Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
The End of Your Faith
Faith that withstands the furnace. Faith that sees the impossible before it materializes. Faith that persists when all options are exhausted. These are the transformative dimensions of belief explored in "The End of Your Faith," a powerful message that takes us from the fiery furnace of Babylon to the practical challenges of modern life.
Starting with the compelling story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we discover how unwavering commitment to God creates space for divine intervention. These Hebrew youths, facing certain death, declared their trust in God's deliverance while acknowledging that even if He didn't rescue them, their faith would remain unshaken. This ancient testimony connects directly to Peter's words about faith being "more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire."
The message reveals four essential dimensions of faith: positive faith that sees with spiritual eyes what God has promised before it manifests; precious faith that values our relationship with God above all else; persistent faith that endures through trials especially in those difficult "last 15 minutes" before breakthrough; and praising faith that worships God not for what He does but simply because He is worthy.
Through powerful testimonies of healing and provision against impossible odds, we witness how faith moves the hand of God. From a father who enjoyed twelve years of life after a devastating stroke to a mother whose terminal cancer diagnosis mysteriously vanished, these stories illustrate faith's transformative power.
Most compelling is the revelation that sometimes God allows us to reach the end of our resources so we become completely dependent on Him. Like Moses at the Red Sea or the three Hebrews at the furnace's edge, our greatest miracles often come when all human options are exhausted.
The message culminates in understanding that praise itself is an act of faith—worshiping before we see the answer, bringing a sacrifice of praise regardless of circumstances. As we practice this kind of mountain-moving, demon-fleeing faith, we position ourselves for divine intervention and prepare for the eternal worship that awaits us in God's kingdom.
But not because of you, but because he is good and you will not have room to receive it.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Woo, oh yeah. Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 4:You ready for the word? We're going to start in the Old Testament book of Daniel. We're not going to go there, but it tells us of the three Hebrew children. Right? You all know the story. They're in Babylonian captivity Shadrach, meshach and Abednego these are their Babylonian names that they were given. Their Hebrew names were Hananiah, mishael and Azariah.
Speaker 4:And while this account isn't the text for what he wanted to preach today, the Babylonian king of that day, his name was Nebuchadnezzar. The king said, in case you're not familiar with the story, the king sets up a 90-foot statue that represents their pagan god, nabu Nabu. He commands all of Babylon. Whenever the music is played the dulcimer, the psaltery and the harp wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you are to fall on your face and worship the image that the king has set up your face and worship the image that the king has set up. Now the king gets word that there are three in his kingdom that aren't obeying orders. They're not following and worshiping the image. They will not bow, they will not bend. Now Nebuchadnezzar has a little bit of a soft spot for these three. They're great citizens, they're doing their job. And look, when they were taken captive, the Bible tells us that they only took the best and the brightest. So Shadrach, meshach and Abednego are among the best and the brightest. However, they were raised in Babylonian culture. They were raised with the language, they were raised with the customs. They were productive members of Babylon. So the king gives them a mulligan Everybody know what a mulligan is Even though they wouldn't bend and bow, he gives them a second chance, if you will, chance, if you will. And he says look, when the music plays and the Bible actually says that he's the king, nebuchadnezzar says please, please, bow, please don't make me look bad, just bow to the image. I don't even care if you believe it, not believe it, just bow. When the music plays, shadrach, meshach and Abednego say King, we love the music, but no, we will not bow. We cannot bow to this false god that you have set up. Hashem is the one true God and even if you have to carry out sentence, hashem will deliver us. We're good.
Speaker 4:Now the king's mad. They showed him up, right. I mean, I don't think this was done in a private meeting, this was done with some witnesses. So the king's mad tells his people heat the furnace seven times hotter than it's ever been heated before and to throw Shadrach, meshach and Abednego into the fire. Now, when the sentence is carried out and it's real interesting if you read it, the people who actually went up there with Shadrach to throw him into the fire died.
Speaker 4:But the king goes to confirm that the sentence is carried out and he looks into the fire and he asked his boys. He said didn't we cast three men bound into the midst of that fire? His boys said yes, king. He said then why are there four loose and walking around and the fourth one? The fourth one, I don't know how he knows, but the fourth one looks like the Son of God, my Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. The Bible says walk out of the fire without even the smell of smoke on them. So if you'll, please turn with me to 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 1 Peter, 1. I don't know where my Chrissy is today. Anybody?
