 00:13:01.120 You are the witness. 00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:24.799 Now I believe in witnessing, in the sense of going out and sharing our faith, but men and women, the most powerful thing we do is become what Christ is chiseling away with his refining fire in us so that people see Christ through us. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.200 That's the witness. 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:28.960 They see you. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:40.080 And I've said this before, I'll say it again, that I don't think in America we need more Christians of the version that we currently have. 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:49.679 Because our values are not changing the culture hardly at all. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:53.360 Because our values are the culture's values. 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:57.759 And I guess the only thing really different in most Christians' lives is they go to church on Sunday. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:03.519 We have more people going to church on Sunday ever in the history of America right now. 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:10.639 And we have the least amount of cultural impact ever in the history of our country. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:16.320 That's a problem within our churches, in my opinion. 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:20.799 We're not equipping the saints, we're not building disciples. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:26.240 At the road, building wholehearted disciples is the vision of our church. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.039 And here's what I know. 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.879 If you choose to be a disciple, you'll go through refiners fire. 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.200 And what James is saying is it's joyful. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.759 Now that's weird. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:44.639 Folks, that is strange, but he's saying, count it all joy. 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:52.080 And the only reason he can say that is because he knows what God is doing through the trials. 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:53.600 Don't miss this, men and women. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:54.720 This is really important. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:59.759 He says, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing. 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:01.759 Know this. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:04.000 He's saying, remember this. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:13.200 Don't miss this point when you're going through your trials, is that the testing of your faith produces patience. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:14.879 But he doesn't end there. 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:26.799 He says, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:30.799 He's completing us, he's perfecting us. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:37.440 He really is making us into a beautiful piece of gold or silver for his work. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:43.360 And then he says this, and I think verse 5 is there, because this is what you need when you're going through it. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:46.159 If any of you lacks wisdom. 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:47.120 Hello? 00:15:47.759 --> 00:15:52.080 I don't know about you, but I don't know what to do when I'm going through trials. 00:15:52.240 --> 00:15:53.759 I don't know how to respond. 00:15:53.919 --> 00:15:56.159 I don't know how to handle what that person said. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:00.879 I don't know about, I mean, I came into work and next thing I know, I'm fired. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:05.440 Or I'm at work and I get the note, she's divorcing me. 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:16.480 Or your message, you know, you're on your phone and you see a text message and you realize it was meant for somebody else, and it's your spouse sexting someone. 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.919 I know every one of those things have happened to people in this room. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.240 I've counseled some of you. 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:26.480 What do you do? 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:34.720 He says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally without reproach, and it will be given to him. 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:40.240 That's how we grow in wisdom, church, is through the refiners fire. 00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:51.679 Until you come to those events, those relationships, and those struggles in your life where you don't know what to do, you don't get more wisdom. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:54.000 So I want to grow in wisdom. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:54.960 How about you? 00:16:55.200 --> 00:16:56.559 I want to grow in wisdom. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:03.039 I want to go through the refiner's fire with joy, and I'm experiencing that right now. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:09.599 And next week I'll share more about what God said to me a few days ago in my time with the Lord. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:13.200 By the way, God is in your ray. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.240 God is in your ray. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:20.240 God is an aspen. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:29.119 Sometimes I need to just get away at a beautiful spot, be in the mountains, and spend time with the Lord. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:39.119 So I was outside Uray in a little town called Ridgeway, where I have a friend who let me use his house, and so I was there in a beautiful view, and got busted by God. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:46.079 Turn to 2 Corinthians 3. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:49.839 Turn to 2 Corinthians 3 because this is what God's doing. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.319 This is what God's doing in your pastor's life. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.000 This is what God's doing in your life. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:56.799 2 Corinthians 3. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:59.680 So go left from James. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:04.240 Just if you're unfamiliar with your Bible, just look at the table of contents. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:06.079 That's how I learn. 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:09.599 So 2 Corinthians 3 says this, verse 2. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:12.240 An epistle means letter. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.960 You are, he's speaking to the Corinthians. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:30.240 He said, You are our epistle, or we might say, you are our letter, speaking of the Corinthian church, written on our hearts, known and read by all men. 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:48.079 Clearly, you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart. 00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.480 See what he's saying, church? 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:54.799 He's saying that I'm taking you through these things. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:19:08.319 That sickness that didn't get healed, the divorce, the affair, failing the test, broken leg when you're trying to make the team, whatever it might be. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:14.160 Because I'm writing on your heart a letter that everybody can read. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:28.640 Because I'm transforming you, I'm making you into a wholehearted disciple that will love me with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength, so that people can read that letter. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:30.720 People can read that letter. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:34.000 You are the church. 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:38.319 Listen, men and women, you are the road. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:42.720 That's why I don't say when I have appointments, meet me at the church. 00:19:42.880 --> 00:19:45.039 I say, meet me at the ministry center. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:46.960 This is a ministry center. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:49.119 This is not the church. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.119 You're the church. 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:53.119 You guys are the church. 00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:54.960 You don't go to church. 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:56.880 You is the church. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:11.359 And so as you become more and more the type of church that people are attracted to because they see Jesus in you, you become a letter written on a heart that everybody needs. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.319 This country needs epistles. 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:18.480 This church needs little churches running around. 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:24.319 That means little Christ. 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:26.160 Church didn't mean a building. 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.680 It's never meant a building. 00:20:27.839 --> 00:20:30.000 We've made it into a building. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.599 But the church is us. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:36.720 The church is us becoming Christ so that people can read us and go, I want that. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:39.039 I see what that person's going through. