Learning to Listen: Philip's Test of Faith

we've been talking about the disciples and how God could use these men who were just men and many of them had failures and weaknesses and yet God was able to use them and we can learn from their lives how God can also use us as well so John chapter 14 John chapter 14 we're going to look at verses 6-4 John chap 14 and verses 6-4 each of the disciples as we work our way through are going to get a little harder and harder to teach on because there's less and less we know about them and so we have to take what we do know and make the best of that and try to make that work so if you look here at John chapter 14 and beginning with verse number six it says Jesus saith un him I'm the way the truth

and the life no man cometh on the father but by me if you had known me you should have known my father also and from hence forth you know him and have seen him Phillips saith unto him Lord show us the father and it suffices us Jesus saith unto him have I been so long with you and you Hast that and yet hast thou not known me Phillip he that has seen me has seen the father and how sayest thou then show us the father believest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me the words I speak unto you I speak not of myself but the father that dwelleth in me he doth The Works believe me that I am in the father and the father in me or else believe me for the very work's sake ver ver saying

to you he that believeth on me that the works that I do shall he do also in Greater Works than the those shall he do because I go onto my father and what shall ask in my name that will I do that the father may be glorified in the son if shall ask anything in my name I will do it so Phillip here ask Jesus a question there's nothing wrong with asking questions but it seems like every time Phillip uh was put before the Lord every time we hear from him uh he was failing the tests he he just was well kind of guys is not good at taking tests are you like that how many here are just you're not really good at taking the test raise your hand uh you struggle with that and that's where Philip was he

seemed to struggle taking the test he seemed to struggle with the answers we see that here in verses 89 Philip sayith and the Lord show us the father and it sufficeth us sounds like a great question but then it gets rebuked by Jesus said have I been so long with you and yet hast thou not known me you know and then you go over if you holdt your place here and go over to John chapter 6 John chapter 6 and look at verses 5 and 7 5-7 John chapter 6 verse number five when Jesus then lifted up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him he saith unto Philip when shall we buy bread that they may eat and this he said to prove him or to test him for he himself knew what he would do Philip answered

said 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little and uh and and one of the disciples Andrew of course had uh the boy there with his lunch but here philli again Jesus asks him a question and he kind of fails the test and it's just the way that g that Philip was he just wasn't good at taking tests and I don't know about you but in my spiritual life I'm not really good at taking tests either and sometimes I wonder why do I have to have tests I I hate tests uh I love giving them I used to be a teacher and I was sadistic enough that I love giving students tests but I hate taking the test you know talking about uh they were fun to punish the

students with and make them suffer with but uh I didn't like taking them but there's many different reasons why you have tests one of the reasons why tests are given is to show what you know or you don't know in 1 Corinthians chapter 8: 2 and three and if any man think that he knoweth anything he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know but if any man love God the same is known of him in this passage in John chapter 6 Jesus asked Philip a question not because he he didn't know what Philip would answer but he wanted Philip to see what he knew and what he didn't know and uh we need to sometimes take tests in life to show us what we know and what we don't know in Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 2

and th shall remember all the way which the Lord thy God LED thee these 40 years in the wilderness to Humble thee and to prove thee to know what was in thine heart whether thou would us keep his Commandments or no and so these tests were ones that God put them through in order to show them what they knew and what they didn't know uh God knows what we know you know as a teacher one of the things that I uh I usually knew what the students were going to get on a test and very rarely they surprised me uh when I had them in class I knew what they knew and I knew what they didn't know and I knew which students were going to do well in the test and I knew which students were going to do bad in the

test it was something that was very rarely a surprise to me as a teacher it's never a surprise to God how well we do on tests but it is sometimes a surprise to us and and there's different tests that are designed to show you what you know and what you don't know for example the SAT the C the ACT those are not tests you're supposed to pass or fail but they're tests that are designed to help you find out well what do you know in Ephesians chapter 5 turn over there if you would Ephesians chapter 5 and look at verses 9 and 10 Ephesians chapter 5 and verses 9 and 10 Ephesians 59 and 10 the the Bible says for the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth proving what is

acceptable unto the Lord testing or proving what's acceptable to God sometimes God gives us a test to show us how the spirit is working within us those of you who've been in the church for a while you know I have a book I wrote called fruit of the spirit and in that book I talked about the difference between us as Christians is that um we are filled with the spirit of God and uh if you're filled with the spirit of God when you get shook up you're just going to get better better if I take a bottle of soda and a bottle of fruit juice and I shake them both up when I open those up the soda's going to explode and make a mess everywhere but the fruit juice is just going to get better the more I

