It hurts. How can I overcome this?

Steve Brown:
It hurts. How can I overcome this? Let’s talk on this edition of Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
This is Key Life, here to communicate the freeing truth that God’s not mad at His children. Steve invited our friend Jerry Parries to teach this week. Jerry is the pastor of Christian Family Worship Center, House of Grace. And the author of Grace: the Real Good News of the Gospel.

Steve Brown:
If you’ve been listening this week, we’ve been spending time with Dr. Jerry Parries. And the teaching has been absolutely incredible. We’ve talked about how to trust God. We’ve talked about how when I’ve fallen and can’t get up, what do I do then? We’ve talked about leaning on God in the hard places at midnight. And today, we’re going to land this plane and Dr. Parries is going to talk to us about being an overcomer, when things are really difficult and are really dark. If you miss the first three programs of this week, they’re archived on our website keylife.org you might want to go there and listen to those, because this is is incredible teaching, and it’s being given to us by a man who’s just been diagnosed with cancer. And so, he’s speaking in a profound way about where he is right now. So, listen to him, but also be sure and pray for him. All right, let me read some Scripture. This is a John 16:33.

These things I’ve spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

And then in II Corinthians 4:8.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we’re not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah, that is good, Steve. That is really good. And that’s what I want to share today. I want to share with the people of God to be encouraged. You’re going to come out of this. I love what Jesus says in John. He says.

These things that I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace.

Whatever you are going through, whatever is happening in your life, whatever I’ve been diagnosed with, whatever’s happening, the first thing I have to do is I have to grab on to the first thing Jesus told me is to have peace, to get peace about what I’m going through because he is there. This is what he says, he says.

These things I’ve spoken to you that in me you might have peace.

Why am I going to have peace? Why did he tell me that at the beginning?

Because in this world, you’re going to have some tribulations. You’re going to have some tough times, but

whenever you hear the word but, that means that whatever was before the but, you could just throw it away. Don’t worry about it. The tribulations you don’t have to worry about because there’s a but this says.

But be of good cheer.

Make sure that you have a right attitude about the trouble that you’re going through, because if you do, here’s the promise that he gives us.

That you are going to overcome because I’ve overcome the world.

Steve Brown:
You know, I thought, Jerry, that you would give us a five step process of how you learn to overcome. You’re not doing that, you’re just saying that’s what he gives and promises.

Jerry Parries:
Yes.

Steve Brown:
And he fulfills every promise he’s ever made.

Jerry Parries:
Yes, he does. Yes, he does. And II Corinthians even tells us that we are pressed on every side by trouble, that happens on a daily basis. We’re perplexed, but we’re not crushed. We’re not crushed because God’s got us. You know, and although we’re perplexed and although we’re just not in despair, things happen in our lives. Man, when we trust God, when you just know how much God loves you, it’s like your children. You see your children struggling with their homework. You don’t go and just do their homework for them. You help them. You say, okay, this is how you do this. And when trouble happens in our lives, that’s our homework.

Steve Brown:
Yeah.

Jerry Parries:
God is helping us to figure these things out so that we’ll become more patient, more strong, more mature to handle greater things that are coming our way.

Steve Brown:
When you came into my study this morning, and we record this week at one sitting, we go into the studio and do all of the programs. But when you came into my study this morning, you know, whenever you come in, the sun shines. I said, jerry, how are ya? And he said, I couldn’t be doing better. And then you told me about this diagnosis and I thought he’s been drinking. There’s something wrong with him. But you’re doing exactly what you’re teaching us to do.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah, man, it’s.

Rejoice in the Lord.

Philippians 4 and 4 says.

Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, Rejoice. Make your moderation be known unto all men, for the Lord is at hand. And be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God that passeth all understanding will keep your heart.

And so, what I’m trying to do, man, is just rejoice in the Lord with whatever the news are, good, bad, whatever. I’m going to rejoice in the Lord because I know that God’s got me. And when you

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

As we talked about at the beginning of this. And you

Lean not to your own understanding.

Man, you’ve got to just believe that God’s got your best interest at hand. I like even Romans 8:31 says.

What shall we say about these wonderful things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Since he did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dare accuse us whom God have chosen for his own. No one, for God himself has given us right standings with himself.

