THE REALITY OF TRIBULATIONS
I understand that God is on our side & God wants to bless his people!
But the truth is that in this life along with all the benefits of God, we’re going to have opposition.
We’re going to have flowing in opposite direction good & bad!
I think we know that being a Christian isn’t being free from the problems of life & opposition; it’s being freed from sin!
Jesus told us something from encouraging & yet challenging:
Joh 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."
-& yet after this was spoken Jesus still had to suffer & die.
a.) Jesus told us to “take heart, because I have overcome the world”
- Now, what exactly did he mean by that?
1. Jesus is telling us that by His death he would over-come the prince of this world, the devil & all of his strategies against God’s people!
Joh 12:31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.
1Jn 3:8 …..But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
2. The word “destroy” means to “loosen”: to loose one bound, i.e. to unbind, release from bonds, set free, of one bound up, to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together
2. The word “works” means: “business, that which anyone is occupied”
b.) Also, by His death, Jesus brought help & strength from heaven.
1. He’s given us the power & influence of the H.S & through that he’s given us the means to overcome our enemies & our temptations!
2. & so we know that the devil is a defeated foe!
-& yet we as believers still need put our trust in the captain of our faith, also we need to put on the full armor of God & be ready for conflict!
II. Trials & Tribulation.
1. The Reality of Tribulation.
a.) Jesus told us very clearly in Jn 16:33 that we would have many trials & sorrows or tribulation.
1. Now, this is a fact that Jesus notes!
- I know that there are pastors, TV pastor’s, evangelist, who make it seem like you’ll never have another problem once you give your life to Christ!
- Giving your life to Jesus does’nt mean your problem free, it means that sin-free, forgiven!
- Listen, the truth is, according to Jesus, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” that’s a fact of life!
b.) Every major patriarch & figure in the bible had their share of tribulation.
1. Noah, Lot, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
2. Most famous is poor Joseph, nothing seem to go right for him.
- When you look at the life of Joseph it’s tragic!
-It seems like he’s alone in his situation!
- it almost looks like he’s being punished by God!
2. David (Bathsheba)& his family, Solomon.
3. Job: Literally lost everything, he ends up looking like he’s homeless with nothing to his name!!
4. Prophets: Elijah is running scared, depressed & hiding in cave from a woman.
- Listen, trials & tribulation can make you run scared & depressed if you allow them to!
- They’ll make you hide in places you don’t belong!!
5. Jonah was devoured by a big fish, Jeremiah the weeping prophet dunked in pooh!
( I mean I would cry too if some one put me in a pit of pooh!)
3. The apostle Paul: whipped, beaten, left for dead, shipwrecked, deserted, locked-up, in perils constantly & eventually beheaded!
(1) Paul tells us that the devil was successful in stopping him from going to minister to the Thessalonian church!
1Th 2:18 For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, did, again and again--but Satan blocked our way.
(2) He talks about a man named Alexander who was a coppersmith who was successful in hurting his ministry.
2Ti 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil (wicked, injury, bad): the Lord reward him according to his works: (15) Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
- & so we see that sometimes the devil is successful in his attempts to hinder or thwart what God wants to do!
- & though we might not win every battle, we ultimately win the war!
- In other words, when we don’t succeed, when we’re thwarted or hindered in one area, we have to remember that there’s a bigger picture!
- Defeat in one area doesn’t always mean defeat in another area!
- In fact I believe that defeat in one area means victory in another!
- In other words if it ain’t working in one area it’s because God wants to do something bigger & better in another area!
c.) We know that in the life of :
1. Joseph who went from being hated, betrayed, to the pit, sold as a slave, to prison & in the end to being the right hand man to pharaoh!
Gen 41:39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. (40) You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." (41) So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." (42) Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. (43) He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, "Make way!" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. (44) Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt."
2. Job: Went from riches to rags & sickness, to being doubly blessed by God!
Job 42:12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. (13) And he also had seven sons and three daughters. (14) The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. (15) Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. (16) After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. (17) And so Job died, an old man and full of years.
3. Elijah who was running & hiding from Jezebel, ascended to heaven on a chariot, but before that, he was handing out a double portion of God anointing on Elisha!
4. Jacob went from being a schemer (Jacob) to being a man who had favor with God!
5. & Paul suffered as he preached the gospel, but he was instrumental in winning the gentiles to Christ, writing most of the N.T. & in the end received his crown of righteousness!
2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (8) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
d.) Right here, Paul gives us the ingredients, the elements we need to help us get through our time of tribulation & opposition!
Paul says:
1. “I have fought the good fight!”
-The imagery here is that Paul has entered into an arena to compete, to fight!
- I think you know that the Christian life involves spiritual conflict, warfare!
-Our conflict, our warfare is with sin, the world, the devil & the flesh!
- Paul is telling us that throughout his fight with sin, the devil, the world & the flesh & the pressures of life, he’s been able to maintain, uphold & preserve in the fight!
- In other words he was able to go one more round!
2. “I have finished my course”
-Paul executed & completed his course, or the race bringing it to a close!
- With all the different obstacles that Paul faced in life, he continued to run & he didn’t allow sin, the devil, the world & the flesh & pressures of life hinder him!
3. “I have kept the faith”
-In all that Paul suffered, in all of his conflicts & battles, in all the pressures that he faced in his life, all the tribulations & disappointments, he maintained his faith!
- Even when it didn’t work out in an area he maintained his faith!
- Even when he lost a battle, He maintained his faith!
- When his enemies overcame him, he maintained his faith!
- Even his when faced with his own ultimate death, He maintained his faith!
e.) & there are people who do that, they maintain their faith under extreme pressure!
Pastor Youcef Nardarkhani: Recently released from prison
He’s the Iranian Pastor who was put into prison & sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith.
He was in prison for 3 years & in those 3 years he was given the 3 opportunities to recant his Christian faith or die, but he refused.
Each time they threatened with death, He told his jailers, “I am resolute in my faith & Christianity & I have no wish to recant”
- in other words he was saying, “no matter what happens to me, I’m going to fight, finish my race & keep my faith!
Wow! (& you got problems = how do you that? How do you maintain faith when you’re faced with death!
- It’s trust, total trust in God!
2. Producing.
a.) We have to remember that something deeper is happening as we endure our trials & tribulations.
Rom 5:3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Jas 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, (3) because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (4) Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
1. But this goes even deeper!
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
1. Tribulations are there to help us to become better, healthier, stronger, tougher believers!
- & you got to be tough to be a Christian!
CONCLUSION.
a.) Listen, things don’t always work out in an area.
1. But don’t fall apart!
- I believe that God is working things out in your life, I believe that through the tribulation, pain, fear & struggle God is making you a better, healthier, stronger Christian!
- & God is specifically doing that to prepare for the better thing that He has for you in another area!
- You just keep fighting, keep running & above all, keep your faith!!
