Sifting, Suffering & Overcoming
About this sermon
In “Sifting, Suffering & Overcoming,” Pastor Dean Odle presents a Scripture-centered message about prayer, Satanic opposition, the authority of Scripture. Drawing especially from Luke 22, Mark 4, Matthew 3, Luke 4, the teaching emphasizes that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. Odle connects that foundation with the conviction that Satan’s work is described through deception, accusation, temptation, and opposition to God’s purposes.
Chronological teaching outline
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Odle focuses on grace and mercy while working through Luke 22. The message argues that God’s grace forgives and also trains believers to leave sin and live in obedience. It connects this with the conviction that faithfulness in the home requires instruction, loving correction, protection, and a consistent Christian example. The practical emphasis is to test the teaching by Scripture and apply it through faithful obedience.
Odle focuses on Satanic opposition while working through Mark 4, Matthew 3, Luke 4. The message argues that Satan’s work is described through deception, accusation, temptation, and opposition to God’s purposes. It connects this with the conviction that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience. The practical emphasis is to practice patient, truthful love in relationships and conflict.
Odle focuses on Satanic opposition while working through Luke 22. The message argues that Satan’s work is described through deception, accusation, temptation, and opposition to God’s purposes. It connects this with the conviction that prophecy should produce discernment, readiness, and faithfulness rather than speculation alone. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on demons and deliverance. The message argues that demonic influence must be answered through Christ’s authority and the freedom He provides. It connects this with the conviction that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. The practical emphasis is to trust God’s promises and refuse decisions governed by fear.
Odle focuses on Bible prophecy while working through Luke 22. The message argues that prophecy should produce discernment, readiness, and faithfulness rather than speculation alone. It connects this with the conviction that the biblical narrative is used to show God’s power to recover what has been lost and restore usefulness. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on Bible prophecy. The message argues that prophecy should produce discernment, readiness, and faithfulness rather than speculation alone. It connects this with the conviction that Satan’s work is described through deception, accusation, temptation, and opposition to God’s purposes. The practical emphasis is to remain watchful, grounded in Scripture, and ready to obey Christ.
Odle focuses on prayer. The message argues that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. It connects this with the conviction that Scripture is presented as the standard for doctrine, discernment, and daily obedience. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
Odle focuses on prayer. The message argues that prayer expresses dependence on God and prepares believers to hear and obey Him. It connects this with the conviction that biblical faith trusts God’s character and acts upon His promises. The practical emphasis is to seek God in prayer and act on what Scripture requires.
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- 0:00:00
you're the father who longs for your children to come home you're the one who stands there looking down the road waiting for us to return from our rebellion from our offenses from our sins from everything you just you're just waiting for us to come home humble not thinking we deserve anything or have the right to anything and you're there to cleanse us in the blood of your son you're there to give us a ring and a robe and to make us your sons and daughters again well what a wonderful thing that you've done through the cross and the resurrection of jesus to provide a way for us to be forgiven lord you have demonstrated your love for us and you continue to do it as even the most well-intentioned christians when we try to live as holy as we can obediently as we can lord there's just times we we mess up there's times we're hurt there's times that we're oppressed and attacked and we just we don't do what we ought to do and i'm just grateful lord that you're merciful that there is forgiveness with you and that we can come to you as children and if we come humbly to you and confess our sins and turn from them and and turn to you you receive us and you forgive us well we thank you for that today in jesus name amen you know i think that we need to be reminded of that from time to time especially if you're in a church that you know preaches strong sometimes we forget god is merciful and patient with us and that's a little bit of what i want to talk to you about today just a little bit about [Music] kind of the way we deal with attacks and oppression and kind of understanding some things but i want you to uh go ahead and take your bibles out and turn to uh so we're going to turn to luke 22 first of all this morning luke 22 and again if you just tuned in by internet radio this morning by fire and grace radio we welcome you to fire grace church and um glad you're joining us luke 22 let me get there this ought to be a familiar story to most of us right about the apostle peter
- 0:03:00
a lot of things were going on this is the last supper story a lot of things were happening we're just going to start reading at verse 47. everybody got their bibles luke 22 47. and says this and while he yet spake behold a multitude and he that was called judas one of the twelve went before them and drew near unto jesus to kiss him but jesus said unto him judas betray us thou the son of man with a kiss and when they were about him they saw what would follow they said in him lord shall we smite with the sword and one of them smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear and jesus answered and said suffer ye thus far and he touched his ear and healed him then jesus said unto the chief priests and the captains and of the temple and the elders which were come unto him be come out as against a thief with swords and staves when i was daily with you in the temple you stretch forth no hands against me but this is your hour and the power of darkness now you need to remember that phrase this is your hour and the power of darkness of course then they took him and led him and brought him to the high priest house and peter followed afar off and when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and were sat down together peter sat down among them but a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire and earnestly looked upon him and said this man was also with him and he denied him