Pastor's Circle - Chuck Huckaby

Chuck Huckaby, pastor of St. Andrew's Church in Lawrenceburg, TN, joined the Pastor's Circle to talk about adversity in the Christian life.
 
Tough times are going to come. What is the purpose of adversity in the Christian life?

In my church we've been studying through the book of Philippians.

He says, you act like true citizens of heaven and you stand firm, because there's a purpose in adversity for you.

Their standing firm is a sign that just like God stood with Job, just like God stood with the Israelites...just as God stands with all people in the moment of crisis, God stands with them.

Then he goes on to say that their standing firm is a sign that God is with them.

It's almost like we can look at adversity as a gift from God.

It's a gift that's part and parcel of the blessings of God.

Even though no one else may know, God is enrolling us in that list of anonymous saints through that gift of adversity which comes to purify us, to transform us, to make us His people in a way that we've never been before.

Does American and  western Christianity as a whole miss out on some of the maturity God wants for us, because we lack that suffering?

There are plenty of people even in our prosperous western culture who are going through adversity.

God still has plenty of ways to bring us to the time of testing to purify us and refine us in one way or another.

The language that Paul uses is the language of the people in between the Old and New testaments.

We may not have persecution, but don't we have a culture all around us that's trying to take us away from our biblical moorings?

How does a believer stand firm against a hostile world?

Well, what Paul told them to do is "stand firm."

It's spiritual warfare...our own imbibing the word of God.

But then he says stand firm in one spirit...that's how you encourage me through your radio program.

How important is it that people have some folks who are intimate with them, to share their lives with?

You remind me of this book I used to have on my shelf called, "The Friendless American Male."

When you find one, they're so precious to keep.

It's so hard to find just a few men to pray with for an hour a week.

When you find them, they're so hard to keep.