Speaker 4:hear from her that's not like her to not let me know Very good, yeah, it's not like her not to let me know what's happening. 1 Peter 1, beginning with the 7th verse, whenever you get there, please stand for the reading, and in honor of God's word, this morning, 1 Peter 1 and 7. 1 Peter, 1 and 7. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perish though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom, having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him. Not yet believing, he rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. What God's given me to present this morning is the actual foundation of our Christian walk. Who we are in Christ, in a message entitled the End of your Faith. Let's pray, heavenly Father. Thank you, lord, thank you for this New Testament. Look, with an Old Testament twist, lord, that you would reveal your truth to us. Lord, and for this time, this age especially, lord, in the days in which we live, lord, we ask you to open your word to us today. Let it be a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path. It is in the name of your precious, beloved august, soon-coming Son, we pray. Amen and amen. Please be seated.
Speaker 4:We're going to look at four points of faith this morning. Four points of faith Faith that moves mountains, faith that shakes heaven, faith that heals sick bodies and faith that mends a broken heart. Positive faith, precious faith, persistent faith and praising faith. And as we delve into God's word somewhat deeply this morning, I'll ask you to keep this in mind None of us have seen heaven, yet we know it exists. We know it's real. It's as real as Springdale. We know that None of us have seen the blood of Jesus literally, yet we know it washes away our sin, it cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and I'm sure that's true of all of you have not seen the Holy Ghost, but I absolutely know he's in service this morning, absolutely know I have felt his comfort, I have experienced his guiding hand, I've witnessed his life-changing power, life-changing power. So if you trust the Lord to save your soul, if you trust him to prepare an eternal home for you, if you trust him to secure, to empower, to teach, to protect and ultimately, one day, transport you, why do we find it hard to trust and believe that he'll supply our need, that he'll mend your family breach, that he can heal a sick body, that he can repair a broken relationship. Why do we have trouble with that, with that type of faith?
Speaker 4:Let's look at our scripture, briefly, just the seventh verse that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. All of us, every one of us, have faced, are facing or will face trials. We will face temptations, we will face testing and maybe we ask I'm trying to live for God. Why did this tragedy happen in my life? I don't understand. I do good things, I help people, I give. Why did my marriage fail? Why did that happen? I try to live for God. Why am I still in bondage? Look, the rain falls evenly on the just and the unjust.
Speaker 4:The Bible says many are the afflictions of the righteous. We need to recognize we live in a flawed and failed world. We live in a world that was taken over by sin and it is flawed and fallible. It's a sin-filled environment and the things that happen to us, the things that we endure or press through are an onslaught of the enemy. We know that we all face and deal with them. But there is something we can do. God said he'd never put you in a position where there wasn't a way of escape, where there wasn't a way out. There is someone to turn to in times of trial or temptation or testing. Number one we need positive faith. Don't confuse this with affirmations or a positive teaching. We need positive faith to overcome, to go through a trial. Joshua 1 and 9 says Be strong, be of good courage, be not afraid. The Lord's with you, he's with you. Amen, the Lord's with you, he's with you. Just quickly, hebrews 11. Great hall of faith. We've been talking about this throughout the Bible studies over the last several Wednesdays. Hebrews 11. We know that's known as the great hall of faith, right, hebrews 11 and 1.
Speaker 4:Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed in the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear by faith. Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, god testifying of his gifts and by it he being dead, yet speaketh by faith. Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Wow, wow, a lot there, right, and we talked about this a bit this past Wednesday. That's why we didn't move so quickly From the great hall of faith.
Speaker 4:The substance of things hoped for is kind of the partial sentence I want to focus on at the beginning. What does it mean, the substance of things hoped for? And I think those of you who were in Bible study this past Wednesday kind of got the revelation here that it's utilizing our gifts. It's what the Holy Spirit has bestowed on us wisdom, knowledge, discernment and we use that in our prayer. That's what it means to pray in spirit and in truth, pray in the spirit it's seeing with spiritual eyes. Just an example, maybe it's seeing Lazarus walk out of the tomb, walk out of the cemetery, while he still lay cold and bloated in the tomb. It's seeing that. It's seeing the Red Sea parted while there were still white caps, seeing it dry and clean and away across, bringing it a little closer to home, knowing that God will provide for you while you are still in lack Glory, while you still are looking for something that's needed. It's seeing your loved one, hands raised in a church service while they're still in worldly bondage. Glory, but that's only half the verse. That's only half of that sentence, not the verse.
Speaker 4:The evidence of things not seen. The evidence of things not seen. The proof of what we hope for. The proof of what we hope for but have not yet touched, not yet realized, not yet received, knowing his promise is true, that all things are possible, that he wants the very best for us and he will make a way where there is no way.
