Finding Hope and Strength in Extreme Biblical Examples

In this powerful sermon, we delve into the book of 1st Corinthians, specifically chapter 10, verse 13, and explore extreme examples of life's hardships as recorded in the Bible. From Job's immense suffering to the intense peer pressure faced by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the temptation experienced by Solomon, discover how these biblical figures endured their trials and what lessons we can draw from their experiences. Learn how these stories provide hope and guidance for our own struggles, with the ultimate example of perseverance and faithfulness found in Jesus Christ. Join us in finding strength through scripture and the unwavering promise of God's faithfulness.

00:00 Introduction and Opening Prayer
00:25 The X Games and Extreme Examples in the Bible
06:34 The Story of Job: Suffering in Righteousness
12:01 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Peer Pressure and Faith
14:05 Jeremiah: Persecution for Speaking God's Truth
15:22 David and Solomon: Forgiveness and Temptation
27:59 Jesus: The Ultimate Example
32:26 Finding Solace and Hope in Scriptures
35:29 Conclusion and Call to Faith

Transcript

Good morning. Would you take out your Bible please and turn to the book of 1st Corinthians. 1st Corinthians chapter 10. It's where we will be here in just a moment. 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13. We'll read that scripture here in just a second. 1st Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13. The X Games started in 1995, which was perfect timing for me as a 10 year old boy who loved to ride his bike and had been gifted just this this little dirt bike that I would ride around on our family's property because the X Games were intended to be the Extreme Games, as they were originally called in that first time in 1995, the Extreme Games.

Now, as opposed to the Olympic Games or other professional sports leagues, the X Games were supposed to provide a competition for a different kind of sport. Sports like skateboarding and bungee jumping and BMX and motocross. And these sports aren't your normal, run of the mill examples of sports. They're extreme.

That's the idea. They're not, they're, they're not normal, they're exceptional. They include flips and spills and mortal danger. They're dialed up to the nth degree. Not just games, X games was the idea. And I would suggest that the Bible is like that, too. In terms of the characters and the circumstances that it records.

Now don't get me wrong, there are many examples of Everyday normal people doing everyday normal things. But there are also ex examples, extreme examples, radical cases that are recorded in the Scriptures. The Bible is filled with these extremes. And this morning, in the spirit of the X Games, I want to consider some extreme Bible characters.

Experiencing extreme life circumstances. And if you think about it, if I gave you five minutes now to list those characters in the Bible who had these extreme life circumstances that were so far beyond anything that I or you have experienced, you could probably make a really long list. But why are these characters recorded?

And what does their inclusion as characters mean? Frankly, more ordinary people like you and me. What does it mean to us? Well, think about it this way You probably know that person in your group of friends or in your family You've just had Thanksgiving maybe and maybe that person was there. Maybe it's an aunt or an uncle Whatever the case might be, you know that person when Whenever you tell a story, they just can't wait to tell their story that one ups your story.

I mean, you could tell them, you know, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro last year, and they'd say, Well, that's nothing. I climbed Mount Everest without oxygen. And if you had climbed Mount Everest, they'd say, Well, I went to space, and I'm planning to go to Mars. You know, it doesn't matter what you say. They're going to one up you with something that's bigger, Well, the Bible kind of does that to us.

Not in that negative sort of way that we think about it with these people, but in the examples that it gives us. By that I mean, no matter what you're going through, I would suggest that there is someone in the Bible who went through something more extreme, something worse, more difficult, a greater test, a bigger temptation, whatever.

And I believe that those examples are included in the Bible not to minimize what it is we're going through, but instead the Holy Spirit revealed and preserved these examples from all the other people from whom he could have chosen throughout history. For this very reason, that they are more extreme than what we're going through.

And as such, they are exemplars of the things that we will face in this life to the most extreme degree. For what purpose? Well, exactly what we see here in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13. After giving examples of salvation and unrighteousness and sin and falling from grace to the extreme degree of The people who are coming out of Egypt.

This is what Paul says in verse 13. No temptation has overtaken you. except such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. No temptation has overtaken you, Corinthians, and by extension us as Christians, except such as is common to man.

And what God has done is He has filled the Bible with examples of people Who are going through something similar to what we're going through. And usually these examples, so many of these examples are so extreme that we couldn't possibly say in comparison, well, well, they don't understand me. What they're going through isn't as bad as what I'm going through.

