0:12 Okay, let's pray. Before that, I just want to read one verse. Romans 8:32. Romans 8:32. He who did not spare his own son, 0:32 but delivered him over us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you 0:48 for your love that you have displayed by sending your only begotten son to be a sin for us, to be a curse for us, to take up the wrath of God, to bear the punishment of many. Lord, as we 1:08 meditate on your word and as I share what you have impressed upon my heart, help me, strengthen me and speak to all of us, including me, Lord, the truths from your word, the encouragement from your word that we need to hear today. 1:26 Lord, I know you love this church and I pray that you'd continuously give us a word that sustains us, encourages us, edifies us to press on to perfection, to be Christlike in our journey to be like Christlike. Lord, be with us. Help us, 1:41 hide me behind your cross. Cover me and fill me with your Holy Spirit as I speak. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. Okay. So, ever since uh we are born again, 2:01 we grow in the Lord and uh God takes us through various experiences. uh anyone who is sincere in following Jesus and we are not exempt from trials and uh persecutions or troubles 2:21 uh misunderstandings or whatever God takes us through different perplex uh perplexing situations situations that I may not understand fully I'm sure if you are honest that is your experience too that was my experience and as I look 2:38 into the word. Uh many people who walked who were sincere before sincerely walking with God, they also had questions uh as they went through the life trials and troubles. The questions about God's love. Does he love me? 2:57 If God is full of love, why does he allow this situation in my life? Is God really just? If God is just, why the wicked wicked people are prospering? Why the people who are seeking to live a righteous life are suffering? Why God allows sufferings 3:15 in people who love God? Who are righteous before God? Why Lord? Why God? Why? And even about his care, will you care us? Do you care? We are perishing. That's what the disciples asked. Do you care? Like I'm going through such 3:33 a horrible trial, hard trial. Will you care about me? Some questions like that could come up in our hearts. Maybe we don't verbalize but those questions can come up and we see that in the scripture um in the uh in the next few 3:52 minutes as I want to show few passages. These questions are not uh it's it's not wrong to ask those questions. My child asks many many questions. He comes to me because I'm his dad. I'm I'm their dad. So that my any any of my three children 4:09 can come to me and ask questions. Why uh why why and that's fine because uh they are my children and I'm ready to answer. And um yet today first I want to show one thing. Um the first one is Job. Job 4:28 had several questions. I think Job went through one of the hardest trial in his life. He lost all his children. He lost all his property and he lost his health and he was going through uh I think situation that many of us never had to 4:48 go through and he didn't even know why this is happening. And he was righteous. He was blameless. He was doing everything he could. And he was living before the face of God. He was judging himself. Even he was offering sacrifices 5:03 for his own children. Maybe they would have sinned in their own heart. That's how sensitive he was even without scripture. And this is the I think we were told many times this might be the first book God has written. And Job 5:17 being so righteous, he had his own um questions. questions about suffering. Job 7:20 we see that this line why have you made me your target so that I am a burden to myself in other places he says why did why did I even be born I should 5:34 have died on the day of my birth why have you made me your target he's talking to God and then other question he has I sinned sometimes we ask when we go through uh trials did I sin anywhere Lord what have I done to you watcher of 5:51 ma mankind who is the watcher of mankind, God himself. Job 7:20, he had this question about God's justice and fairness. And also he looks around, he sees the wicked prospering. Why do the wicked still alive, grow old and also become 6:10 very powerful? Do we see that in this world? We do. Uh it's sometimes the people who are living for God, they die prematurely, very soon. It feels like that. But wicked prosper. They have very good health. They are prospering. 6:26 They're becoming more powerful. Why God? Why is like that? Why is it like that? And sometimes God is silent. We are praying nothing seems to be moving. Praying for the same thing for years. God seems to be silent. That's his uh uh 6:44 question. Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy? Why are you not answering? Job 13:24. And if you go and do a serious study of the scripture, especially the book of Job, you can see many more questions 7:00 that Job asked. Job asked God. And um some of them you can we can relate to. And after God answers his questions not directly but he he asks different questions question. is like he did not answer directly but he actually poses 7:20 other questions and then Job's eyes are open later in the job chapter 42 we see uh we are not studying Job today but I just wanted to highlight and after Job got the revelation based on God's 7:37 questions and now what he says in Job 42-6 you can open your Bibles and read that and this This is Job's conclusion and he says, "I know that you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be 7:56 