shake it up and and that's the way we are as Christians some kind God allows a test in our life sometimes God allows circumstances in our life to shake us up a little bit and to get us where we're shook up so that he we can see what's inside of us the fruit of the spirit love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness Faith meekness Temperance against such there is no law and you see this is what God sometimes tests us on so we can see what's going on inside of us to see what if the spirit of God is working or if it's the works of the flesh that's working you know you really can't study for a test like an SAT it's just you have to have it already in you you have to have already have that

knowledge and have that in you you have to have the spirit of God first of all in Romans chapter 8 verse number 9 the Bible says but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that you the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his and if you do not have God's holy spirit then you're going to fail the test every time because you don't have salvation you've got to have the spirit of God within you and sometimes God puts us through a test in our lives to say do you are you really saved do you really have the Holy Spirit are you going to heaven turn over to your Bibles or just Romans um Second Corinthians turn over your B second

Corinthians chapter 13 second Corinthians chapter 13 and look at verses 5 and 6 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verses five and six the Bible says examine yourselves whether you be in the faith prove your own s know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates but I trust that you should know that you are not rep probates and and so we the Bible says we need to examine ourselves to see whether we truly are saved to see whether we truly have the Holy Spirit living with us you need to examine every Sunday at the end of the service I ask you do you know if you di today you going to heaven do you know that you have Jesus Christ as your savior and we need to

examine ourselves give ourselves a self test am I truly saved and uh and salvation is an open book test in Revelation 20 turn over there please Revelation 20 and beginning with verse number 11 Revelation chap 20 and beginning with verse number 11 salvation is one of those open books remember open book texts didn't you like those where you can open the book and look up the answers in the book anytime you wanted to uh in Revelation chapter 20 beginning with verse number 11 it says and I saw a great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled way and there was found no place for them and I saw the dead and the small and and great and stand before God and

the books were open another book was open which is The Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works and the Sea gave up the dead which were in them and death and Hell delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to their works and death and hell were cast the Lake of Fire this is second death and whoo was not found written in the Book of Life was cast in Lake of Fire your name needs to be written in that book of life one day when you stand before God God's going to open the books and one of the books he's going to open is the book of the Bible and he's going to he's going to ask you

show me from the word of God how you know I should let you into heaven in John chapter 5 verse number 39 the Bible says search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me and when you get before God the only book that's going to matter is the open book of the Bible that you can show the word of God that I I am saved that I have trusted Jesus Christ as my savior in 1 John 5: 12- 13 it says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of

God and so when you die there's going to be a test and the test is a very simple test the test is should I let you into heaven and all these books are going to be open and God's going to open up these books of your works and the Bible says for by grace are you saved through faith and it not of yourselves is a gift of God not of works the say man should boast so your works are not the correct answer to the test if you say God you need to let me to Heaven because of all my good works God's going to say well you you were still a sinner if you say because of my religion if you open up a religious book and say see my name's written right here I was a member of this religion God's going to say I'm

not going to let you into heaven the book that God's going to open is the book of the life the Lamb's Book of Life and if your name was written in there and he's going to open up the Bible and the Bible tells us that salvation is through Jesus Christ and if you're here today and you never s never receive Jesus Christ as your personal savior you need to do that today you need to make sure you're ready for that final test but there's also another test that I used to take when I was younger is called the cat remember those tests the California achievement tests but this one is uh the one that God gives us is the Christian achievement test look at Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 and look

at Verses 3- 4 Galatians chapter 6 and beginning with verse number three for if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceives himself but every let but let every man prove his own work and then shall rejoice himself alone and not another thank you I'm getting all kinds of good drinks and stuff up here for me okay and not in another for uh but let every man prove his own work and then shall rejoice himself alone not in another for every man shall bear his own burden you see we need to understand that this Christian achievement test is for us to see how what have I learned a lot of times I think what God does a as a teacher what I would give a test to the students for was

to say okay let's see what you've learned up to this point because you know as a Pastor I I preach week after week after week and there and I see people in church and I think did you not listen to the message this last week did you not listen to the series we've been doing and and so sometimes we need to take those tests God puts tests in our lives say have you been listening he said to Phillip Philip you've been with me so long haven't you heard what I've said that my the father and I are one if you see me you see the father and he just it went right over his head and sometimes we need those tests to say what have you learned what have you achieved for God in your life this week and then

