Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
Lead on Good Shepherd
In this compelling episode, we navigate the difficult terrain of suffering through the lens of Scripture and real-life experiences. We tackle the profound question of why bad things happen to good people, drawing insights from the lives of biblical figures like Job and David. Through their stories, Daniel Johnson explores how personal choices and the realities of free will intertwine with suffering and how God’s love remains steadfast amid trials.
Our conversation centers around the assurance that suffering does not imply God’s absence but rather highlights His presence and understanding. We share how Jesus embodies this truth, illustrating that through suffering, we can find hope, purpose, and a deeper connection to our faith. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on faith and resilience, discovering how trials can be transformative rather than merely punitive.
Join us for an intimate exploration of faith, lessons learned in suffering, and a reminder that every trial can ultimately serve a greater purpose in God’s glorious plan. We invite you to engage with us—listen, reflect, and share your thoughts as we unravel the mysteries of hope in times of hardship. Remember to subscribe, leave a review, and connect with our community for support as we trust God through every valley and victory.
But not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive Him. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, Pennsylvania, Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world.
Speaker 2:So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 3:You just come hungry this morning. Yeah, you guys ready for the word. Yeah, huh, all right, the bread of life. Eh, that's it All right. So I'll pray and then we'll get rolling.
Speaker 3:Father, thank you so much for everything that you do. I thank you for this day today that we could come together. Father, I just pray that we bless you in everything that we do. Father, I surrender here that you do. I thank you for this day today that we could come together. Father, I just pray that we bless you in everything that we do. Father. I surrender here to you today, father, that you would use me as you see fit for your will. Father, that you would speak through me to your children. I thank you for your word that transforms our hearts and our lives, father, because nothing penetrates deep inside except for your word and the Holy Spirit, father, and we thank you, holy Spirit, for being with us here today, moving among us, and I just pray that you get our hearts right, open them up so that we have ears to hear exactly what you're saying. Father, I pray that your word, that seed, goes down into our heart and grows up so that we can produce fruit, father, as we go out, and I just love you. Father. I thank you for helping me put your word together, because I can't do it without you, father. I can't say a word without you, and there's nothing worth saying up here if it's not from you, father. So I don't want to just speak, father, I want to say your words and I pray that it goes out and does what you've called it to do, father, to each one that hears it, I know you got a plan and a purpose and your way is perfect, father. I thank you for all that you do for us, all the wonderful blessings, and I thank you for holding us close, even in while we go through sufferings and troubles. Father, you are our answer. Knowing you and going with you is the answer. Father, I just thank you for everything. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen, amen, all right, amen, all right.
Speaker 3:So today we're going to dive in and see God's love for us through everything life throws at us, and we get into all kinds of stuff. The result of most of all of that stuff is suffering, and we've been talking about suffering a lot lately, and the Bible has a lot to say about it. It also has a lot of examples and, like John always says these things were written for our learning. This is history that shows us what to do and what not to do. And we all suffer. And while we don't compare our suffering, the Bible does teach us how to handle suffering and how to suffer. Well, as Christians, disciples and followers of Jesus, we don't do anything like the world around us does, and we don't suffer or walk through suffering like everyone else. That doesn't mean that we don't feel it and it doesn't hurt, but we have a hope inside of us, a down payment of what's to come, bought and paid for by our Lord and Savior.
Speaker 3:And now, before we jump into God's word and see some examples and what he has to say and show us about suffering in our walk, there are a couple things that we need to know right off the bat. God, first off, is love and that's who he is. God is light and in him is no darkness at all. There is no variation or shadow of turning with God, and God does not tempt us. James says let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. Our God is awesome and his ways are perfect. The stuff we go through, our suffering, doesn't come from God, but he tells us that it is part of this life right now life right now. But he can use it for or turn it for good if we would surrender to him and allow him to work. God is the only one that can make any good come out of the bad, and there are three things that we're going to look at today Satan, sin and free will, which can lead to suffering, and we can think about suffering, and when we think about suffering, there's usually three that come to mind. When we think about the Bible, we think about Jesus, job and David. So we're going to jump in and see what the Lord says, looking at all three of these today. And now I'm going to read the opening scripture, the heart of this message. I'm going to read it and then we're going to go away from it for a while and then, hopefully, at the end, land back on it and tie everything together, helping us see God more clearer and all for his glory, Amen. So the opening scripture is Matthew 26, 36 to 46. And when you get there, if you could rise and stand, we'll read God's word together. It's Matthew 26, 36 to 46. All right, it says.