thwarted. Therefore, I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know. I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes see you, sees you. 8:12 Therefore, I retract. I repent in dust and ashes. I'll put my like in other place he says my he wants to close his mouth. He doesn't want to speak anymore. I repent in dust and ashes. Lord I spoke a lot of things I did not understand 8:29 you. I know you can do all things. He understands God's sovereignity, God's love and justice and um now my eyes sees. So sometimes we need that revelation from God. Uh many times we try to understand God from our own point 8:43 of view. It's almost like yeah God's word is says my thoughts are much higher than your thoughts. It's u I heard in some sermons like it's almost like a dog trying to understand a man what is going on in man's heart. We don't understand 8:58 everything but one day we will it will be clearer to us but right now on this side of the world we may not understand but based on God's revelation we can come to conclusion like Job did. And uh there's another place where Psalm is as 9:13 of as of in Psalm 73. If you open your Bibles to Psalm 73, this is one of the wonderful psalm uh especially towards the end of this psalm, you see uh great promises to hold 9:31 on to um are aspirational. He has a lot of questions as I've had lot of questions. Same thing he has struggled. Lord I surely I have in vain I have kept my heart pure. Psalm 73:13 9:49 surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and wash my hands in innocence. He's saying that what is the point of being righteous? I have been pure but I I look at around I look around. I see the wicked people are at ease. 10:04 Psalms uh 73:5 They're not in trouble as other men. Now they are plagued like mankind. Here I am trying to live a pure and righteous life. And I see trouble and trial in my life. But in wicked people, they are at ease. They have no pains in their death. 10:23 The body is fat. They are prosperous. Not only that, verse 9, they even speak against God. They have set their mouth against the heavens and their tongue parades throughout the earth through the earth. You see if you 10:41 see any social media like exim people blaspheming God and saying mocking God and saying a lot of things that's one quality they are arrogant their pride and um their tongues spread throughout the earth and verse 11 they even say how does God 10:59 know is there any knowledge with the most high these are the questions the wicked people ask they're mocking God. And verse 12, he concludes, "Behold, these are the wicked and they're always at ease and they have increased in 11:18 wealth." Maybe we can relate to some of these questions. But then he did one wonderful thing. Instead of going to people with all these questions and doubts, um, verse 17, he does a good thing and he gets 11:36 answers. You know what he does? He comes to into the sanctuary of God, into the presence of God. Then God opens his eyes. Then he says, "I perceive their end. Surely you set them in slippery places." I'm reading verse 18. 11:53 And how they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by the seren terrors. He sees their end and he says, "Now I understand, Lord." But not only that, he he doesn't stop there. He goes to verse 23 and he thinks about himself. 12:10 Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You are with me, God. You are with me. I know my heart life is hard and uh full of trials, but you are with me. You have taken hold of my right hand. You are leading me step by step. With your 12:27 counsel, you are guiding me. You will guide me. And then verse 25, the beautiful verse we quote a lot. Whom have I in heaven but you Lord? But besides you I deserve nothing on the earth. Even though my flesh and my heart 12:41 may fail, even though I may go have to go through a lot of sicknesses and u trials, God you are the strength of my life. God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Verse 28, the nearness of God is my good. He started with lots of questions. 12:59 He went to the sanctuary of God and he got the revelation about what is going to happen to the wicked and his own position. He got reassurance. I am continually with me. I'm continually with you and you are taking hold of me. 13:14 You're guiding me and whom else I can go to. Whom do I have in heaven apart from you? And I don't want to desire anything upon this earth. It's almost like Paul saying in uh Philippians, I want to know you Lord. I want to consider everything 13:29 as rubbish. All my gains and losses, nothing, nothing matters. I want to know you. The power of resurrection, the fellowship of your sufferings. Um, when we get that revelation from God, we may not get get all the answers, but our 13:46 hearts will come to rest. That's what is more important. We may not get all the answers. God may not answer answer all the questions that we have but he will certainly lead us to rest if we are honest and we are we desperately seek him he will reassure in 14:02 our hearts that's what happened to Asaf and these words encourage us so much and we can relate to that and there is one more person one more godly person Gideon 14:19 Gideon had some questions Can we all uh Okay, please open your Bibles to Gideon. Sorry, Judges chapter 6. There is no book Gideon. Judges chapter 6 14:37 verse 13. So, Gideon is visited by an angel. In uh verse 11 it says, "Then the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ofra which belonged to Joash the 14:55 Abisarite as his son. Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from Midionites. They're going to some trouble. He's doing something because Midionites are going to take it away. So he's trying to protect." 