No one has been through what it is I'm going through. No, we look at these examples and say, well, what I'm going through is really bad. But it's not as bad as what they're experiencing. And God is saying, by this, what you're going through, it's tough, and I'm here for you. But no temptation has overtaken you, except such as is common to man.

You can get through what it is you're going through, because I'm fateful. And I will not tempt you beyond. What you're able to bear and here are a bunch of examples of that very thing from times past. As the verse goes on to say, I'm not going to tempt you beyond that what you're able to bear. So what are some examples of this?

Again, you're probably thinking in your mind, I can think of some of those extreme examples. Let me, let me just highlight a few for us and then we'll see if we can make some applications as to what this means for us. First, I want you to consider Job, in the book of Job. When you turn to Job chapter 1, in Job we see suffering in righteousness.

If you'll turn to Job chapter 1, I've always been personally curious about believers in God who are outside the family of Abraham in the Old Testament. You know, the purpose of the Old Testament is tracing the promises to Abraham and how that brings us to the Messiah, but we know that there were other people outside of that family who believed in God, who worshiped God, who served God, who made sacrifices to God, and usually were only introduced to those characters when they interact with someone from Abraham's family, like Melchizedek, for example, in Abraham's interaction with him.

But Job is a notable exception to that. Here is someone from the time of Abraham, in all likelihood, who was not part of Abraham's family, And yet it's included in our biblical text, and not just a little bit of his story is included. But we have chapter after chapter after chapter of what Job experienced, what's going on in his mind, what he's saying to God, and what others are saying to him.

And all of that begins in chapter 1. As we get a glimpse behind the curtain, and the, the, the, the angels, the the angelic beings, including Satan, are coming before God, and God asks him, Have you considered my servant Job? And Satan says, It's only because you've blessed him that he's serving you the way that he does.

And And so notice what happens in verse 13 of chapter 1. Imagine this. This really happened. Now, there was a day when his, Job's, sons and daughters were eating and drinking 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.

Then the Sabeans 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 came and said, The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you. And while he was still speaking, another also came and said, 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.

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped, and he said, Naked I came from my mother's womb. And naked I shall return there, the Lord gave, and the Lord is taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. In all of this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

And Satan again comes before God and asks for permission to tempt Job even more. And God says, He is in your hand, but spare his life. And in verse 7 of chapter 2, So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd, a piece of broken pottery, with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.

Then his wife came and said to him, Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die. But he said, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. And one day, Job lost all his children, all of his wealth, all of his prosperity and position.

In another day, he lost his health, followed closely by losing the love and support of his wife. And then, in subsequent days, if we were to continue reading, he loses his dearest, closest, true friends, who come and tell him that he has sinned. Even though he knows that he hasn't. That's extreme. Has anyone in here ever suffered as much as Job?

We would be hesitant to admit it, even if we thought that to be true. But has

anyone in here suffered like Job? Suffered similar things as Job? Gone through loss and pain? like Job. I know many here have. And so we find in Job this extreme exemplar example of suffering, but still remaining righteous in the midst of that suffering.

Now we're not going to go and turn to all the rest of these examples, but you see this idea. This is extreme. This is beyond what perhaps anybody else has experienced in terms of suffering. And yet still Job remains righteous. Can you. Imagine with Abednego and how they are this extreme exemplar of peer pressure to compromise and yet they stand up against that peer pressure.

In Daniel chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on earth, this wealthy and great and terrible king, he creates this great statue. This image, and he commands that all of the most important people in the kingdom, including Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, these faithful Jewish servants of God who are in captivity, at the certain place, at a certain time, at a certain moment, every single person is supposed to bow down and worship this image that he set up.

And can you imagine when the music starts to play and every single person literally is bowing down And you find these three isolated solitary figures standing in defiance to the command. That's peer pressure. And then that great and terrible king calls them before him and says, I'm going to give you another chance.

They've already done what's right. Now here's another opportunity to do what's wrong. And he says, Oh, by the way, if you don't do it. You see that fiery furnace over there that is stoked to where it's seven times hotter than it normally is? That's where I'm going to throw you in. If that is not the most extreme example of peer pressure, I don't know what is.

Whatever peer pressure you face, and some of us in here face great peer pressure, It is not as great as theirs, but it is like theirs, where sometimes you're forced to stand alone. Sometimes you're forced to stand even against those who are in positions of authority, who can do great and terrible things to you and your life.

