Gods Will And Sufering - Part 2 Series

GOD'S WILL AND SUFFERING-Part 2

“THE POSITIVE BENEFITS OF SUFFERING”

series :Knowing The Voice of God

KEY VERSES: Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be happy, But in the day of adversity consider--God has made the one as well as the other so that man may not discover anything that will be after him.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one as well as the other, So that man will not find out anything that will be after him. AMP

Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

INTRODUCTION

In part one of this teaching, we talked about how to develop proper attitude towards suffering. And in that teaching we discovered that:.

Trouble is not necessarily a sign of being out of God's will:

The Bible declares that "many are the afflictions of the righteous" (Psalms 34:19).

When you suffer innocently and not because of your own sin, you should maintain a proper attitude towards suffering. Paul was calm in the storm

The real test of your spirituality is how you respond in the day of distress:

If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. (Proverbs 24:10)

THE PROPER ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUFFERING

The Bible describes the attitude you should have when you suffer as a believer within the will of God.

1. You should not be ashamed:

If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. . .(I Peter 4:16)

2. You should not think it strange when you experience suffering:

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you;… (I Peter 4:12-13)

3. You should commit your soul (your suffering) to God, knowing He works all things for your good:

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator. (I Peter 4:19)

• When you run from God in seasons of challenge, all you’re left with is your own limited ability to cope with what you’re walking through.

4. You should be happy when you suffer according to the will of God:

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:41)

• Paul says you should be: Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

5. Don’t be filled with worry, overflow with worship.

• Something powerful happens when we actively choose to worship through our suffering.

• We aren’t denying reality, we are simply redirecting our posture from one of worry to one of worship.

• Worship changes our perspective.

• Worship speaks about where our confidence and hope resides.

• Worship redirects our thinking.

• Worship places the results in God’s hands.

when you begin to worship the Lord through your struggle, spiritual chains begin to break so that you aren’t ruled by your circumstance but you set your sights on something higher.

This is why Paul and Silas could praise when chained in prison. They recognized God was using their imprisonment for the spread of the gospel which ultimately resulted in the first New Testament church on the continent of Europe.

6. Fill your life with God’s Word and God’s people.

• When you fill your life with God’s Word and surround yourself with people who speak hope and encouragement into your life, your experience will be much healthier.

How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:103

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16

• When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we are reminding ourselves of who our God is, what he’s like,

• When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of our good God.

7. You are to endure hardness like a soldier:

Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (II Timothy 2:3)

8. Believe that God will turn your sorrow into great joy.

• One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that our good God uses pain for our good.

• Meaning that our biggest sorrows can result in our greatest joy.

When you think about Jesus’ greatest sorrow – suffering the shame, punishment, and death for our sin, the result was great joy – the redemption of humanity and the opportunity for a relationship with the living God.