15:10 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "The Lord is with you, oh valiant warrior. And then Gideon had series of questions. What are these questions? Then Gideon said to him, verse 13, "Oh my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why 15:29 then has all this happened to us?" Did you have such question? If I am the son of God, why I have to go through all these trials? If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are his miracles which our 15:45 fathers told us about saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? They heard all the stories. The miracles they witnessed mana coming from heaven every day. They did not have to do anything. They just need to go out and get the 15:59 food. The Red Sea parted. They could drink water coming out of the rock. All these miracles. Where are those miracles? But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of the median. He came to conclusion the Lord has 16:14 abandoned us. Even though angel of the Lord is right before him. These questions when we go through hard situations. Has the Lord abandoned me? I'm alone. No one understands me. And um I heard a lot of miracles. God does. I 16:30 hear a lot of testimonies. My brothers and sisters are coming up and sharing. But why my life is like that? I am praying for a miracle. Nothing happens. I have the same back pain. I have same problems that I'm going through. Nothing 16:42 seems to be changing. And I'm praying for my unsaved family members. Nothing changes. And nothing is dramatic in my life. And then he asks for a miracle. Then God graciously answers. So there are three things he asks for 17:01 confirmation and uh he gets it. Verse 17. Uh, so Gideon said to him, "If now I have found favor in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me." He wanted a sign from God. 17:20 And now, yeah, he shows the sign versus 17 to 21. We don't have to go into the details, but there's a fire that he sends upon his offering. the fire comes and then there are other two tests. The first test is in verses 36- 38. What 17:39 is the test? Gideon said to God, if you will deliver Israel through me, verse 36, as you have spoken, behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is a dew on the fleece only and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that 17:57 you will deliver Israel through me as you have spoken. Show me some sign, Lord. I'll put a fleece. So the dew should be only on the fleece and rest of the ground should be dry. Okay, God is so gracious. He does that miracle. 18:15 And many times we could be like that. We want a miracle. We want a sign. We want something supernatural. We have questions. We want some answers from God and some signs from God. And then he's bold enough. He says verse 39, 18:29 "Even after witnessing that miracle, fleas being wet and everything being dry. Do not let your anger burn against me that I may speak one more. Please let me make a test once more. I'm not satisfied. I'm still having a little bit 18:42 of doubt." Now the fleece should be dry and rest of the ground should be full of dew. Then God does that miracle again in verse 40. God did so that night. Amazing. Our heavenly father is 18:59 answering these questions and confirming um Gideon's you know doubts and making sure that it is he who speaking. It may not happen to us like God has answered Gideon and um did showed some 19:16 miraculous signs to confirm. Um but yeah, God has given even something better to us. Uh Lord Jesus. Um and there are more questions we see in the Bible 19:34 in Malachi chapter 1 verse two. This is a accusation. And God is saying, "I have loved you, says the Lord." But the Israelites are saying, "How have you loved us? How have you loved us?" Questioning God's love? 19:54 If God is so loving, why does he allow this trial in your life? Those doubts the enemy puts. And um Lord, we could be like that. Lord, how have you loved us? And um Psalm is again in Psalm 13 verse1-2. How long Lord will you forget me 20:13 forever? How long will you hide your face from me? And there are many more verses like that. I could not put all the verses but you you get the idea of that inner um that anguish and the question that 20:31 comes sometimes as a prayer. Psalm 77 verse verses 7-9. Will the Lord reject forever? Has his loving kindness ceased forever? Has his promise come to an end in the midst of the dark trials, darkness, in 20:49 the valley of the shadow of death. As we go through, we may forget what God has revealed to us in the light. And we think God has abandoned us, rejected us, his loving kindness has ceased. And it doesn't stop there. Um I think 21:07 most of these are from Old Testament and I have seen some in the New Testament too before um in the beginning parts of the gospel. And again this is not a comprehensive list. Um some more questions we see that 21:26 who said this children who said these words unless I see in his hands the imprints of the nails I will not believe. Who said to who? Yeah. Thomas said to who? Okay. So it was a conversation. Thomas 21:47 was talking to the rest of the disciples and the disciples saw Jesus. Thomas was not there. He went out for something and he came but he said unless I see in his hands the imprints I have to put my finger in that then only I will believe. 