Getting an Upgrade Through the Trials By Fire (11/29/2020)

* YOU FIND OUT WHAT A PERSON IS REALLY MADE OUT OF WHEN THEY ARE IN THE FIRE!

Malachi 3:1-3
"Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of host.
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

Psalm 66:10
"For thou, O God, has proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried."

Proverbs 17:3
"The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the LORD trite the hearts."

*GOD WILL PUT US THROUGH THE FIRE TO MAKE US A BETTER VESSEL!
Proverbs 25:4
Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer."

*GOD WILL INCREASE OUR FAITH IN HIM!
Hebrews 11:1-2
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
For by it the elders obtained a good report"

Malachi 3:3
"And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

*WE FACE SO MANY TRIALS AND SOME WE CAN REALLY STRUGGLE WITH!
I Peter 1:6-7
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need by, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
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:"

*THE TRIALS OF OUR FAITH ARE THE TOUGHEST!
Matthew 5:11
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."

*THESE ARE PERSONAL ATTACKS...WHEN IT'S PERSONAL IT MAKES IT HARDER TO ACCEPT?

WHAT DO WE DO?
1. REBEL...You push back against it, you fight against it, and you get angry. You're mad at God, you're mad at the world, you're mad at anybody who had something to do with it.
2. RESIGN...This often leads to a sense of powerlessness without hope. It is over as far as you're concerned. No life can grow in those conditions.
3. REJOICE...When you first hear this word, rejoice, you will think that is impossible. BUT WE NEED TO CHOOSE THIS!

James 1:2-4
"My brethren, hunt it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worth patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

****IT'S AN ATTITUDE PROBLEM***

--FIGURE OUT WHY IT'S BOTHERING YOU AND ACCEPT IT!
--LEARN TO APPRECIATE IT!

Psalm 40:2
"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings."

--CHANGE THE WAY YOU THING ABOUT TRIALS!
--CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!
--ACCEPT YOUR LIFE AS IT IS!
--AND ENJOY IT!

Proverbs 16:3
"Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thought shall be established."