Speaker 3:Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples Sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter, the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me. He went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saying O my Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done. And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away again and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to his disciples and said to them Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand. You may be seated. So I want you to keep that whole scene in the back of your mind while we go through some of this other stuff, because, like I said, we're coming back to that and this is where the title of the message today comes from and it's just like the song says lead on, good shepherd, lead on. And I know right now you might not see that, but hopefully in a little while you will. So let's get some stuff settled and out of the way.
Speaker 3:Right from the start, we have three big problems sin, satan and free will. These three are the cause of all kinds of trials, tribulations and suffering. And now we brought sin in. God created the world and it was good In the garden when God walked with Adam and Eve. That's the way God wanted it to be. But we had free will. We had a choice, because God loves us and someone sinned and ruined it. Who was that? Us or God? It was us. We chose the father of our flesh and his lies over God. We chose Satan over God in the beginning and have continued to do the same.
Speaker 3:Look what Peter says in Acts 3, 13 to 15. Peter says the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you and killed the Prince of life whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And people after all this time are still doing the same thing choosing Satan's lies over God's truth. And that's what's going on in the book of Job, where we're going to start today.
Speaker 3:We've all lately been talking about Job and his sufferings, so let's go there and, like Preach just said, about Satan, he is the king or ruler of this world temporarily, and there is something going on between God and Satan, but it's not over power. God is all powerful and there is no struggle there. Satan would lose and he knows it. So he tries to get us to turn from God, to let go of God's hand, because Satan knows God will never let go of us. Not Satan himself and every fallen demon together could make God let go of us, but because of God's love for us, he gives us a choice. See, people say why doesn't God smash evil and get rid of it, or stop everyone who didn't do what he wanted? And that wouldn't prove that God is love or that he's good. That would do the opposite. It would eliminate our choice, our free will, and therefore it would eliminate love, because if you don't have a choice, it's not love. So we're going to go to Job.
Speaker 3:I'm going to read you in Job 1, 1-2, and we're just going to. We hit on some of this stuff before, we're just going to skim through it. We're not going to go through the whole thing, just to get out where God led me in all this. But I'm going to read Job 1, 1 to 12. There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright and one who feared God and shunned evil, and seven sons and three daughters were born to him. Also, his possessions were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. And his sons would go and feast in their houses, and each one his appointed day, and he would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. So it was when the days of feasting had run their course that Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.
Speaker 3:For Job said it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus Job did, regularly forth on it. Then the Lord said to Satan have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? So Satan answered the Lord and said Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not made a hedge around him, around his household and around all that he has? On every side you have blessed the work of his hands and his possessions have increased in the land. But now stretch out your hand and touch all that he has and he will surely curse you to your face. And the Lord said to Satan behold all that he has is in your power, only do not lay a hand on his person. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. So it says that there was a day when the sons of God presented themselves before God and Satan also came. And God said to Satan where have you been? And Satan said running around on the earth doing what I do, and we all know what he does steals, kills and destroys.
Speaker 3:And God said in John 8 that he was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. So that's what Satan was doing. And now God boasts about and lifts up Job and talks about how good he is, and Satan says he's only good and only fears you because you have a hedge of protection around him and all that he has and bless everything that he does. So Satan says if you take his stuff away, he'll curse you to your face. Satan was saying Job's in it for the stuff. He doesn't love you and if you take his stuff away, away he'll curse you to your face. Satan's coming at their relationship how god doesn't do, how god doesn't do it. But he lifts his protection and satan comes against job wine in their oldest brother's house and a messenger came to Job and said the oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them when the Sabaeans raided them and took them away. Indeed, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you. While he was still speaking, another also came and said the Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away. Verse 2. Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house and it fell on the young people and they are dead. And I alone have escaped to tell you.
Speaker 3:Words can't describe what kind of a day that would have been for Job. And what does Job do? In verse 20 it says that Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head and he fell to the ground and worshipped. It says that he worshipped and he said Naked, I came from my mother's womb and naked, shall I return there? The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this, job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
Speaker 3:Then the same thing as before happens and Satan comes before God again. And God lifts up Job even more and says look at him. He still holds fast to his integrity in spite of what has been done to him. And Satan, the accuser that he is, isn't satisfied. Yet he says well, if you mess with him personally, to his flesh and bone, then he will curse you to your face. You see, god had to let this whole scenario run its course to the end, because if God would have stopped it at any point, satan would still have accusations, the same accusations against God and Job, and nothing would have changed. Satan would have said he only loves you because you didn't allow me to afflict him personally, and so on.