22:05 He has been with the Lord for so many years. He has seen everything. Yet he had his questions. But thankfully when the Lord again graciously allowed him to come and examine him, he says, "My Lord, my God, my Lord, my God." All his 22:24 questions came to rest. And this same Thomas came to India where people worshiped millions of gods and he paid a huge price. All his questions came to rest. And again disciples in Mark 4:38 it say he said they were going through some 22:44 storm and Jesus was right in the boat. Their response is Mark 4:38. Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Do you not care that we are perishing? 23:02 And again, Matthew 11:3. Let's open Matthew 11:3. Again, another question. Who said these words? Matthew 11:3. Anyone? Who said these words? John. John the Baptist. John the 23:28 Baptist. Right. Matthew 11:3. And when John while in prison heard of the works of Christ, all the signs and everything, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the expected one or shall we look for someone else?" Even after seeing 23:47 everything again uh we need to give a benefit of doubt to because John the Baptist um had a revelation to that point. He has not seen the cross yet. uh but he had this questions. 24:05 So what are your questions my brothers and sisters going through the life uh living before the face of God living like a Christian seeking to live a righteous life and seeking to obey and please him. Is there any thought that comes to your 24:21 mind? God could have done better. God could have given me a better boss or a better wife, a better husband, better child, better situation, a better financial prosperity. Something he's withholding from me. He could have done 24:38 something more. Um, he's withholding something. Maybe he's not answering some questions. Yeah. Before we go to the answer God gives for all our questions, 24:56 there's a pre preview God gives us in Genesis chapter 22. Let us turn to Genesis chapter 22. So Genesis chapter 22 verse 1:2 25:20 Now it came about after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him Abraham and he said here I am. He's always ready to answer. He said now take now your son 25:37 your only son. Please mark those words. Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Mariah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of 25:57 which I will tell you. There's a lot to process there. It's a very tough ask. Think um let's think in from Abraham's point of view. He had Isaac after many 26:14 years of waiting only son promised by God many years ago and then promises fulfilled is maybe 13 years or something maybe in teenage years he loves him. Isaac is so precious. Anyone who waited for son children for a long 26:30 time and when God finally blesses us we know how precious they become. And Abraham had Isaac and he loved him. God knows he loves Isaac, but the calling is now offer him now. So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled 26:46 his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split the and he split wood for the burnt offering. He arose and went to the place of which God had told him. He immediately obeyed. But that night he 27:02 would have thought thought about it thought about it. Why God is asking me? He gave me this son, but now he's asking me to offer him. And he journeys on the third day. He had three days to think about it. Think about it. And he saw the place. Verse 27:18 four, from a distance. And he tells the people who are who are coming with them. Now stay here with the donkey and I and my son will go over there. Um verses four and six. I turned forgot to turn the slide. But um 27:37 and then Isaac had a very genuine question. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father. My father, he said, "Here I am, my son. Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Very genuine question. And Abraham spoke 27:56 the words of faith. Jehovah Jera God will provide. God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering. He doesn't know what is going to happen but he saw with the eyes of faith. And so the two of them walked and finally Abraham had to arrange 28:15 everything the altar and he bound his son. Verse 9 in the middle part you say and laid him on the altar. Just think about this situation. his this old man's emotions. 28:32 He had to put his son, tie him up on the altar and he has stretched out his hand, took the knife, ready to slay his son. Just think about it for a moment. 28:51 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said,"Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here I am again." He said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad and do nothing 29:07 to him. For now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." So God had to take him through this agonizing process. He offered God knows that he's not going 29:26 to make Abraham offer his son. But he had to go through this thinking process and make him come to this decision to be ready to slay his son. That agonizing decision. All of us children that would be my last 29:47 thing if if someone comes and robs my home I'll give everything that I have but not my children not one of them even if I have 10 children I would not offer one of them and giving up my children would be the last thing but here God is saying your 30:06 son your only son two times he says that in the beginning and the end if you just read it you think that why God I heard God is so merciful. Why is he asking Abraham to offer his only precious son whom he loves? The same son he has 30:21 promised to give and then he gave. You know the answer on the same mountain 2,000 years later, God is going to send his own son and to offer him for us all. He's not going to spare his own son. He's not going to withhold his own son. 30:40 He made the father of our faith, Abraham, to go through this process of agonizing decision