UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (MSG)
8 We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it.
9 We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead!
10 And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.
WORD OF GOD FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD
WHIILE YOUR STILL STANDING WILL YOU TURN TO YOUR NEIGHBOR AND TELL THEM YOUR GLAD TO SEE THEM IN THE HOUSE
BUT IT`S SOMETHING I HAVE TO TELL YOU --I`M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
(INTRODUCTION)
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE
NO MATTER WHERE YOU BEEN
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE AT NOW
ARE WHERE YOU WILL BE IN THE FUTURE
ALL OF US WILL SPEND SOMETIME AT A PLACE CALL THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
I KNOW THIS MAY NOT BE YOUR SCHOOL OF CHOICE
BUT ALL OF US WILL SPEND SOME TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
THERE`S NO NEED FOR YOU TO GO BY THE ADMISSION OFFICE TO FIND OUT ABOUT SCHOLARSHIP OR STUDENT LOAN INFORMATION
BECAUSE ALL OF US HAVE A FULL RIDE THAT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL TO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
FOR WE ALL WILL HAVE TO TAKE A FEW COURSES AND A FEW SEMESTERS
WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE SOME RIGOROUS CLASSES THAT WILL BE TAUGHT BY DR PAIN AND PROFESSOR HEARTACHE
FOR WE ALL WILL HAVE TO SIT IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE LAB ROOM TO BE TAUGHT SOMETHINGS
THAT CANNOT BE LEARNED IN NO OTHER PLACE
BECAUSE THE CLASSROOM IS WHERE GOD ALLOWS US TO BE TAUGHT
HOWEVER GOD WILL TAKE US DOWN TO THE LABATORY WHERE WE WILL BE TESTED
TO SEE IF WE CAN APPLY WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM
AND THE REASON WHY IS
BECAUSE A GOOD STUDENT IS NOT A STUDENT WHO CAN JUST RETAIN INFORMATION IN THE CLASSROOM
BUT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY WHAT MAKES YOU A GOOD STUDENT
IS WHEN YOU TAKE WHAT WAS TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM AND APPLY IT IN THE LABATORY
BECAUSE IN THE LABATORY GOD PLACES THE HEAT ON OUR LIVES TO SIFT THE GOOD FROM THE BAD
AND THE REASON WHY IS
GOD WORKS ON US TO PUT IN US WHAT HE WANTS TO COME OUT OF US
BECAUSE GOD CAN`T USE YOU RICHLY UNTIL HE WOUND YOU DEEPLY
BUT THERES A PROBLEM THAT THE UNIVERSITY IS DEALING WITH
BECAUSE THE DROP OUT RATIO IS AT AND ALL TIME HIGH
AND THE REASON WHY IS
ALOT OF THE STUDENT WHO ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY OR JACK UP ---SCREWED UP AND MESSED UP
AND THEY HAVE MADE UP IN THERE MINDS THEY CAN` T ENDURE THE (TRIALS) ( TRIBULATIONS) (HEARTACHES) (SETBACKS) AND (PAIN )
IN OTHER WORDS
THEY HAVE LET THE ENEMY SELL THEM A LIE
AND THEY KNOW IT WAS A LIE
BUT THEY BOUGHT IT ANYHOW
SO THEY HAVE MADE UP IN THERE MINDS THAT THEY CAN`T ENDURE THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
BUT I HAD A TALK WITH THE APOSTLE PAUL
AND PAUL TOLD ME TO REMIND YOU
THAT WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGHTEN US
HE ALSO TOLD ME TO REMIND YOU
NOT TO GROW WEARY IN WELL DOING YOU WILL REAP IF YOU FAINT NOT
I EVEN HAD A TALK WITH ISAIAH
AND HE TOLD ME TO TELL YOU
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
AND THE SHOUT OF THE DAY IS
WE CAN`T DROP OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY BECAUSE THINGS GET BAD
BECAUSE THE HARDER THE ADVERSITY MAY BE
THE SWEETER THE BLESSING WILL BE
THAT WHY THE OLD CHURCH USE TO SING
HE`S SWEET I KNOW
HE` SWEET I KNOW
STORM CLOUDS MAY RISE
STRONG WINDS MAY BLOW
BUT I`LL TELL THE WORLD
WHEREVER I GO THAT I`VE FOUND A SAVIOUR AND HE`S SWEET I KNOW
(TURN AND LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND TELLTHEM DON`T DROP OUT )
AND ONE OF THE REASON YOU SHOULD`NT DROP OUT IS
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY HAS SOME ALUMNI MEMBERS WITH A PROVEN TRACK RECORD
YOU SEE--- EVERY GREAT UNIVERSITY HAS ALUMNI MEMBERS WHO HAVE GRADUATED
AND THEY RECRUIT AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO ATTEND THERE ALMA MATER
( MEMBERS LIKE )
ABRAHAM
ISAAC
NOAH
MOSES
JEREMIAH
DAVID
EZEKIEL
ISAIAH
JEREMIAH
MATTHEW
MARK
LUKE
JOHN
PETER
JAMES
