💭 Consider this: Knowing God’s purposes in sending Christians “trials”, describe a specific trial you’re currently facing that might be worth rethinking as less of a pain and more of a privilege.
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Knowing God’s purposes in sending Christians “trials”, describe a specific trial you’re currently facing that might be worth rethinking as less of a pain and more of a privilege.
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📣 Your “problems” might be God’s solutions… 🤔
As counterintuitive as it might seem, the difficulties you face in life are often God’s methods of moulding you. In this sermon, Pastor Paul details 4 key things to keep in mind in the midst of your suffering. Have a go evaluating your own trials, no matter how helpless you might feel, through this lens taken from James 5:7-11.
📄 Follow along with this sermon's transcript: https://www.bethelbpc.com.au/sermon-database/how-to-be-patient-in-times-of-trouble
📍 Sermon Outline 00:00 Trailer 01:46 Introduction 06:00 I. UNDERSTAND THE LORD’S COMING 07:24 What do you understand about the End Times? 12:08 Are you really in control? 16:10 Why hasn’t Jesus returned to Earth yet? 18:21 II. UNDERSTAND THE LORD’S JUDGEMENT 22:04 Let’s put things into perspective 23:47 III. UNDERSTAND THE GODLY EXAMPLE 28:54 IV. UNDERSTAND THE LORD’S BLESSING, PURPOSE, AND CHARACTER 33:09 The non-negotiable key to growth! 38:28 Make this lesson real: Your last 365 days? 40:45 Conclusion 44:42 Reflection Question
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Highlights
the more faithful you are, the more trials you will suffer
how could they be patient when the trials were so intense?
there are several things we need to understand:
our greatest hope is the Lord Jesus’ return. this truth is taught throughout the entire bible.
God controls the rain and the growth. “all that the husband man can do is wait patiently”. the idea being that we have nothing to do by to patiently wait in our service, for Christ’s return. we can’t change the circumstances.
we get angry at those who are suffering less than us.
we tend to think that we are the only ones, or that our suffering is unique, or no one else is going through what we are going through
every day our attitude must be that we are one day closer to Christ’s coming. at the end of this worship service, we are one hour closer…
the lord’s judgement
the picture of a court hearing. the judge is standing at the door, ready to open it and make his majestic entrance
“that is just how close…”
the godly example
pastor lists a whole bunch of faithful servants of God who endured suffering.
IV. understand his blessing, purpose and character
whenever we go through trials, we think that God has forsaken us. on the contrary, God has actually…
how can we be happy when suffering?
paul said: “i take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in distresses for Christ’s sake” 2 cor
the strongest believer is the one who endures trials, because he endures the trails by looking to God for his strength and his grace. paul understood that so he considered it a good thing. he was blessed with humility. he was blessed with a heart to depend upon God. he was blessed with spiritual strength.
do you realise that the only way we can learn about humility, we can learn to depend upon God, is when we endure trials. that is what trials will do to us.
what was the purpose of God for Job?
it was NOT to remove his blessings, but to INCREASE his blessings even more.
pastor says hypothetical things that the christian typically says. things like “i want to please the Lord… but how can i do that?”
then he answers that hypothetical Christian’s statements/questions.
after describing what God will do in the believer’s life, pastor said, as a parallel to Job: “our latter end will be better than our beginning.”
God desires to say that to us even more than we desire to hear that commendation. if it takes a trial to cause Him to say that, then He will bring that trials. He wants us to be patient.
God wants
to commend you
more than you realise
Believe that
God is working
in and through
the trials He sends you.
If it takes
a trial for
you to grow,
God will send a trial.