to be ready to offer his own son. On the same mountain, Jesus, the son of God, died. He became a curse for our sins. He died for our 30:57 sins. And he did not, and that's what Romans 8:32 says, he did not spare his own son. Sometimes we see, Lord, God loves me. God loves me. Yes, God loves us. But what is the magnitude of that love? Do we understand the magnitude of 31:13 that love? And to see how much price we pay for anything, it depends on the amount of price. How much we value, how much we value depends on the price. I mean the price will tell how much we value about 31:29 anything. And we hear this word spare no expense. You know when we are uh do doing something spare no expense, spare nothing. Do everything. Sometimes in companies they say this project is so important. Spare nothing. Whatever 31:43 resources you need will provide. Spare no expense. Spare nothing for God. That was a decision he had to make. He could give everything. But he the triune God, God, son, and father and son and the holy spirit who had that fellowship, 32:00 intimate fellowship for ages. Now he's going to let his heaven's best heaven's best to become sin for us. Not only ordinary death, the shameful death on the cross. He had to be counted among the sinners. 32:20 He had to go through that process of even living uh 33 and a half years denying himself every moment and and uh doing only the will of God not his own will. Last I think in the last message I was mentioning he had to learn obedience 32:37 through sufferings and he was tempted in all points just as you are yet without sin. He denied himself, denied himself all those years and he finally he had to in the garden of Gethsemane he had that struggle. He had that intense struggle. Is there any 32:55 other way Lord but not my will but your will be done. And then he goes to the cross and I don't have time to go through but if you really need to understand what went on in the cross read Psalm 22. It tells about all that 33:09 God Jesus had to go through on the cross. So my dear brothers and sisters for all the questions we had I listed a lot of questions from the people they have not seen the cross but we are on this side of the cross Jesus died now look back 33:27 and let's read ro let's now turn to Romans chapter 8 and read that verse carefully Okay, let me read it fully. 33:45 Let's start with verse 31. What then shall we say to these things that we go through? If God is for us, who is against us? Then again, we may ask, what is the proof? Yes, the answer is here. So for all the questions we have, this 34:01 is the answer. I have given my son. I did not spare my own son. He who did not spare his own son but delivered him over us all. How will he not also along with him with 34:20 him freely give us all things. There's no price we need to pay for all the spiritual blessings we receive through Christ. The language of faith says how will he not? The language of 34:36 unbelief says will he? Will he give me? But the question we need to ask and we need to tell to encourage ourselves. Will he not? Look at our own life. Did he not help you when you humble yourself? How many times we cried out 34:53 God answered our prayers? uh when we especially when we are striving against sin when we uh cry out for health probably we may not receive the healing but certainly we receive the grace when we humble ourselves humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God 35:11 the grace will flow to the lowest point freely give us all things this count your blessings I mean Ephesians 1:3 says God has given us all spiritual blessings The spiritual blessings are not those material blessings that other people consider as 35:29 more important. The spiritual blessings the on the day of Pentecost the God himself God holy spirit came upon us and the promise of the holy spirit is given to all of us. The grace of god the wisdom of god the fellowship of the 35:42 saints god I mean these are all the blessings but began with he did not spare his own son but he has given himself up for us all. Then why is our why do we have a long face in the midst of the trials as if we 36:01 have to go through uh as if God has withheld something as if uh this is the Lord God you you're sort of unjust in allowing me to go through this situation it's not fair everyone is having such a wonderful time I myself I'm going 36:16 through all this and um and lot of things I'm being persecuted not the persecution At the level of where we lose our life where we where we are misunderstood where there are for all the quarrels for all the misunderstandings in a family between 36:34 wife and husband between brothers and sisters and getting along and with the discontentment we have God's answer is I did not spare my own son along with him will I not freely give you all things that you need 36:51 then why are the doubts We see the magnitude of God's love here. If you read the remaining verses in Romans chapter 8 after verse 32, who will bring a charge against the God's elect? 37:08 God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is who died rather than who was raised. And not only that, who is at the right hand right now interceding for us. We have our high priest not only being 37:23 our foreigner but he's interceding for us. Then who will separate us from the love of Christ? Now there is a list. Will tribulation or distress the persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. 