Speaker 4:Faith, faith. The woman with the issue of blood she had positive faith, positive faith. She knew if she could pass through the doubt, if she could pass through the crowd, the pessimism, the bondage of religion that was in their system, if she could pass through that, through the untruth, and just touch him. No, she didn't even have to touch him, georgette. Just touch his garment. If she could just touch the bottom of his robe, she knew she'd be healed. She knew it. Knowledge maybe, discernment, maybe? Absolutely Faith, faith, faith.
Speaker 4:Our faith in God, mine and yours. Our faith is who we are. It's what our Christianity is rooted in. It has to be faith. We need, but we need to feed our faith. We need to feed our faith. Feed it how. Feed it with the word, feed it with assembling ourselves. Feed it with what you're doing this morning. Feed it with praise and worship. Feed it with our testimony of what God's done for me. I know he'll do it for you, because this is what he did for me.
Speaker 4:Glory, a couple of Wednesdays ago, if you recall, we experienced, uh, uh I don't want to make, I don't want to exaggerate it, but we experienced a bit of a Holy Ghost takeover of the service. It kind of went off the road Good, off the road. But I want to ask you, of those of you who were here, how many of you had your faith increased by that manifestation, that you knew God was moving some things, that he was speaking through some people, that he had taken control, because it didn't follow a format, it didn't follow what we normally do. It was very, very different. The word was manifested in real time. That's what happened. The Word was manifested in real time. And what happens? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word. I don't care whether it's this or whether it's manifested in real time. Faith comes by hearing Jesus told the woman your faith has made you whole. That's what he told the woman with the issue of blood.
Speaker 4:And again, not talking about positive confession that if we just keep saying something long enough, he's obligated to give it to us, or the power of positive thinking. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about trusting God, trusting our King, trusting him, no matter what happens, no matter what we see, regardless of what is in the natural, how bad it seems or how bad it looks, I'm not giving up, I'm not giving in. I'm resting on His Word, I'm trusting in His promise, I'm resting in His holiness Glory. Come hell or high water, I will keep pressing on. I will keep on.
Speaker 4:What's the phrase? Keep on? Keeping on my Pressing toward the prize, the mark of the high calling? Huh, and you know we think well, if God doesn't deliver me from this pain, or he doesn't give me the sight back in my eye, or all these things. Look, I don't care how I end up at the gate, because I know when I pass through, the limp is gone, the eyesight's perfect, my Highside's perfect, my, he came. He came that we might have life more abundantly. He came that we are more than conquerors. He came that we can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth us, and we know that all things are possible.
Speaker 4:Glory Number two precious faith. Precious faith. You know, we kind of interpret faith as something that we can take it or leave it, that God's going to do what he wants to do. He's a sovereign God, he's in control, he's in charge, and faith is kind of relegated to a back seat. Our scripture said that faith is more precious than gold. Gold is called the precious metal. Today, I believe, it's over $3,000 an ounce Hallelujah. Gold is more precious for a reason. It's precious because it never rots, it never rusts, it lasts forever. Do you know that in your wedding band, the gold you have in there may have hung around Cleopatra's neck? Because all the gold is still in existence somewhere. I don't care whether it's in the ground, in the golden laver or the temple. It's still in existence somewhere because it doesn't pass away, it doesn't corrode.
Speaker 4:As Christians, our faith is that precious, so important that it is impossible to please God without faith Impossible. Let's just look at go to 2 Peter, please, just quickly. I'd rather you look at it than say I don't know what he was talking about there. I don't want Denise and John, 2 Peter, 1 and 1. Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior, jesus Christ. Peter speaks to the few. Peter speaks to the few. For those of you who have gained this precious faith, that understand what I'm talking about, those of you who have seen the Lord move and have gained this faith, have actually obtained true faith.
Speaker 4:Faith is so precious because it's so rare. It's so rare we ask God to do something, and when it still hurts or it hasn't materialized yeah, I knew that wouldn't work. You know there's a faith that says heaven is real and as great as that is, I'm talking this morning about mountain-moving faith. Faith that speaks to the winds and the winds obey. Faith that causes demons to flee and Satan to tremble, that's faith. Answers are every prayer. God hears our cry. That's the faith I'm talking about.
