Revelation 3:10 AMP

10      Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you], I also will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial (testing) which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth.

INTRODUCTION

To say the least, we are living in trying times.  Trying times are times of trials, hard trials and tribulations.  Trying times are also times of testing.  Believe it or not, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are being tested.  They are being tested in the area of their faith.  They are being tested to see if they really believe what they are saying and if they are saying what they believe.

The real test is one of endurance.  The endurance test comes to check you out.  It comes to see if you can endure hardness.  It comes to see if you can endure to the end.  The endurance does not come to see how fast you can get from point A to point Z.  On the contrary, it comes to see if you can just make it to the finish line. 

Both Matthew 10:22 and Matthew 24:13 say that he that endures to the end shall be saved.  Anybody can put their gym shoes or track shoes on and run for a little while.  But only those who can start a race, weather the storms of life along the way and then finish the race are truly saved.

Some Christians talk a good talk.  Some Christians can even walk a good walk.  But can they run and keep on running until they cross the finish line?  Running has its challenges.  Running has its obstacles.  What it is going to take in times like these is the ability to pass the endurance test.  In other words, it is going to take persistence, perseverance or continuance, even when the storms of life are raging. 

The good news is that we have promises in the Word of God that we can lean and depend on.  We do not have to worry.  We do not have to fret.  Yes, one might well send out a danger alert.  These are not just trying times.  They are also dangerous times.  Anything dangerous could happen to anyone anywhere.  But this should not be cause for fear, worry or dread.  The promises of God give us the assurance that everything is going to be all right.  As a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you better believe it. 

Let me give you one of the promises of God that shows you what I mean.  Turn over to 1John 5:4-5. 

1 John 5:4-5

4        For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5        Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is one of those scriptures that you need to learn and memorize.  Get it through your thick skull.  But more than that, get it deep down in your spirit.  Come to a point that you know that you know who you are and what you can do.  You are a born again believer.  You are an overcomer, a world overcomer.  You are not a loser.  You are a winner.  You are a victorious winner! 

1John 4:4 has even more to say about this.  It says, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”   You became a born again child of God the moment you got saved.  The moment you invited Jesus Christ to come on the inside of you and become your Lord and Savior, you became an overcomer.  Now it can be said that greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

This puts you at a distinct advantage.  1Corinthians 15:57 says, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  2Corinthians 2:14 says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”  This means you have nothing to pout about.  You have something to shout bout.  You have something to be thankful for.  Thank God for the victory!  Thank God for the triumph! 

Why in the world would you go around with a defeatist attitude?  You are not defeated.  You are victorious!  You are triumphant!  Because of the Lord Jesus Christ on the inside of you, you have what it takes to overcome whatever would try to overcome you.  As a bona fide overcomer, you have what it takes to overcome any and all obstacles that may come your way. 

So be transformed by the renewing of your mind.   Renew your mind with the Word of God.  Renew your mind with what it says in Romans 8:35-37.  You are not a victim.  You are a victor.  You are not just a conqueror.  You are MORE than   a conqueror.  Come on saints!  Say it!  Believe it!  Act like it!

THE PROBLEM OF FEAR

The problem with many of God’s children today is that they have become scaredy – cats.  They fail to keep it moving.  They fail to move forward in life.  Unlike the woman with the issue of blood, they fail to get to the point of pressing on until they touch of hem of Jesus’ garment.  Consequently they miss out on the miraculous.  They miss out on the supernatural.  There is no release or outflow of the power of God to meet the needs of people.  The fear of man is blocking such a flow. 

But what does the Bible say about this?  What does the Bible say about fear?  It says so much more than I can share with you today.  But let me share with you some scriptures that have been laying on my heart.  I won’t be able to cover all of them.  But let me give you a few that at least whet your appetite. 

Psalms 27:1-3

1        The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2        When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3        Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

This is a psalm of David.  I like David!  I like his leadership style.  I like that he was that type of man who could be tough on one hand and tender on the other.  Here we see a little bit of both.  He writes this song that probably pinpoints his own struggle with fear. 

He begins by making two statements followed by two questions.  He says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”  Then he asks the question, “Whom shall I fear?”  This is followed by the statement, “The Lord is the strength of my life.”

Then he asks the question, “Of whom shall I be afraid?” 

David was no coward soldier.  He was a brave soldier.  He was a giant killer.  But somehow fear had come knocking on his door.  How does he deal with it?  He confesses who the Lord is.  He confesses that the Lord is his light, his salvation and the strength of his life.  With this being the case, there really was no need for him to fear. 