there's the ACT tests you know the one for the college exam but this one's the always consistent testimony always consistent testimony go to First Peter chapter 3 1 Peter chapter 3 and look at verses 14- 16 1 Peter CH 3: 14-6 but and if you suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their Terror neither be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask you a reason of the hope is in you with meekness and fear having a good conscience that where as they speak evil of you as evildoers they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ sometimes God allows tests in our lives to see where is

our testimony at do we have a consistent Godly testimony for Christ to people see Jesus in our lives in John 12: 20 and 21 he says there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship the feast the same came therefore to philli which was a bada of Galilee and desired him saying sir we would see Jesus and then in John 1 ver 46 Nathaniel said unto him Phillip can there any good thing come out of Nazareth and Philip say unto him come and see see Philip understood that his responsibility was to bring people to Jesus he didn't always know all the answers to every question and you don't have to know the answer to every question you just have to know that the answer to every question is

Jesus and he has those answers for everybody's lives and we need to have a testimony that people look in our lives and they see Jesus and they want us to bring them to Jesus so what is your testony when you go through tests when you go through trials in life what kind of test testimony do you have in Job chapter 2:3 it says and the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my servant job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and upright man one that fearth God EST duth evil still he hold to fast his Integrity although thou movest him me against him to destroy him without cause here was job one of the the greatest Christians that ever lived and and and and he didn't always pass

every test but he had a testimony for the Lord and I want to have that kind of testimony and so when When Trials or tests come in my life what kind of testimony do I have for Christ now test are also given not only to show us what we know like the SAT or the cat or the ACT those tests are just just designed to show the student this is what you know but then other tests are designed to prepare you for future tests as a teacher I would design test cuz I knew there was going to be a big midterm coming up or a big final coming up I would give them tests I remember I had one teacher that only gave one test a semester and I hated it because I you know that test counted for a lot and there's no way

I could really know what he was going to test on and so I appreciate teachers that prepared me for tests by giving me tests and God does that in our lives as well in Psalms 105: 17-19 he says he sent a man before them even Joseph who was sold for a servant whose feet they hurt with feathers he was laid in Iron until the time that his word came and the word of the Lord Tried Him here's Joseph went through a number of trials in his life but God used those tests those trials to build his character and to prepare for what was to come and in our lives when we go through tests realize that God maybe is using that test to prepare you for something in the future an education they teach you something

called the cycle of testing go over to Romans chapter 5 Romans chapter 5 the cycle of testing Works simply like this you have classwork which leads to homework which leads to quizzes which leads to tests which leads to the final so each of those is building towards the next level and then you start it all over again and and that's if you have a good teacher they're going to do that I know sometimes you would get mad this teacher's always giving me quizzes because he knew the quizzes didn't count as much as the test his teacher always give me homework because he knew if he didn't do the homework you wouldn't be ready for the quizzes and the tests and God in our life gives us these Cycles to

help build us in our walk with him in Romans chapter 5 in beginning with verse number three it says not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience experience hope and hope make it not as hame because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us I can look back in my life and see many trials that I went through many tests that I went through where God Was preparing me for something in the future he's preparing me for something was coming and we need to realize that sometimes tests are there to prepare us for greater test that might come in the future the cycle of testing you say but when

did the test stop but when do the test stop think about it when do the test stop when you have finished the class you know I haven't had a teacher of my college call me up in the last 20 30 years and say you ready for the test tomorrow because I finished the class I passed the class now there's one class I didn't pass I will't tell you why but there's one class I didn't pass and I had to take the class all over again I take the test all over again cuz I didn't pass pass the class you see when you pass you don't have to keep taking the tests so here's a here's a secret folks learn what you're taking the test for and pass it turn to First Peter chapter 1 1 Peter chapter 1 1 Peter chapter 1

beginning with verse number six 1 Peter 1:6 wherein you greatly Rejoice now th through though now for a season it need be you are in heaviness through manifold Temptation or testing that the trial of your fa Faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes 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 we love in whom though now you see him not yet believing you rejoice with joy unspeakable full of Glory receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls he saids listen you're going through trials but those trials are building you for something for the future is bringing to a point where

you could pass that test how many of you are still in school raise your hand still taking test still in school how many of you are can't wait to not have to take another test again raise your hand listen once you finish the test you know what comes next life and life is a lot tougher than the tests the tests don't ever end they just change and we go through those tests in life over and over and over again and when you go through a test or a trial in your spiritual life what you need to do is ask yourself what is the teacher God trying to teach me what is it he's trying to prepare me for as I look back in my life many of the trials that I went through early on in life I look back and I thank