37:43 All of this. But in all these things, verse 37, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For us to be overwhelmingly conquerors, we need to go back to the love God has displayed by sending his son. 38:01 If he has paid such a huge huge price for us, will he not pay a lower price? Will he not? If he had displayed that love at such a magnitude, will he not give us these things that we need at this moment? Always come back to that. 38:15 Will he not? Yes, he will. Yes, he will. That's where our security lies. That's how we become overwhelming conquerors. We lose jobs. We lose health. We lose people, relationships, we lose lot of things. God may take us 38:33 through. Financial loss, all of that. But we can be overwhelmingly conquerors through him who loved us. And Paul is saying, I am convinced that neither death nor life, all the allurements of this life, all the attractions of this life, 38:51 nor angels, angelic beings, nor the principalities, even whatever the in the spiritual realm in the world, nor things present, what we are going through now, not things to come. Sometimes we are worried about what's going to happen. 39:06 I'm anxious and worried. Will I have the job? Will I have this? Will I have that? Will the situation be too much? Not powers even the dimensionally nor height nor depth or any other created thing to cover everything else will be able to 39:25 separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our God. Do we believe these verses? These are God's words. Do we believe that God did not spare his own son and he will give me all that I need at this time? 39:44 Let's put all our questions to rest. My dear brothers and sisters, when we come and be secured in God's love like that, um we will be overwhelmingly conquerors. We will be an inspiration to others to follow Christ. We can also say follow me 40:01 as I follow Christ. We can be an a challenge and an example to others. If I have a gloomy face and a long face, how can I go and tell others follow Jesus? I don't see that joy in your life because we are not rooted in that love. God, we 40:16 think that God has withheld something. No, God did not spare his own son but he has given himself up for for us all the indescribable gift. That's what God's word says in 2 Corinthians 9:15 40:35 or in other versions it says unspeakable gift. Can we read that verse? 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verse 15 at the end of the chapter it says thanks 40:56 be to God for his indescribable gift the heaven's best gift Lord Jesus was given to us and I think if you read these verses before we don't have time we're almost coming to the end of the message it talks about giving. Um verse 7, even 41:15 so must do everything he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, not under compulsion. God loves a cheerful giver. God is going to make all grace abound into you. All the verses related to giving. What I got from that as I was 41:27 meditating is when I see this indescribable gift, unspeakable gift, God's own son given him uh God did not spare his own son and he went through that pain. He was ready to offer him. In the light of that, my life as a 41:46 Christian is a life of thanksgiving. That's all. Even if I don't receive any more blessings from him physically, God has given everything else. He did not withhold anything. No, that's a life of gratitude I want to live for the rest of my life. That's why 42:04 we Paul could say do all things without murmuring and grumbling and complaining when situations are hard because of this indescribable gift that we received and because of all the spiritual blessings that were unlocked because of Jesus the blessings of the 42:21 Holy Spirit, the promise of the father, the grace of God and we the fellowship of the saints that we enjoy every day. All of that were given through Lord Jesus. And finally I want to I was I came to know about this story of uh a 42:40 martyr. I read it I saw a video and I I felt it was connected to the message I was about to share. In 19th century northeast India there was a tribe called Gro tribe. In northeast India is a states called Assam and Megallaya. Many 42:57 of you who are not from India may not have heard about the states. Uh they are in northeastern part. You might have heard about other states like Tamil Lad, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. But these states exist. American Baptist min 43:11 missionary goes to that tribe and um he preaches gospel and he had a one convert his name is Noxen and his family accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They become Christians. And that family had to face a lot of 43:30 persecution from the chief, the tribal chief because a lot of people were becoming Christians and the chief was not happy at all. And he demanded them to renounce Jesus. As the chief, they said like you have to renounce Jesus otherwise I'm going to 43:46 kill your your wife and your children. And um he says I have decided to follow Jesus. 