Speaker 3:And once again this is in chapter 2, 6-7. It says and the Lord said to Satan Behold, he is in chapter 2, 6-7. It says while he sat in the midst of the ashes. Then his wife said to him Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die. But he said to her you speak as if one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and shall we not accept adversity? And all this, job did not sin with his lips. And once again, job suffers more and still doesn't curse God.
Speaker 3:And then his three friends show up. And everybody knows about Job's three friends. But when they show up and see Job and can't recognize him, they all tore their clothes and put dust on their heads and sat with him seven days and seven nights. Nobody's speaking a word Now, even though they go off the rails coming up. That is impressive that they sat with him quiet, seven days and seven nights. Then everyone starts to talk and it's clear when they all go back and forth, chapter after chapter, that maybe Satan was on to something here a little bit with God and Job's relationship, with all their relationships and their view of God. Remember, satan says that Job only fears you because you bless him and give him stuff.
Speaker 3:Job and his friends do show their beliefs during this exchange back and forth through all these verses. They do say some true facts about God, but they pertain, but they do not pertain to this situation. They don't pertain to Job. So Job is saying he doesn't know why he's suffering, because he's been good and he's been doing good things. And his friends say that God is good and if bad things are happening to you, you, then if bad things are happening to you, you did something wrong and sinned against God. So you see, they are believing wrong about God and God teaches them that their knowledge of Him is incorrect. God is calling Job and all of us to a closer personal relationship with him and it came this time to Job through suffering.
Speaker 3:Job's friends are blaming Job and Job is blaming God for the suffering, not knowing that it's Satan. We, as the reader, know it's Satan, but Job doesn't, and he never finds out why. Why doesn't he? Why doesn't he ever find out? The answer is because it's not important why we suffer for all kinds of reasons, and do we know why? No, the why isn't important, it's the who. It's knowing God, it's personally knowing him. God's the one that holds our lives and protects us. If we're his children, he told Satan don't take his life. Our life is in God's hands. He's the one who carries us through. But it doesn't mean that stuff doesn't happen to us. It doesn't mean that good people don't suffer because they do. Is it God's fault? No, it could be Satan. It could be somebody's sin, our sin, someone's free will that God has given us and we choose to sin, and my sin or your sin has a ripple effect, and that's why God hates sin. God is good and we, his children, have to know that, not hear about that. We have to know that God is the only one that can make any good come out of some of the horrible situation that life puts us in, but he's not the cause.
Speaker 3:At the beginning we saw that Satan was already down here on the earth, like preach just said, running around deceiving people and doing what he does. And what did God do? He lifted up Job to get Satan's attention. Why do you think that? Why do you think God, who's being good and loving, and everything that we know about God? Why do you think he lifted up Job? I believe because God is all-knowing. God knew Satan would come after Job, but God also knew that, even though it was going to be hard with Job, job, with God's help, would defeat Satan and cause him to be seen in his true light, as a liar. I believe God lifted up Job because not only was Job faithful and strong, but it would save somebody else who was weaker and might not have walked away with the same attitude and might have walked away from the Lord, and it would also cause Job and him, god himself, to be closer. So it's something good out of the bad.
Speaker 3:But Job still said a lot of stuff to the Lord in this back and forth. That wasn't right. So God shows up at the end and gives Job a little rundown of his power and his wisdom and he lets him see just how much he doesn't know, just like us frail little beings that can't honestly comprehend the things of God and how and why he does what he does and what's really going on in the heavenlies or all around us and we can't see. We want to judge God, but a judge needs all the facts and God's amazing speech to Job in chapters 38 to 41, which I encourage you I don't have time to read them all, but if you just go through and read what God has to say, it's absolutely mind-blowing.
