This sermon emphasizes the importance of having a faith that endures trials and testing, leading to spiritual growth and proven character. It challenges the notion of mere theoretical or positional religion, highlighting the need for a genuine, possessional faith that withstands tough times and embraces repentance out of love.

What kind of faith do you want? A faith that will go through God's fire and come out burning more bright. Go, buy of me. Go, try it in the fire. You know, a fellowship, when it becomes lovingly, spiritually, Oh, you know, you begin to feel, what are all these trials? If I did not have those trials, if I did not have all this slander and all this kind of talk, negative talk, Oh, I would never have grown in faith. You know, people want an easy, smooth ride. But, funny, God sends us through His testing. And you become a proven person. Hard times are great times. Tough times produce tough characters. But we do not like those tough times. I do not know, my dear friend. You know, to play my cricket, Oh, I had to practice a lot. And I see a lot of Christians, they are lost in a haze. All their talk is positional talk. Oh, we are seated in heavenly places in Christ. I say, you are being blind. The divorces are increasing in your church. And you are gloating over your great things. The divorces are increasing in your church. And you are gloating over your great things. What kind of religion is that? Suppose I come here and say, Today I was seated on the throne of England. I was visiting Geneva, the city of Calvin. I was going through his cathedral. There was a cordoned off area with a big chair. They said, that is Calvin's chair. I wanted to sit on it. But somebody there prevented me. Listen. Suppose I said, yes. I had dinner with the president. Some of you will wonder, is this man a candidate for Kilpatrick? To the mental hospital? Yes. Some people have only a kind of positional, theoretical religion. Not a possessional religion. I think much of our religion is fit for the garbage. I think much of our religion is fit for the garbage. At the testing times, we are thoroughly flustered. I never saw my father flustered. Any condition. On my wedding day, my father said, let me go out and pray. Right in the afternoon, when the marina, the sea front, is free from people. He saw the clouds gathering. Thick, green clouds. And it seems he said, you have no business to disturb my son's reception. You have no business to disturb my son's reception. So those clouds were driven away, because it was an open air reception. Right. Faith. I'll give you gold dried in the fire. Nineteenth verse. You know, I have to just skip some of this, unfortunately. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent. How zealous are you in repentance? Lord, I have gone round and round like a dog chasing its tail. I can't do this anymore. I repent. You see, God's chastening is out of love. Some of you would like to run away.