44:05 No turning back. We sing this song so many times. I think when I saw the story and I felt like I never will be able to sing like that. His dying words were later turned into this 44:26 famous song that we sing. It is a story of that radical faith and persecution amid the persecution that inspire this song we sing. Every time we witness a baptism, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back. the cross before me, the 44:44 world behind me. Though none go with me, I will follow Jesus because he has tasted the love of God. He has tasted the love of God in Christ Jesus. Then why are we complaining about things that we go through every day? Little bit of 45:00 misunderstanding, little bit of uh pain and suffering and we have not reached this level of being a martyr. But God tests us in our own level. Why don't we see the love of God? God, you did not with withheld anything from me. You have given up your 45:16 son. Will you not freely give me all things? Yes, he will. And I was thinking about the song we sing many times. Oh, how he loves you and me. And that word, he gave his life. What more could he give? Can we sing this song now? 45:35 Uh Caillou, can you play that uh music if you Oh, how He loves Oh, how He loves you and me. How many of you know that? You don't know the song? Okay, we can sing without music. How many of you know the song? Okay, so please join with me. I I thought of I 45:53 think we could end the message with the song. Oh, how he loves you. Oh, how he loves you and me. Oh, how he loves you and me. 46:09 Oh, how he loves you and me. He gave his life. What more could he give? Oh, how he loves you. Oh, how he loves me. Oh, how he loves you and me. 46:28 Now tell it to your the person next sitting next to you. How? Oh, how he loves you and me. Oh, how he loves you and me. He gave his life. What more could he 46:45 give? Oh, how he loves you. Oh, how he loves me. Oh, how he loves you and me. Thank you. Thank you, brother Surin, for the 47:09 wonderful reminders. Oh, how he loves us from where you started with Romans chapter 8. Um, thank God, such a loving heavenly father. He did not spare his own son. He delivered him for us, for all of us. 47:29 And thank you for the message. Uh it's a Q&A message. He started with questions and ending with answers. All these godly men has started with questions. They have lot of questions. But praise God they found the answers in his love in 47:47 his word. There's one verse in same book Romans. Romans chapter 3 verse 4. Paul writes here, "May it never be rather let God be found true 48:06 though every man be found a liar." So God is the one who can give us the right answers. The question uh when when we get these questions um they are legit. They're 48:24 legit questions, honest genuine questions instead of going to other people. It could be Job and uh as of and some of these men, brother Surin reminded this morning, they went to the Lord 48:43 and the Lord helped them. Praise God. Um he has given us his word. Um and we when when we found these questions bombarding us, let's be faithful. 49:01 Let's be faithful going to God and his word. His word is a lamp lamp unto our feet and it is a light unto our path. any decisions we make about the future 49:18 of family and the first thing we often go to um the other man. This words encouraged me let the man every man be found a liar. Let God be true. He only knows our heart 49:38 conditions. He will tell the truth truth about our condition. and our heart condition and uh he will guide us. Not that people are bad but human wisdom has limits. No much so how much you try to explain 49:57 even it's to your own spouse the closest person you have you can't explain everything what is going on in your heart. God's word says he knows the depths of the waters flowing beneath the earth. How easy for 50:16 him to know what is going on in our heart. Let's practice that going to God and find his answers. Jeremiah chapter 33:3 says 333 33 50:36 call to me I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. God is not distant. He is not hard to reach. He is inviting you to bring your questions 50:54 questions to him. James 1:5 reminds us, "Are you lacking wisdom?" Ask God. He gives generously. He gives without reproach. He doesn't say, "Why are you asking me 51:14 again?" Brothers and sisters, let's make God God our first step, not the last resort. Luke Luke chapter 10 we read it. 51:34 Jesus was going to Jerusalem. On the way he stops at this house and a brother who was raised from the dead by Lord Jesus. He was sitting with him 51:52 on the couch. One sister was also sitting there listening what Jesus was telling. But the other sister was busy in doing many things. Luke chapter 10 verse 41. But the Lord answered and said to her, 52:12 Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about many things, but one thing is necessary. For Mary has chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her. Brothers and sisters, the Lord has given 52:29 his love letter. Let's go to his word. Let's go on knees on our knees and ask the Lord to guide us and lead us. He did not spare to give his only son. I don't think he will um stop answering 52:49 another question. Uh 2 Corinthians 9:15, brother Surin said ended with let's be let's go with heart of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. Thanks to God. Thanks be to God. Um let let's go to his presence with thanksgiving. And anything 53:09 bothering us, we can ask him. He's so loving heavenly father. He did not um he did not ask us why did you come again and again to me. He will answer our questions. Thank you um for joining this morning on Zoom and here in person. Believe we 53:28 blessed you blessed this word. May God bless you throughout this week to find all your answers for your questions. Amen. Let me pray. Our dear heavenly father, thank you so much for your love, for sending your son and our Lord Jesus 53:43 Christ. You did not spare your own son. How much you love us. Thank you for showing your love in many ways, answering our questions. Lord throughout this week we may be found faithful coming to you again and again with that 53:57 precious blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior asking you and helping you for your grace Lord so that we may receive your grace and um be conquerors walk with joy 54:14 people full of joy. Thank you father for your promises in Jesus precious name we pray. Amen. God bless you all.