Speaker 3:The detail in everything that he goes into that makes perfect sense and just shows us a little something about him and ourselves. It shows us that we don't know anything. It reminds me, when I read this, of the book of Daniel, when he prays and God sends Gabriel, but he gets held up by the prince of Persia who is battling and Michael has to come help him. What's going on that we have no idea about? You see what God's saying to Job and to us. We have no idea why things happen the way that they do. We don't know anything about what's going on. And after Job talks with God, he realizes that he doesn't understand anything, even what he thought he knew and he learns the lesson, and it's in Job 42, 1-6. Job 42, 1-6,.
Speaker 3:And Job answered the Lord and said I know that you can do everything and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you. You asked who is this? Who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I do not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please and let me speak. You said I will question you and you shall answer me. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Therefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Wow, and how many in suffering. When God shows up and delivers us. Say exactly what Job says. God shows up and delivers us. Say exactly what Job says. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. Hallelujah. God knows exactly what he's doing. Trust him. If we know God, suffering, as with everything in life, should lead us closer to God, not farther away.
Speaker 3:Satan's trying to hurt God and us the only way that he can by coming after us and telling us lies about God and trying to get us to turn from God. Satan's trying to take advantage of our free will, our choice, and get us to start to question God, to doubt, to question God's love, his word, his law and his goodness. Satan can't come against God and he knows it. So what does he do? What he's been doing since the beginning. God said, hey, don't eat that apple. Satan said ah, you're good, it's just an apple.
Speaker 3:God's not the one who causes suffering, and everybody who doesn't know him plays right into Satan's hand. They blame God for everything that doesn't go their way or the way they think it should. That's our flesh, that's our natural self-centeredness, and that can only be defeated by the Holy Ghost in us self-centeredness and that can only be defeated by the Holy Ghost in us. God is working everything out for the greater good, in spite of all the evil. The why is not important, it's the who. We need to know God personally. God has to correct Job and his three friends' theology. Job's theology was off. He was blaming God for everything in his heart. And at the end, god vindicated Job and told Job's three friends that they were wrong and that God's wrath was on them for speaking what was not right about God. And God told them to bring sacrifices for themselves to Job and Job would pray for them and God would accept Job's prayer.
Speaker 3:The book of Job shows the shallowness of the theology that you do good and get good and that nothing bad happens to someone who is following God. That's not true and we see it every day. When we talk about innocent people suffering, I always think of Jesus, of course, and we'll get there. But suffering because of personal sin always reminds me of David. David and what David sinned with Bathsheba, because this story shows the horrible ripple effect of sin and why God hates sin. And the story is in 2 Samuel, 11 and 12. And I'll give you just the clip notes.
Speaker 3:David is king and he sees Bathsheba bathing on the roof nearby when he's supposed to be out at battle with his army and his soldiers, but he chose not to go. So he sees Bathsheba and she's beautiful. So he sends men to go get her and they bring her to David and they lay together, and then she sends word to David and says she's pregnant. Oh now what Right? So David comes up with a plan and sent for Uriah, bathsheba's husband, to be brought to him. Then David asked him how everything is going in the battle, how's Joab doing? What's going on. And then David gives him some food and says hey, go home, get a shower, clean up, eat and relax for the night.
Speaker 3:Verse 9 to 11 says but Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house. So when they told David, saying Uriah did not go down to his house, david said to Uriah Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house? And Uriah said to David the ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents and my Lord Joab and the servants of my Lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go down to my house to eat and drink and to lie with my Wow. So Uriah is not going along with David's plan. So David tries again the next night, only this time he gets Uriah drunk, but Uriah still doesn't go down to his house. So then what's David do? David writes a letter. So then what's David do? David writes a letter, and this letter is in verse 14 to 17. And it says In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
Speaker 3:And he wrote in the letter saying Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retreat from him that he may be struck down and die. So it was while Joab besieged the city that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there was valiant men. Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab and some of the people of the servants of David fell and Uriah the Hittite died also Uriah what an honorable man I always think of that Carried his own death warrant without even taking a peek, and he died because of sin, and not even his own. He was a good man and, like Job, he had no idea what was going on. And to show you God's attitude toward this, I'll read to you one of the saddest little stories, and it's Nathan the prophet telling David what God thinks about what he has just done. See, david thinks he's good. Now Uriah is dead, she can move in, we're all good, but God's not good. He saw the whole thing In 2 Samuel 12.
Speaker 3:1 to 15 says Then the Lord sent Nathan to David and he came to him and said to him there were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. And he said to him and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wafering man who had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him. So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man and he said to Nathan as the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die and he shall restore fourfold for the lamb because he did this thing and because he had no pity. Then Nathan said to David you are that man.