Your suffering is like. Your peer pressure is like theirs. What about, we're studying Jeremiah in the back class. What about persecution in speaking God's truth? And in the book of Jeremiah we see this persecution gradually ramps up from isolation and kind of people don't like him to people talking bad about him to threats being made against his life to being put in the stocks of some kind to being thrown into the mire of a pit that is up to his waist.

To finally being drug away to Egypt against his will. And over 40 years they did everything but kill Jeremiah. And in some ways if they just killed him, his suffering would have been over. And worst of all, barely anyone actually responded to all this preaching that he did. In fact, God tells him, you're going to preach to this people and they're not going to listen.

And I would suggest if Jeremiah could keep preaching in love in the midst of that kind of persecution, love for God and love for God's people, then so can we. And no, we don't experience persecution to that degree, to that extreme, but sometimes we too face persecution for speaking God's truth in the midst of a people who don't want to hear it.

What about the forgiveness available to any? And all of the sins that we see in David, let's list them out quickly. Lust, adultery, lying, murder, etc., etc. And while there were consequences, and some of those consequences dire for these sins, David was forgiven of them all because he was willing to repent with a true heart.

If David could be forgiven, to his extreme, then so can I, and so can you. One more example from the Old Testament. What about Solomon? The level of temptation by worldliness that we see in Solomon. Temptation of worldliness in the form of knowledge, and power, and pleasure, and influence, and riches, and prestige.

Solomon had it all to an extreme degree. He writes a whole book about it called Ecclesiastes. And he says in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 and verse 10, Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them. Here is temptation like I have never experienced. Probably no one in here has ever experienced. Whatever temptation you face, it's not as great as it was before Solomon.

I think that's illustrated best by his 700 wives. and a harem of 300 concubines. Now that is power and temptation like I've never faced, like most of us have never faced. But the temptation we face toward worldliness in a time in which we have access to great knowledge, in which riches are ours, in which we all have some taste of power, Our temptations are like Solomon, to a certain degree.

And we could add others, including many from the New Testament as well. The trust in unprecedented circumstances we see in Mary, that's extreme. The restoration from spiritual pride in the fall it causes, like Peter, that's extreme. The change in allegiance and purpose that we see in Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul the apostle, that's extreme.

And originally I made a list of about 12 examples, but for our purposes this morning, let's just consider these for a few moments. What do these examples mean for us? These extreme examples that we see in the Bible. Number one. We can go to the scriptures, and we can find direction and hope, no matter what we are facing.

No matter what our circumstances are, no matter how extreme they seem to be to us, no matter how extreme they actually are, we can go to the scriptures, and we can find these examples of people who give us direction and hope. No matter what we are facing, there is someone in Scripture who faced at least generally the very same thing that you are facing.

And you might say, well, Reagan, you don't know everything that I'm facing, and you're right, I don't. But I don't, I can still say with confidence, there is someone in Scripture who faced at least in generality the same thing that you are facing. that you are facing. And God just didn't give you some teaching in order to help with that, although certainly He does that.

He also gave you people, real, live, breathing people who actually lived to say, look, here is the way you deal with these things. As human beings, we, we struggle somewhat with disembodied teaching. By that I mean, we struggle sometimes when there is teaching that is given and there's not a person that's tied to that.

I'll give you an example. I'm, I'm teaching right now on Wednesday night from the book of Proverbs and so in my study I'm, I'm looking at the Proverbs 31 woman, that worthy woman in Proverbs 31. Every time I study that I'm amazed when I go to various writings how many people have a problem with that woman.

They don't like that woman. And, and there's all this teaching about who she is and what she does and, and I'm amazed how people are, are, are basically saying this shouldn't apply. This is not scripture that applies to me. People have a problem with that teaching, I think, because there's not a real person that it's tied to.

You know, you know something nobody has any trouble with is the book of Ruth? Everybody loves Ruth. Ruth is the best. But in many ways, Ruth is the best personification of the Proverbs 31 woman we see in all the Bible. If it's tied to a person, we can say, this I can accept, this I can apply. But so often when it's just often the ether of a hypothetical, that's when we have problems.

That applies to all of these scriptures and all of these people, but it also applies to a very specific person. And we're going to talk about more here in just a second. Why did Jesus come as a man? He came in part because we have a problem with disembodied teaching. And God embodied himself in the person of Jesus Christ so that when we hear his teaching we know it is coming from the one who gives us the ultimate example.