Speaker 4:Nothing in our life, nothing, nothing in your life is more important than a personal faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing, nothing, all right, persistent faith. Here's another one that we have trouble with 1 John, 1 John in the back. It makes me crazy when people refer to St John as 1 John, because 1 John 5 and 4. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Speaker 4:Persistent faith. Persistent faith needed for difficult times. Persistent faith needed for difficult issues, though it be tried with fire. Remember what we said at the beginning we're going to go through some trials, we're going to have some testing, we're going to have some tribulation, though it be tried with fire, until it looks like it's not going as we had hoped, or the report isn't exactly what we thought it would be, or the outcome. Then we kind of throw up our hands.
Speaker 4:I guess he doesn't want me healed. I guess he doesn't want me whole. I guess he doesn't want me whole. I guess he wants me to go through this. I guess God wants to keep me humble, so he's keeping me poor. He's trying to teach me something I wish you'd learn it. That's not faith at all, much less persistent faith.
Speaker 4:Sometimes God allows us listen carefully. This is from the Lord. Sometimes he allows us to be at the end and out of answers. Sometimes he needs us to be out of carnal solutions. Well, I'll do this job or I'll do that, and I'll work harder and I'll move this money and I'll do. Sometimes he needs us, completely dependent on him.
Speaker 4:The story of Shadrach, meshach and Abednego that we opened with or the Red Sea parting they were all out of options. When Shadrach, meshach and Abednego were bound at the top of that furnace rail, they were out of options. When Moses was at the Red Sea water in front of him, pharaoh behind him he was out of options. Why didn't he rescue them? Way back on the road when those chariots first start rumbling, let wheels fall off. A lot of options, nowhere to turn, sometimes, most times. How many of you know that?
Speaker 4:The last 15 minutes of faith is the hardest? The last 15 minutes of faith, and by that I mean before deliverance, before rescue, before he provides. It's the hardest. It's the hardest time of faith. I know God will intervene, even though it still hurts, because he said he would and I believe his promise. I'm holding on. I'm holding on and even if it doesn't happen as I had hoped, I still believe it will. If it isn't as I expected, I still believe. I still believe. I still believe.
Speaker 4:Back in 1990, I believe, my dad had a debilitating stroke. It left him unable to speak or walk or take care of himself. Doctors said it would never get better, that he'd never laugh or enjoy anything, that he'd be an emotionless burden. Twelve years after his massive stroke, twelve fun-filled Christmas celebrations, 176 Steeler games, john one, super Bowl 1995, countless dinners and picnics, seeing his grandchildren grow up and oh, and the assurance of his salvation from his own lips. I know, you said. I thought he couldn't speak, he couldn't One time. One time when I grabbed my dad's face and I said do you know Jesus? He said yes, yes. After 12 years my dad finally went home to be with the Lord.
Speaker 4:Right after that my mother was told that she had multiple cancerous lesions on her liver. Nothing they could do, no place to turn. It was a matter of time. Doctor said I've seen this a thousand times and we'll try to keep her comfortable. After some persistent faith and a lot of prayer, the doctor had to walk in and tell us there was no cancer, there were no tumors. Even we even had a cousin who was a nurse at the hospital at the time. She came when we were visiting my mother and she said Bobby, she's had a good run, it's time to let her go. It's time to let her go. Well, she lasted somewhere around another 30 years, but the point is we never stopped believing, persistent faith. Persistent faith is essential for trying times. Just to show you it's not a while that was real. Just to show you that that's not all there is.
Speaker 4:We had a dog, a Dalmatian, maggie. If you ever want to crack any of my passwords, they're all Maggie. All right, you get it. Maggie was my dog, took her to the she quit. She went out and dug a hole actually and laid down in the hole to die. And we took her to the vet and after a few days and thousands of dollars, they said there's nothing they could do. All her organs were shutting down. She was bleeding internally. She would be dead within 24 hours. Would you please allow us to do the autopsy so we can determine what the cause is? Nothing we can do Said no, thank you, we're going to take her home and let her die with us around her. Michael, stephanie and I put her on a moving sheet, a burlap type thing, took her out in the yard and we laid hands on her. She hadn't eaten in a week and we put a piece of American cheese on her nose and we laid hands on her and prayed. Maggie, that spotted Dalmatian, went and ate the cheese. She lived three more years in perfect health. Understand, it's a dog, I got it, but it was important to us and we utilized faith and we utilized prayer, didn't stop believing.
Speaker 4:Finally, praising faith. This is where I wanted to get to all morning, praising faith. 1 Peter 1 and 7. 1 Peter 1 and 7. That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perish though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. We praise him not because we feel like it or not because a worship leader gets us into it or sets the mood, as we say, but because he's the sovereign God and always worthy of our praise and he will always do what he said he will do.