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.039 I see what John's going through. 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:43.359 I see what Mary's going through. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:46.319 And I just can't believe how they're handling that. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:56.079 I can't, that I want that Jesus that's giving them that strength that makes them a living letter, a living epistle. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:03.519 You say, well, Steve, I'm pretty convicted because the last thing I went through, man, I was horrible. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:06.000 You should have seen how I acted. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:08.720 Well, welcome to the party. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:14.240 You're not all perfectly formed yet. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:16.480 And I'm glad you're not. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.279 First of all, it's job security for me. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:24.960 But second of all, because you're my kind of family. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:27.920 You're my kind of family. 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.119 Because I blow it all the time, too. 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:37.920 And if we can't be honest and vulnerable and transparent about that, we become faky hypocrites. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:42.799 Turn to 1 Peter. 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:45.119 Peter knew a little bit about trials. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:48.319 And he wrote about it. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:52.559 So 1 Peter, now you go back to the right. 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:56.319 1 Peter 1 6. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:57.519 Look at this. 00:21:58.079 --> 00:21:59.759 In this you greatly rejoice. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:33.359 Though now for a little while, if need be, you've been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:48.799 Though now you do not see him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your soul. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:49.920 You see what he's saying? 00:22:50.480 --> 00:23:11.440 We get back to this thing of rejoicing and inexpressible joy, full of glory, because as we are tested as by fire, that we might be found, what does he say here, to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ? 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:13.200 Here's why he's saying it this way. 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:41.279 I really believe that anointing, and when I say anointing, I mean the empowering of the Spirit at a measure of the gifts and the talents and skills that you've been given is measurable most of the time by how many trials you've gone through and passed through the refiner's fire. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:57.359 So for God to use us and for God to anoint us and to take us to that next level of God's power flowing through our lives and his love flowing through our lives, that joy inexpressible wells up within. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:02.880 If we want more of Christ, we will be tested by fire. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:05.519 Because he's purifying you. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:08.400 And he's strengthening us. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:14.000 You ever get to that point where it's like, man, devil, just get out of this, get out of my house, man. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:15.759 I've had enough. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:18.640 Go haunt someone else. 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:23.200 You see, we don't get to order our days. 00:24:24.480 --> 00:24:26.240 God orders our days. 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:36.400 He is an ever-present help in trouble, scriptures say, not an ever-present help from trouble. 00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:39.359 Life is hard. 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:43.680 If you haven't figured that out, get married. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:45.440 Okay? 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:51.519 And if that's if that's a blessed honeymoon, have kids. 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:53.359 All right. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:56.480 Get a job. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:24:59.039 Get a challenging job. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:00.720 Life is hard. 00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:03.519 You want to make a little bit of money? 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:05.279 Life is hard. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:07.279 You want to have a peaceful home? 00:25:07.519 --> 00:25:08.720 Life is hard. 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:10.559 You want to someday buy a house? 00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:12.079 Life is hard. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:17.680 Everything in life is hard. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:20.559 Everybody look at me. 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:23.200 And let's all say, life is hard. 00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:25.119 Life is hard. 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.960 And yet we just are shocked. 00:25:30.160 --> 00:25:32.079 When things don't go our way. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:36.240 I can't believe what she said. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:38.559 Oh, you can't believe what he said. 00:25:41.039 --> 00:25:42.559 Life is hard. 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:49.039 But there's a paradigm shift that occurs at some point in our journey, I hope. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:52.559 And if you haven't had this paradigm shift, I'm going to help you next week. 00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.160 Because we'll talk about it again. 00:25:54.319 --> 00:26:05.039 There's a paradigm shift that has to happen in our heart where we say in a new way, wait, that's to make me more like Christ. 00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:07.680 And I'm going to give you a passage to support it next week. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:10.720 I'm not going to, oh, I want to go there so bad right now. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:11.920 But I'm not going to go there. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:13.279 I'm going to wait till next week. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:15.200 Because I already formed. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.319 By the way, I got so bored in my study this morning. 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:23.519 I'd prayed, I'd worshiped, I'd sought God, and it's like, I'm starting to work on next week's sermon. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:24.799 But listen to me. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:30.480 There's a paradigm shift that has to occur in our life where we begin to say, bring it on. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:35.599 Because God is making me like his son. 00:26:36.240 --> 00:26:40.079 And I want to be more like his son than I want to be like me. 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:47.759 I want that, I want the sonship of Abba Father to be formed in me. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:50.559 That I would be a living epistle. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:27:01.759 That people would look at me and say, that is a reflection of Christ in that man's life, in that woman's life. 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:12.240 Because when that happens, when we have that paradigm shift, then we can say to trials, I don't know what to do, I need tons of wisdom, I need counseling. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:13.839 Counseling is good. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:15.680 Counseling can be really good. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:22.000 You guys know I went through a year of counseling after the stuff that happened with me at my last church and all that stuff. 00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:25.440 I went through that and I got a new way of thinking through that. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:26.319 It was really helpful. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:26.960 It was beautiful. 00:27:27.119 --> 00:27:27.680 It was awesome. 00:27:27.839 --> 00:27:29.119 Counseling's good. 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:42.480 My wife likes to say, when you come to a place where you absolutely don't know what to do, that's a good time to start getting some wisdom from somebody who's wiser than you and get counsel. 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:49.839 But when we can start looking at this and saying, you know, God is taking me through the refiner's fire because I can take it. 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:57.359 It is right now 1,747 degrees. 00:27:57.519 --> 00:27:59.599 That means there's about 20 more degrees. 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:00.799 It's going to get hotter. 00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:02.000 Bring it on. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:11.359 Because that's what he needs to do to burn out the dross and to burn out the selfishness and to burn out the anger in our life. 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:17.839 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:20.880 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:28:21.039 --> 00:28:24.880 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:28:25.119 --> 00:28:28.960 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:36.319 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:44.319 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.