We'll get back to Jesus here in just a second. Maybe we should just stay there. That's always a good plan. This idea of going to the Scriptures and finding direction and hope no matter what we're facing reminds me of the song we just sang. I want to thank Jerry for leading that before the lesson. It is well with my soul.

Raise your hand if you know the story behind that song. Quite a few hands, so I won't belabor this point. Raise your hand if you don't know the story behind that song. Yeah, a few, a few hands there. Horatio Spafford was the one who wrote that song. He lived in Chicago, and he was a successful attorney and real estate investor.

He lost his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Around the same time, his beloved four year old son died of scarlet fever. With all of this personal and professional tragedy, he thought a vacation would do his family some good, and so he sent the rest of his family, his wife and four daughters, across the ocean to London, England.

And he planned to join them after getting some pressing business matters finished at home. In the crossing of the Atlantic, the ship on which they were sailing was involved in a terrible collision and sank. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford's daughters. His wife, named Anna, survived the tragedy.

And upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began, Saved alone, what shall I do?

You look at this point and you say, How can a man like that find solace in the scriptures? Where can he go to find some example to help him in his grief? Who could possibly compare to what he's going through? Losing his livelihood, losing his children, And finding his wife? in despair, asking questions that are difficult to answer.

But is that not Job, to the most extreme degree? That Job went through the same, and even worse? There are a number of versions to this story as to when and how the writing of the song actually came about, but the version that's accepted by most people is he got on a boat to go to London to be with his wife and The captain, knowing the circumstances of his loss, came to him and said, this is the general area where your daughter's lives were lost.

And supposedly, according to this version of the story, that is when he went and

penned the song that we just sang. It is well with my soul. If he

can find solace in Job's story, if he can find solace in the scriptures, can we not in the things that we're going through? The second thing that I would have us see What these examples, these extreme examples mean to us.

is that the things we are going through today may be preparing us for something greater tomorrow. We talked about Jeremiah and his example. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 11 if you would for just a moment. Jeremiah chapter 11.

In Jeremiah chapter 11 in verse 18 we see that Jeremiah's life is threatened for the first time. Now, people have been talking bad about him. There's been some, there have been some ramifications to his preaching. Saying that there needs to be repentance on the part of the people or else they're going to go into Babylonian captivity.

But now the response against him has grown so severe that they're making threats against his life. And so Jeremiah goes to God with this and says, God, This is difficult. This is hard. What are you going to do about it? How are you going to respond to their threats? And God does give him some measure of comfort, but before he does, he says one of the most famous lines in all the book of Jeremiah, in Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse 5.

He asks Jeremiah this question, If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you have trusted, they have wearied you, then Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan? God says, Jeremiah, I know it's bad, but it's gonna get worse.

And these things that you're going through, they are intended to prepare you for what you might face in the future. And know that you can overcome them, but only with my help. Maybe the very fastest of us. Maybe the ones with the most endurance. Maybe Billy Lumpkin could run with the footmen. But none of us could run with horses, at least not without God's, and we can overcome if we are willing to see that God is preparing us for something greater.

Suffering is suffering, and whatever degree to which we're suffering, it is real and painful to us. But we have to be careful, I think, with our perspective. I, I was I was talking with a young lady right when I first started preaching, and she had gone through a difficult breakup with a guy she had been dating for three or four months.

And it was not me, I promise. And she came to me and she was talking about how difficult it was, and she said, Sometimes I feel like God is saying, Have you considered my servant? And then she said her name. And I was like,

there's an issue with perspective there, right? That what I'm going through isn't nearly as bad as what Job went through and is going through. But, the more I've thought about it, the more, the more maybe she was right in this way. Unintentionally, this is not what she meant, but unintentionally, maybe she was right in this way.

I think God is working behind the scenes, just like He was working behind the scenes with Job. To bring about His purposes. To bring about His purposes in the lives of others. To bring about His purposes in our life, as well. And the things that Job suffered were for our benefit, so that we might see and understand what it was that he was going through.

But they were also, in some ways, for Job's benefit. For him to grow closer to God. For him to be more who it is that God had called him to be. And so often the things that we're going through today are preparing us to be the kind of people that God has called us to be, just like with Jeremiah, just like with Job.

Okay, let's, let's look at our list of characters again. Job, and Shadrach, David, and Solomon. There is one more vitally important character that we've not yet mentioned, and that's Jesus. And what I want you to see is that Jesus parallels so many of these other characters, and what he faced, and how he overcomes, and what he provides for us.