Speaker 3:Thus says the Lord, god of Israel. I anointed you king over Israel. I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, if that was too little, I also would have given you much more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight. You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord Behold, I will rise up adversity against you from your own house and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of the day, in the sight of the sun, for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun. So David said to Nathan. And Nathan said to David the Lord has also put away your sin. You shall not die, however, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. The child also, who is born to you shall surely die. Then Nathan departed to his house.
Speaker 3:Do you see how many suffered because of one sin from one man on one occasion? And the suffering here in the text we just read because of it is just getting started. Our sin has a ripple effect that we can't see. We need God to help make any kind of good come from the things that we do. The fact that we have any good at all with all the sin going on around us and with us is a miracle. All this history teaches us things to do and not to do.
Speaker 3:Job said to fear God is wisdom and to turn from evil is understanding. Job said to fear God is wisdom and to turn from evil is understanding. We are to know God, and if we want to know God, we need to look at the image of the invisible God, jesus Christ, and we're to be like him. And to be like Christ is to suffer. Christ suffered for us. He gave us a path to follow in everything that he did. If we only love God when everything is just the way we want it and good, then it proves Satan to be true. We only love him for what he can do for us, not for him.
Speaker 3:Who's the one who saved Joab? Who's the one who helped David through everything in his journey that he went through in spite of himself? It's God. He's the answer. He's the one that lifts us back up. Everybody goes through stuff, even those who don't believe? But we know the answer it's God.
Speaker 3:The whole New Testament says the same thing. James, paul, peter, they all say to rejoice in suffering, glorify God in suffering, trust God in suffering, endure suffering and learn from suffering. Why? Because it's part of life and it's only temporary. It's only for a moment, when compared to eternity, that we have ahead. Moment when compared to eternity that we have ahead. And one amazing thing that I learned in all these stories of suffering is that God is above human suffering, and this just proves and shows how awesome and amazing the cross is. Shows how awesome and amazing the cross is. It shows God is above and beyond our suffering. Yet he loves us so much that he lowered himself to our level. He came down to meet us here here in the flesh, in humanity, and suffered more than any of us, and he didn't have to, he volunteered for it. This shows how awesome our God is.
Speaker 3:People don't see the true strength in the meekness of our Lord. They miss his amazing grace towards us. They don't understand it. The fact that God was before we were proves that he existed before us and shows that he doesn't need anything from us. This makes his sacrifice for us even greater. It shows a love that we can't comprehend, that he just wants us. Because he loves us, we can't do anything for him. And look at our now. We'll go back to look at our opening passage, where Jesus is speaking leading up to the cross. I lost my page, so give me a minute, but I'll read it again just to refresh it in your minds.
Speaker 3:Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to his disciples Sit here while I go and pray over there. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and he began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then he said to them my soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me. He went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed, saying oh, my father, if it is possible, let this cup pass for me. And prayed saying into temptation the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, saying oh, my father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, your will be done. And he came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away again and prayed the third time, saying the same words. And then he came to his disciples and said to them Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.
Speaker 3:Jesus leads us through this by example. This is leading to the cross, and Jesus knows what's going on and he prays three times to his father. If it be possible for this cup to pass for me or for this whole situation to go another way, father, please make it. But if not, your will be done, father. Jesus was praying for what he wanted, but submitted to his Father, just like we are to do.
Speaker 3:Our good shepherd was about to lead on for us, and as soon as Jesus saw Judas coming, he knew what the decision was, and Jesus didn't pray for the cup to pass from him again. He knew where it was going and he leaned in. He leaned into the suffering and walked to the cross for us, in obedience to his father and love. Jesus led by example. He prayed for the things to go a certain way, knowing that God's in control, and then he followed where God led him, and it was the cross, and we are to follow our good shepherd no matter where he leads, always holding on to him and looking to him. I will lift my eyes to the hills. From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. God is asking us to join him, to trust him and to endure suffering with him for a greater good, so that more might be saved. God could stop everything right now and end our suffering, but that would cause a chain of events to happen that have already been laid out in Scripture. God is asking us to trust Him and keep our eyes on Him. He's working and he knows the time. Trust His timing and hang on to Him. And I'll close with this In 2 Peter 3.9, it says all should come to repentance.
