How To Overcome Adversity Series

How To Overcome Adversity

The Faith Factor – part 8

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. 3For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. 5If you need wisdom--if you want to know what God wants you to do--ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. – James 1:2-5 (NLT)

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us--they help us learn to endure. 4And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. 5And this expectation will not disappoint us. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. – Romans 5:3-5 (NLT)

All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. 4For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. 6So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.7These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

1 Peter 1:3-7 (NLT)

Prayer

TODAY – as we continue in our message series ‘The Faith Factor,’ we are going to talk about another guy from the OT, at a guy name Joseph. 13 chapters in the book of Genesis are devoted to him. AND REMEMBER – what Paul said in Romans 15:4; “…everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

CIRCLE - written to teach us we might have hope

LISTEN – if ever there is a time when we need hope… it’s when the bottom falls out of our life. It’s when we feel like, Paul felt 2 Cor 4:8; hard pressed on every side… perplexed… persecuted… struck down… WELL – this morning as we look at the story of Joseph we will meet a man who had the bottom fall out of his life more than once. The title for our message today is how to overcome adversity.

The words adversity… MEANS – ‘a condition of suffering, destitution or affliction’ and it comes from the word adverse which means ‘acting against or contrary direction, opposed to ones interests’

NOW – that’s a pretty accurate definition of hard times and difficulties… They seem to be acting against you… They take you in a direction you would rather not go,,, AND – they most definitely seem to be opposed to your interests.

MAYBE – right now you are in the midst of some pretty tough times. I MEAN – the waves are crashing, the sun isn’t shining, the dark clouds are descending and your future looks so uncertain. You’re in pain, you’re hurting… AND - you’re tired and worn out. Nothing seems to be working right. Everything seems to going tin a contrary direction. AND MAYBE – right now the words of James. Paul and Peter…

• let it be an opportunity for joy.

• we know that they are good for us

• There is wonderful joy ahead

SEEM – so foreign to you … I MEAN – when the cancer comes back, WHEN – you loose your job, WHEN – your wife files for divorce, WHEN – you dad walks out, WHEN – the bills can’t be paid, WHEN – the marriage doesn’t get any better, WHEN – your child goes astray, WHEN – a loved one dies… opportunity, good for you and joy… don’t seem to make sense.

LISTEN – I am convinced that God wants to teach us something today through the life of Joseph… AND – you need to hear what god has to say today… BECAUSE – you have, some of you are and we all will encounter adversity.