saying woman i know him not and after a little while another saw him and said thou art also of them and peter said man i am not and about the space of one hour another confidently affirmed saying of a truth this fellow also was uh was with him for he is a galilean and peter said man i know not what thou says that immediately while he yet spake the crew and the lord turned and looked upon peter and peter remembered the word that the lord had spoken unto him or had said unto him before the crow thou shalt deny me thrice and peter went out and wept bitterly um this is something that um you know i don't know that we talk about very often and you know this is something we can we can look at with peter here and we know from reading the gospels that peter was very dedicated to the lord jesus he loved the lord we know we talk about john they talk about john being the beloved disciple but you know john wasn't any more loved of jesus than than peter was they just had different personalities john was just a more affectionate individual as we see in the scriptures and peter was just more passionate individual he was just a more you know fiery passionate individual and i just want to say the lord it doesn't matter what kind of personality you have
- 0:06:00
the lord still will use that and loves that and understands he made you unique and your personality is you he's not trying to change your personality not trying to change who you are just wants to change some of our behavior sometimes and get us to act right amen and obey but this is something that you know i guess we need to get a hold of is that there are times in your walk with god that are going to seem overwhelming to you life troubles attacks persecution things that you don't understand that bring confusion things that um bring in what what we see here is what jesus said you know you had all these opportunities to get me is what jesus was saying when i was teaching in the temple and all that but no this is your hour this is the hour your hour you the power of darkness has a season i remember in the scriptures you know if we go back to mark 4 and you go back to matthew 3 and you go back to when jesus was being tempted in the wilderness and the devil was tempting him remember that and jesus was 40 days in the wilderness and he was fasting and he was uh praying and and satan was there tempting him and you know we get three of the temptations but of course the bible says that jesus was tempted in all points like we are yet without sin so we know that in those 40 days that the devil tempted him with every possible temptation there was and jesus was in that wilderness place and he was fasting and then of course when jesus resisted the devil speaking the word and standing firm and not sinning and not giving into the temptation and as he spoke the word of god and went through that battle the bible says if you read it there in luke 4 and mark and matthew it talks about how the devil left him for a season what's that mean well that was a season of attack that was a season of temptation that was a season of oppression and jesus had to win that battle in that season and when he won that battle the devil had to flee from him for a season well the reason it says for a season is because the devil will go and regroup he will go and try to find another way he has to back off because you know the scripture is true in james 4 that if we resist the devil if we submit to god and resist the devil he must flee from us all the flee from us yes not permanently he never flees permanently we won't get rest from that war until jesus comes or we go to be with him right so he you've got this ongoing battle with satan and demon spirits that's very real okay and there's just going to be and you have to get it in your head there's just going to be seasons of attack and oppression and trouble at times on every side
- 0:09:03
now what you have to determine is how am i going to respond to that am i going to and am i am i going to humble myself am i going to get in into prayer more am i going to fast am i going to resist the devil am i going to resist the temptation that's coming my way what am i going to do how am i going to respond now here's what the reason i read this story about peter that everyone that's been in the church any amount of time has been a christian for an amount of time they know this story but the reason i brought this up is because i just want you to know today that even the strongest christian even the most holy ghost field the most spirit-filled the most on fire the most dedicated the most passionate you know peter was all those things full of faith he's the one that had the revelation that jesus was the christ the son of the living god he was the one that jesus spoke to what he said they said flesh and blood didn't reveal this to you but my father which is in heaven this is a man who had revelation this was a man who was on the mount of transfiguration with jesus when he was transfigured and moses and elijah appeared there's a man that saw that all that happened okay this is a man that saw the miracles of jesus saw jesus raised the dead and caused the blind to see and the to walk there wasn't doubt in his heart about who jesus was and he loved jesus and he had left his family and his business to be a disciple and to follow jesus and to learn he had given up everything so we're not talking about somebody who was weak we're not talking about somebody who was lukewarm we're not talking about somebody who was compromised in in in their walk with jesus now we're talking about somebody dedicated but peter had an idea in his head that things were going to be a certain way and this is where we are dangerous we get ideas in our head that things are going to work out a certain way are going to be a certain way and he was determined remember in matthew 16 he said when the lord was talking about he was going to be crucified and peter began and said to rebuke him and said lord this is not going to be unto you this is not going to happen to you and and and jesus turned and said get behind me satan you want the things that be of men not the things that be a god and so what peter was doing was his idea was that the lord was going to eventually overcome the romans set up the kingdom right then on the earth and it just wasn't time for that and none of them none of the disciples understood that jesus was going to have to suffer and die on a cross for our sins and be raised again the third day and here's what's even more wild he told them that he was going to have to do that before and they still none of them fully understood it and and or this didn't accept it they just didn't want to accept that he was going to eventually be taken captive by the pharisees or by the sadducees and pharisees and the romans and and be crucified and be killed they just didn't want to accept that and they didn't
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