It is not just that God gives us an example of all of these people who faced, at least generally, the same thing that we're facing. Jesus himself faced, at least generally, the same thing that you're facing as well. Is Jesus not? An extreme example of suffering and righteousness is Jesus, not one who overcome peer pressure to compromise as they try to make him a king by force as pilot is, is, is coming to him saying, would you answer them?

Not a word is Jesus, not the one who suffered persecution and speaking God's truth is Jesus, not one who is tempted. In ways that we cannot fully comprehend, that we do not experience. Was Jesus not one who provided forgiveness of sins? Jesus is the ultimate example of all of these things. I'll use this temptation by worldliness as our example.

If you turn to Matthew chapter 4, Matthew chapter 4 for just a moment. You say, well, Jesus was tempted, but can I have any sort of understanding, or can I have any sort of association, understanding of what Jesus went through with my own? With my own temptations. Notice in chapter four in verse one of the book of Matthew.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights afterward, he was hungry. Now, when the tempter came to him, he said, if you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bred. Anybody in here ever been tempted to make your own bread because you're hungry?

Of course not. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, If you are the son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And Jesus said to him, It is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. Anybody ever been tempted to Throw themselves off a building to see if the angels will catch you in, in fulfillment of scripture? Of course not. Again, the devil took him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their glory.

And he said to him, all these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, away with you, Satan, for it is written again, you shall worship the Lord your God.

I've never been tempted by worldliness in the sense of here is the world, the entire world, all the kingdoms of the world, and they can be yours. But how did the devil tempt Jesus? If not by the lust of the flesh and bread, the pride of life, and putting God to the test, and the lust of the eyes with all the kingdoms of the world.

And how did Jesus respond to those temptations? Not by invoking some godly right and power that he had, but by the simple reciting of scripture that applied to his situation. Yes, Jesus faced these extremes, and Jesus is our example. But don't take my word for it. Turn to Hebrews chapter 4, Hebrews chapter 4,

Hebrews chapter 4,

in verse 15. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all point tempted as we are, yet without sin. Jesus has been through it, and Jesus knows. And when Jesus then gives us a command for our good, in relation to any of these things that we face, any of these circumstances, we can know who we are.

But it's coming from one who has been through the same sorts of things himself. And so, the third thing that I would see, just as we can go to the Scriptures, We also can and should go to Jesus to find direction and hope no matter what we are facing. What does verse 16 say of Hebrews chapter 4? Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus says come to me because I know what you've been through. I know what you're going through because I've been there for you. The Hebrew writer says that it had to have been this way. Go back to chapter 2 and verse 17. In talking about Jesus in chapter 2 and verse 17, the Hebrew writer says, Hebrews 2, 17, Therefore in all things he had to be made like his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, He also is able to help

those

who are. Because Jesus has been there, because He knows what it's like, He can give us direction and hope. And so we can take heart, number four, in knowing any circumstance we face can be overcome in this life or the one that is to come, if we have hope in Jesus.

What was God's promise back there in 1 Corinthians chapter 10? God is faithful. who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that which you are able, whatever the circumstance might be, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it, the text says. That you might be able to overcome it, that you might be able to get through it, endure it, whatever it might be.

That we can overcome this in this life or the next. And so I would leave you with this. We can take heart in knowing that these circumstances cannot compare to the reward. Whatever it is you're going through now, whatever you may be going through in the future, I take solace in Romans chapter 8 and verse 18 that says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory.

And that's true of you, and that's true of me, but it's also true of these characters that we've mentioned and gone through. The glory that can be revealed in all those who are willing to face the things that they face and keep our integrity and faith in God. Whether it's Job, or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or David and all of his sin, or Jeremiah in the midst of his preaching, even Solomon at the end of his life.

What does he say? Here is the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. It was his duty, and it's ours as well. If you're here this morning and you're not yet a Christian, know that the path of Christianity is one that does not promise a life of ease and luxury in this life.

Sometimes we're granted that by God, but it is not promised. What is promised is a life that is looked over by the creator of the universe that says, whatever you're going through, I'm faithful, that I will not tempt you beyond that which you're able to bear, that I will always be there with a way of escape to support you and help you.

Most notably and most powerfully, the way of escape that is found in Jesus Christ. That all of us can escape the guilt of our sins through His sacrifice. If you're here this morning and you need that saving blood to, to escape, take the way of escape that God is giving you. And come now, while together we stand and while we sing.

So

you're

sad for me.