Speaker 3:Our God is so good and loves us so much that, even though it's our fault and we brought sin in and everything that comes with sin, he stepped down out of heaven and joined us in our suffering. A perfect and holy God, became a man who knew no sin but became sin for us, and then he suffered more than anyone as the only one who didn't deserve it, and he died for us. And when I think of that, it makes me want to be like him. It makes me want to suffer well for him, to honor him, to represent him well for what he went through for me. Do we trust him? Do we know him? No matter what comes at us, can we look to him in faith and put our hand in his hand and say lead on good shepherd, lead on Amen.
Speaker 4:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler Logan Road, Springdale, Pennsylvania, 15144. We invite you to listen to this week's worship service that follows and tune in for next week's podcast.
Speaker 2:Yeshua HaMashiach is Hebrew for Jesus, the Messiah, the one chosen by God to bring salvation to this world.
Speaker 5:So let's praise the, praise Him, this morning. Yeshua HaMashiach, jesus Christ is the Messiah. Yeshua HaMashiach, he is the roaring Lionemer. Yeshua HaMashiach, he is my rock and he's my power. Yeshua HaMashiach, my shield and my strong power. He's holy, he is Lord. Let's praise the God of Israel, the bright and morning star, the Holy One of Israel. My strength and my song. Bless the Lord, o my soul, for His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord, he is good and His mercy endures forever and ever. Oh, forever, yes, his mercy endures forever and ever.
Speaker 5:Jehovah Nisi, jehovah Shalom, jehovah Jireh Elohim. Yeshua HaMashiach, jesus Christ, is the Messiah. Yeshua HaMashiach, he is the roaring lion of Judah and he's Holy, he is Lord. Yeshua HaMashiach, jesus Christ is our Redeemer. Yeshua HaMashiach, he is the Savior and our Healer, and he's Holy. He is the Savior and our healer and he's holy. He is Lord. Yeshua HaMashiach, he is my rock and he's my power. Yeshua HaMashiach, my shield and my strong tower. He's holy, he is Lord. Let's praise the God of Israel. The bright and morning star, he's the holy God of Israel. My strength and my song. Bless the Lord, all my soul, for his mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord, he is good and his mercy endures forever. Yes, his mercy endures forever.
Speaker 1:His mercy endures forever and ever. La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la today. La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la today.
Speaker 5:And he's holy. He is Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. Yeshua HaMashiach, he's the roaring lion of Judah and he's holy. He is Lord. Yeshua HaMashiach. Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. Yeshua HaMashiach, he's the Savior and our Healer. He is holy. He is Lord, your and our healer. He is holy. He is lord yeshua. He is my rock and he's my power. Yeshua, my shield and my strong tower, and he's holy, he is Lord.
Speaker 5:Let's praise the God of Israel, the bright and morning star. He's the holy God of Israel. My strength and my song. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, for His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord, he is good and His mercy endures forever and ever, oh, forever. His mercy endures forever and ever. Hallelujah, hallelujah to the Lamb, the God of Israel. Let's praise the God of Israel, the bright and morning star. He's the Holy One of Israel, my strength and my song. Bless the Lord, o my soul, for His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord, he is good and His mercy endures forever and ever. Oh, forever. His mercy endures forever and ever.
Speaker 5:But one of the elders said to me Do not weep. Behold the lion of the tribe of Judah. The root of David has prevailed to open the scroll to loose its seven seals. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus took those chains, broke them and freed us. Now he is our rock, our victory. He's our strength in the time of weakness, our tower in the time of woe. Oh, he is the hope of Israel. He's the lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus took those chains, broke them and freed us. Now he is our rock, our victory. He's our strength in the time of weakness, our tower in the time of woe. Oh, he is the hope of Israel. Oh, he's the Lion of Judah. Oh, he's the Lion of Judah. Let's praise the God of Israel, the bright and morning star. He's the holy God of Israel, my strength and my song. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, for His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord. He is good and His mercy endures forever and ever. Oh, forever, yes, his mercy endures forever and ever.
Speaker 1:La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie today.
Speaker 5:Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie, lie today. And he's holy, he is Lord. Let's praise the God of Israel, the bright and morning star. He's the Holy One of Israel, my strength and my song. Bless the Lord, o my soul, for His mercy endures forever. Praise the Lord, he is good and His mercy endures forever and ever.