God for those trials because those trials prepared me for something that I could not have handled later on if I hadn't passed the test previously and God brought that to help me to grow tests also are used to teach and help you grow in job 23:10 it says be know the way that I take when Heath tried me I shall come forth as gold as a teacher often I would give tests in order to teach I would use tests as a teaching tool because I knew if I didn't challenge the kids if I didn't make them think that they would not learn the material and so I would use it to teach him and and you learn better when you're tested in Psalms 119:71 it says good for me that I have been Afflicted that I might learn thy

statutes you've ever audited a class I audited a class in college and I learned nothing from it because I didn't have to take the test and when you don't have to take the test you don't pay attention you see the tests in life are what helps us to pay attention the tests in life are what helps us to grow the tests in life are what help us to learn test teaches patience and wisdom go to James chapter 1 and look at verses 2- 4 James chapter 1 beginning with verse number two my breth count all joy when you fall in diverse Temptations knowing this that the tri of your faith worketh patience but let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing God says I put

you through test I put put you through trials because I want you to grow I want you to grow in patience and wisdom it's hard test are hard but God has a purpose for the test of Our Lives look at James chapter 4 look at verses 9 and 10 maybe the trial or the test you're going through is to teach you humbleness be afflicted and mourn and weep and let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He Shall lift you up and sometimes God puts us through a test or a trial because he's trying to teach us to be humble and so when you go through a test or when you go through a trial in life ask yourself what is God doing is he trying to

show me something that I don't know like he did with Phillip he asked Philip the question because he wanted philli to see if he get for himself if he knew the answer is he trying to teach me something or show me what I don't know is he trying to prepare me for a future chess like Joseph or is he trying to teach me and help me to grow in my spiritual life now I would also give test for another reason that was punishment go over to Hebrews chapter 12 as a teacher there was times in class where the students were just goofing off and not paying attention and I just get frustrated with I say okay you don't want to listen get out of paper we're taking a test and you get all the oh but was their

fault they weren't paying attention Hebrews chapter 12 and look at verse number seven if you endure chastening God dealth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chaste not let's skip down to verse number 10 for the for they verily for a few days chastened us after his own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness now no chasing for the presence seem to be joyous but but Grievous nevertheless afterwards it yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby wherefore lift up the hands that which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way and

let it be rather healed follow peace with all men and Holiness without which there no man shall see the Lord see what he's saying here is listen sometimes the chests come because God is saying to you listen you need toay pay better attention you need to get focused on what you need to learn here and sometimes God allows a test in our life a trial in our life a as a as a punishment but also as a opportunity for us to grow and for us to learn sometimes we pay for the sins of others I remember in one class there was one kid that was causing a lot of trouble and all of us had to take the test but all of us learned a lesson and finally God sometimes puts us through test for his glory go to John

chapter 9 John chapter n verses 1 through3 John chapter 9 beginning with verse number one and as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth and his disciples asked him saying master who did Sin this man or his parents that he born blind Jesus answered neither haveth this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him sometimes tests are given to show what the class can do to show what the teacher's done to be an example for others as well and and it's hard sometimes when you go through tests like that but these are the reasons that God tests us God tested Phillip he said we've got all these people to feed how are we going to do this and

Philip fell the test of faith and said God you can do it God tested Phillip and said Phillip look to the father and Philip said well how do we see the father he said don't you remember that in the class don't you remember that when I showed it to you already so how do you prepare for tests in life see there certain tests you cannot prepare for last week I had an eye test nothing I can do to prepare for for an eye test but go take it right uh hearing tests you can't prepare for those that maybe they get all the wax out of your ear that's about it right pregnancy tests ah maybe you can prepare for that a little bit but uh not really you know there's certain tests you can't prepare for but what

about the test of Life how can we be prepared for the tests of life well number one all of God's tests our open book tests go to Joshua chapter 1 one of our favorite teachers in school was Mr Pelini because we had he always had open book tests and those can be good and bad because if you don't study rely on the open book test you're not going to have time to find all the answers but if you were familiar with the book it would usually help you to find the answers as well and Joshua CH 1 ver number 7 it says only be thou strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe du Accord to all the law which Moses my servant commanded thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou

mayest Prosper with so thou goest this book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth but Thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou may have oberved to according to all that is written therein for then Thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shal have good success have not I commanded thee be strong and of good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismay for the Lord thy God is with thee withs soever thou goest see God gives us open book tests and all we need to do is look to this book to find the answers but here's the problem sometimes tests are on a time crunch aren't they and if you're trying to go Page by Page trying to find the answer it's not going to work out

so well that's why you need to study to show thyself a Workman unto God that's why you need to be meditating and memorizing the word of God so that you can find the answers in the word of God it takes a while to find the answer in a 2,000 page book and so you need to know your way around it go over to 1 Timothy chapter 4 1 Timothy chapter 4 look at verses 13-1 17 till I come give attendance to reading to exhortation to Doctrine neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophecy with laying out the hands of a prary meditate upon these things give thyself holy to them that thy propety may appear to all take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine continue in them for doing

this th will save thyself and them that hear thee this is why it's so important to be in Sunday school and church and Sunday night it's why it's important to open your Bible during the week yes the Bible's an open book you can open it anytime anywhere but so often in our lives when the trial comes we don't have time we don't have the opportunity it's already got to be hid in our heart it's already got to be in our mind it's already be something we're familiar with and we can find our way through the word of God you can also prepare for the chest by asking you can ask the teacher in James chapter 1 and verses 5 through 8 James chapter 1 beginning with verse number five if any of you lack

wisdom let him ask of God to giveth to all men liberally and abrath not it should be given him but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavers like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and toss for let not that man think that he should receive anything of the Lord a double minded man is unstable in all his ways the teacher knows what's going to be on the test we had a teacher in college his name was Dr toan and when we' we'd be preparing for a test he'd say he go he he tells tells something he says and I'd be surprised if that were not on the tests and that meant we better study it because it was going to be on the test cuzz he wrote the tests God is the one that puts us

through tests and trials in life and he knows the answers already you can ask somebody who's been there and done that there's nothing new Under the Sun and and uh you know remember in school remember when you're getting ready to take a class for the first class of the Year somebody come up to you the Upper Grade and they say oh you got teacher so and so well you better pay attention to this you better pay attention to that and there's people in the church that can help you as you go through trials because they've been there and done that go over to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 look at vers 7-9 this is one of time we hear from Phillip we looked at this earlier it says if you known me you

should known my father also from hence forth you know him and he seen me Philip sayith and Lord show us the father and it suffices us Jesus said have I been so long with you and yet hast thou not known me Phillip you often hear teachers say something like this there's no such thing as a dumb question and if you don't know the answer you should ask the question but you know the reason we ask dumb questions is because we weren't listening Jesus said Phillip I just told you this so why are you asking it's because you're not paying attention and folks that's one of the great things about being a church it's amazing to me how often after a message God uses what was in that message in my life the

very next week God says here's what you need here's the answer and then next week the test comes up and I've got it James chapter 1: 6 it says but let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that waivers like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and toss it's not a multiple guest test we a lot of us are living the Christian Life like multiple guests maybe I'll get the right answer God has the perfect answers right here in his word but you've got to study you got to open your heart and your mind it's an open book test but you got to know the book we had one teacher in Bible College that would not let a student pray on test day he would always pray and here's what he would pray Lord help

these students to remember what they studied and we hated that prayer because we wanted to pray Lord give us Grace and God is a god of grace and mercy I'm so thankful for that but yet we need to realize that God also expects us to be students of his word Philip was a great disciple a great man of God but he wasn't good at taking tests so what about you James 1:2 my brethen counted all joy when you fall in diverse Temptations or tests how's your Gra great are you getting an a are you passing are you failing had one kid one time came in with got an F on his test he walks in home and he says that was a stupid test his mom said no it wasn't a stupid test it was somebody stupid but it wasn't the

test when you fail a test is because you weren't ready you weren't listening God never puts us through a test that he doesn't give us the answers for and so we need to realize that God has the answers to whatever test you're going through and we can always find the answers in his book I want to close with second Timothy Chapter 4 verses 7 and 8 Second Timothy chap 4: 78 I fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but onto all them also that love is appearing when you finally passed all the tests it's such a blessing and I

realize that there are those in this room that have gone through some tests this week you've had some pop quizzes you weren't expecting you've had some big tests that you weren't ready for you were overwhelmed but the answers are here and what we need to do is we need to be ready for the test so learn from Phillip learn to listen to what God is saying because God always gives us the answers and learn to apply them in our life