I like 35.

Can anything ever separate us from the love of Christ? Can anything that happens stop God from loving us? Does this mean we will no longer have trouble or calamities or persecution or hunger or destitution or in danger of threatening with death? As the Scriptures say, for his sake, we are killed every day. We are being slaughtered like sheep. No,

this is the part I want to say

No, despite all these things, calamities, trouble, all of the stuff, we are overwhelmingly more than conquerors.

And that’s the message I want to give man, that you are coming out of this. You are an overcomer, no matter what’s happening in your life. You are more than a conqueror. It doesn’t mean that it’s not going to happen, doesn’t mean that trouble’s not going to happen, doesn’t mean that you’re not going to have problems, but here’s the promise God’s going to help you overcome it.

Steve Brown:
Oh. I can I can live on that for months. And that’s so very important, when you’re going through the hard and the dark times of your life. It takes a bit though, doesn’t it? I mean, there’s a struggle. I mean, that doesn’t mean that we end up shouting and waving and flag and say, Isn’t it great I’ve got cancer? Or isn’t it wonderful that my child is sick? Or isn’t it great that my mother died? I mean, it’s not that kind of thing. Evil is still evil and bad is still bad and dark is still dark. Isn’t it?

Jerry Parries:
Absolutely. Absolutely. All of that is, it is not being, avoiding the reality that you are going through what you’re going through. But what you do in the midst of what you’re going through is you’re going to have to lift up your head and you’re going to have to look to the heels from which cometh your help. And when you do that, you have to, like we talked about all week.

Lord, I believe, but help thy my unbelief.

You know.

Trust in the Lord.

God, I’m in the midnight hour, but I’m listening to what you’re saying. But what you don’t want to do is you don’t want to go so into despair that you don’t believe that God is there to help you. And so, you have to keep that spirit up, you have to keep your praise up. God, I don’t, this is the box that I was talking about on the first day. I have to put this in the I don’t understand box. I don’t understand why you took my mother. I don’t understand why you allow my child to be sick. I don’t understand why I have personally been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but I’m going to put this in the I don’t understand box, but I’m going to also open up my heart to trust you. And if I can trust you through these difficult times, then I know that I am going to be victorious. I like had one pastor that used to say this all the time.

I’m not fighting for the victory. I’m fighting from my place of victory.

Steve Brown:
Oh, that’s good. That’s good.

Jerry Parries:
And that’s what an overcomer does.

Steve Brown:
And the good thing that Dr. Parries has taught us this week, it’s not denial.

Jerry Parries:
No.

Steve Brown:
A lot of Christians pretend the bad isn’t bad. There are science of the mind, religious philosophies, that suggest there is no evil. There is no cancer, that’s all in your mind. There is no pain. Dr. Parries has said, of course there is. We live in a fallen world.

Jerry Parries:
Yes.

Steve Brown:
But if you listen to what he taught us from the Bible, you can be an overcomer.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah. Yeah. You’ve got to believe that God is able, but God has given doctors wisdom to deal with these things, you know, go to God, pray, but go to the doctor and get it taken care of.

Steve Brown:
That’s called an addendum to make sure you don’t misunderstand what was taught this week. Jerry, thank you for spending time with us. This has been so good and it’ll make a difference. If you’re going through really hard, dark times. Play these programs over again, put it into practice. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Wow. What can you say after that? Except thank you Steve. And thank you Jerry. And be sure to join us tomorrow for Friday Q&A, when Steve and Pete will answer this question. Is everybody going to heaven? Tune in for that answer. The future isn’t frightening if you know the future. That’s a great reminder as we launch out into 2025. It’s also the message brought to us by Max Lucado when we interviewed him recently on Steve Brown Etc. His most recent book concerns end times and what follows. And if you’re familiar with Max’s writing, you’ll know it’s one part wise and one part winsome. Listen, I think you’re going to love hearing our conversation with Max. So, we went ahead and put that entire show on CD and we’ll mail it to you for free. Just call us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for the free CD featuring Max Lucado. And finally, if you’re blessed by the work of Key Life, would you help share that blessing with others through your financial support? Just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Text that to 28950. And remember, every gift matters and every gift helps. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And Key Life is a listener supported production of Key Life Network.