Listen!  Fear may come into your life.  But it does not have to stay in your life.  When you confront your fears, you can conquer them.   As I have taught so many times before, you can actually speak to your fears and tell them to get out of here. 

I have found that just quoting scriptures like Psalms 27:2-3 can be rewarding.  It lets your enemies know that you are not easily intimidated.  You know the Lord is your light, your salvation and your strength.  Therefore, you can take it and you can make it.  You can take his little scare tactics and you will not be moved!  Let it be known, therefore, that if you move at all, it will be forward and not backwards.

Psalms 27:2

2        When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

I like this verse.  It sounds to me like David is testifying.  He is sharing with his audience an occasion when his enemies AND his foes came to eat him up for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  The outcome was amazing!  Instead of pouncing on him, they stumbled and fell.  I like that!  It’s like David’s protective angels intercepted these men and said in the words of Hammer, “You can’t touch this!”

Listen!  You don’t have to be afraid of people who are out to get you.  God has got your back.  He knows how to foil the plans of your enemies and your foes.  He also knows how to cause men to fall into their own traps.  What others meant for evil, God can turn around and make it turn out for good.  Do it again Lord!

Psalms 27:3

3        Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

Wow!  This verse takes things to another level.  Here David uses the word “host” which can be translated “army.”  Talking about being outnumbered!  The word “encamp” means to be besieged or surrounded.  See NLT or NIV.  This high level show of force can be quite intimidating.  But David refuses to give up or give in.  He dares to open his mouth and say that he shall not fear.

David takes a step further when he says that if war should rise against him, in this will he be confident.  The NLT says, “Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid.  Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.”  I call this a bold statement of faith.  This is how you have to be – bold.  Proverbs 28:1 says that, “The wicked flee when no man pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

The devil goes about as a roaring lion.  He’s a fake.  He’s a phony.  He is not for real.  Let me tell you right now that now is the time for the real lions to stand up, stand out and roar!  Jesus is referred to in the Bible as the lion of the tribe of Judah.  Since he resides on the inside of us, we must release his roar in the earth.  The devil’s roar in comparisons is nothing but a whimper.  Come on church!  Let’s stop whimpering and start roaring! 

CONCLUSION

You may ask what all this has to do the safest place in the whole wide world.  Well you must continue reading.  The answer is in verses 4-6.  But let me just deal with verse 4. 

Psalms 27:4

4        One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

In this verse of scripture David moves away from the subject of fear and talks about the deepest desire of his house.  He says that there is one thing that he seeks after.  That one thing is to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life. 

One of the most common ways of dealing with fear is to find and get in a hiding place.  Here David identifies the house of the Lord as a hiding place.  He doesn’t come right out and say so.  But you get that this is what he is talking about, especially when you read the following two verses. 

I think one of the best ways to deal with fear is to develop your faith.  Exorcise your fear and exercise your faith.  You don’t have to run from fear.  Fear ought to be running from you.  But if you want a hiding place, I can think of no better hiding place than the house of the Lord.  During this pandemic with its frightening coronavirus, many public places have been shut down.  Only the places of essential services have remained open.  

I can think of no better place providing essential services than the church.  The church may have to adapt and adopt some creative ways of providing these services.  But I don’t think it should be totally shut down to the extent that no services are provided at all.

Years ago, Bishop George McKinney of San Diego, California wrote a book entitled, “Let The Church Be The Church.”  These are my sentiments exactly.  I agree whole heartedly.  The church is the light of the world and the salt of the earth.  Let the church be just that and more. 

The Greek word for church means “a called out assembly.  Let the church be just that.  Let it assemble.  In Hebrews 10:25 we are admonished to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.  Why?  I think the devil knows by now that the church is a powerful force in the earth.  If and when it assembles, it has the potential to affect change in the earth. 

If you read the book of Acts carefully you will see that there are two sides of the church.  There is the church gathered and the church scattered.  Members of the church gather to worship, but leave to serve.  Without the gathering, there can be no effective scattering.  Like a car that does not regularly visit a gas station, a congregation that does not regularly assemble will eventually run out of gas.

Jesus says in Matthew 16:18 that he will build the church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  I like this!  The gates of hell shall NOT prevail.  But the church will!  The church that Jesus builds will prevail!  No matter what is going on in the world around it, the church shall prevail.  This is what makes it an ideal hiding place.  This is what makes it a safe place.