Speaker 4:Praise is a sacrifice. How many of you know that? Well, I just didn't feel like praising this morning. That's why it's called a sacrifice. We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord, not because we feel like it, not because everything's going you'll like this term hunky-dory, right but because we bring our sacrifice into the house of the Lord, hallelujah. Maybe you're thinking how is that faith? How is that faith? It's faith because we're praising him while we still don't have the answer, while it's still on the way. Glory See. That's why praise causes things to happen. It's why praise moves the hand of God.
Speaker 4:Stephen Colette always say it begins with praise. We say it begins with praise. Everything we do, everything we ask of God begins with praise. Why? Because praise is faith. Praise is faith Praising through, not because of what he's done or what he will do or what we hope he'll do, but simply because he is the sovereign God and he is worthy of our praise. Let me put it in perspective for you quickly and I'll stop. Colette said this a hundred times at the dedication of Solomon's temple.
Speaker 4:The Bible says first, the musicians played little tune-up. You could hear it all, the strings and percussion and the instruments all over the place. Right. The Bible says that they finally got to the place where they played a prelude, a beginning. It started to make sense, it started to be, it started to sound good. Amen. An instrumental introduction, if you will. Then the choir, then the choir. It says that the choir sang Singers. 2,228 of them Sang with am I right, colette? With one voice, one voice, glory In praise to Adonai, my. Then, then, the glory of the Lord fell, shekinah. Shekinah entered the house. My, my, my, my, my. The glory of the Lord fell. Power so strong that the priest couldn't stand, power so strong that they couldn't stop Shekinah. Oh, my Glory.
Speaker 4:Years ago, tuesday nights we didn't have Wednesday night Bible study. We had Tuesday night Bible study, but the worship team. We couldn't wait until Brother Nick finally stopped preaching, because then we would play and sing and worship God, because then we would play and sing and worship God. And 11 o'clock would come, say well, I've got to get home, I've got to go to sleep, I've got to get up for work in the morning. Oh, the spirit would fall. Oh, I remember it like it was yesterday, the spirit would fall. 12 o'clock better get home, better get home. I've got to get sleep. I've got to get up at 6. 1 am. Better get home, got to go to work in the morning. 3 am got to get up in three hours. Oh, I might as well just keep praising. I'll go straight.
Speaker 4:I'm looking forward to a day when we praise him, this assembly, without ceasing. When the power of God falls like rain, hallelujah. When we see God move in spirit and in truth we got the sign, we got to get the real deal, hallelujah. And nobody wants to leave. The presence of God and the power of an august God and his precious spirit is on display. And you know what that will be Praise practice, that's all. It will be Praise practice Because that's it'll be Praise practice Because that's what we're going to do for eternity. That's what we're going to do forever. High worship Fit for a king, fashion for a kingdom. Come Glory. All right, I'm done. Bill Gaither wrote a song regarding that kingdom and it says I can hear the chariots rumble, I can see the marching throng, a flurry of God's trumpet spells the end of sin and wrong. Regal robes are now unfolding, heaven's grandstands all in place, heaven's choir is now assembled and start to sing amazing grace, the king is coming. The king is coming. The King is coming, hallelujah. Thank you so much for listening. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 3: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 we will remember, we will remember, we will remember the works of your hands.
Speaker 2:We will stop and we will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness, so let's sing it again.
Speaker 1:We will remember, we will remember.
Speaker 2:We will remember, we will remember, we will remember, we will remember the works of your hands and we will stop and give you praise For great is your faithfulness.
Speaker 1:We praise your name, jesus. We praise you for the miracles that you performed thousands of years ago and we praise you for the miracles that you still perform today. And, most of all, we praise you simply because you're our Heavenly Father and we love you. Lord, we thank you for your presence here this morning. Oh, let's sing that chorus again. We will remember.
Speaker 2:We will remember. We will remember the works of your hands and we will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness. Let us give him all the praise. We will remember. We will remember, we will remember the works of your hands and we will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness.
Speaker 1:So let's sing it again, we will remember, we will remember.
Speaker 2:We will remember. We will remember the works of your hands and we will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness.
Speaker 1:We thank you for what you did on that cross. Jesus, hallelujah Jesus. Let's sing that chorus another time.
Speaker 2:We will remember we will remember, we will remember, we will remember the works of your hands and we will stop and give you praise, for great is your faithfulness and we will stop, and we will stop and give you praise.
Speaker 1:For great is your faithfulness. Hallelujah to the King. We praise your name, Jesus.
Speaker 4:There is nothing. Hallelujah Jesus.