AND EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT RICH HISTORY OF THE AFRICIAN AMERICAN CHURCH IN ANGELINA COUNTY
WE ALUMI MEMBERS LIKE
REV HOSEA DOLPHUS
REV JD SIMMONS
DR RL SESSIONS
DR LEROY BULLOCK
BISHOP STINSON THOMAS
BISHOP LEROY SHANKLE
REV H E FOWLER
REV LD BELL
REV ID STARLING
SUPERTINDENT CHESTER ROBINISON
AND EVEN IN THIS PRESENT DAY AND TIME
WE STILL HAVE ACTIVE MEMBERS LIKE
DR H E WHITAKER
REV W R RICKS
REV MACK O PAGE
REV S D PINKNEY
BISHOP M E LYONS
REV DAVID HORACE
REV DAVID BRIGGS
DR TROY ALLEN
MYSELF AS WELL MANY OTHERS WHO STAND BEHIND GOD`S SACARED DESK
SUNDAY IN AND SUNDAY OUT
WEEK IN AND WEEK
MONTH IN AND MONTH OUT
YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT
TO ENCOURAGE THE SAINTS OF GOD TO TRUST IN JESUS
BUT THE SHOUT OF THE DAY IS THAT WE ALL HAVE A SIMILAR TESTIMONY
AND THAT IS --IT AIN`T NO SECERT WHAT GOD CAN DO WHAT HE DONE FOR OTHERS HE`LL DO FOR YOU SO TRUST IN JESUS IN EVERYTHING YOU DO BECAUSE GOD IS ABLE TO SEE YOU THROUGH
AND I WONDER IS THERE ANYBODY HERE UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE KNOWS THAT GOD IS STILL ABLE
AND IF YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS ABLE--------
YOU OUGHT TO STAND ON YOUR HOLY FEET AND PUT YOUR SANTIFIED HANDS TOGETHER
AND TELL THE LORD THANK YOU FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
(TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR DON`T) (DROP OUT BECAUSE THE BEST IS) (YET TO COME)
IN THE TEXT BEFORE US
PAUL A JEW BY BIRTH
A ROMAN BY CITIZENSHIP
A TENTMAKER BY TRADE
A LAWYER BY PROFESSION
A PHARISEE BY RELIGIOUS TRAINING
AND A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE OF HOW GOD TRANFORMED HIM FROM AND AIN`T TO A SAINT ON THE DEMASCUS ROAD
A HEBREW OF HEBREWS
WHO SPOKE 13 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND MASTERED 7
CIRCUMCISED ON THE 8TH DAY
OF THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN
WROTE HALF OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
REVEALS TO THE CHURCH AT CORINTH
THAT HE WAS A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY
SO HE SHARES WITH THEM HIS EXPERIENCE WHILE ENROLL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
SO HE SHARES WITH THEM 4 THINGS THAT WE ALL MUST REMEMBER WHILE ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
WELL THE 1ST PAUL TELLS THEM IF YOU WANT TO BE A GOOD STUDENT YOU GOT TO BE REAL
NOTICE WHAT HE SAY IN VERSE 8
8 We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it.
WELL NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO BE REAL
BUT HE LETS THE CHURCH KNOWS IT`S GOING TO BE ROUGH
9 We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead!
WELL NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO BE REAL
AND IT`S GOING TO GET ROUGH
BUT PAUL TELLS THEM THERE IS RELIEF
YOU GET RELIEF BECAUSE GOD IS RELIABLE
NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAYS IN PART B OF VERSE 9
As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—
IN OTHER WORDS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY IN OUR LABATORY EXPERIENCES
GOD ALLOWS US TO ENTER SOME ENCOUNTERS THAT WE CAN`T MAKE IT OUT OF WITHOUT HIM
BUT NOT ONLY IS GOD RELIABLE
BUT THE TEXT ALSO REVEALS THAT GOD HAS A GOOD RESUME
IN VERSE 10 HE SAYS
10 And he did it, (GOD DID IT )
rescued us from certain doom.
(PAST TENSE)
And he'll do it again,
(PRESENT TENSE )
rescuing us as many times as we need rescuing.( FUTURE TENSE)
BUT NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE TO BE REAL
NOT ONLY WILL IT GET ROUGH
AND WE CAN FIND RELIEF BECAUSE GOD IS RELIEABLE AND HAS A GOOD RESUME
BUT WHEN YOU GO BACK UP TO VERSE 3 IN THE TEXT
PAUL TELLS US WE SHOULD REJOICE WHILE ENROLLED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
YOU SEE USALLY WHEN YOU WRITING A LETTER
YOU USALLY TELL WHAT GOD HAS DONE ON YOUR BEHALF THEN REJOICE
BUT AS PAUL TOLD THE CHURCH ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADVERSITY
HE STARTED REJOICING IN VERSE 3 ABOUT WHAT GOD HAD DONE
WHAT GOD WAS DOING
AS WELL WHATGOD WAS ABOUT TO DO
YOU SEE WHAT GOD DID IS FOUND IN VERSES 8,9,AND 10
BUT BEFORE HE COULD TELL THEM ABOUT WHAT GOD DID
HE STARTED REJOICING IN IN VERSE 3
BY SAYING
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel!
