Elation from Tribulation
Pastor Darryl Bentley
Midland SDA Church
July 11, 2009
Homiletical Idea: It is through the trials in this life that God is able to for our character that we may become more and more like Christ. Once we are properly connected to Jesus we can be elated to suffer for Him.
1. Niagara Falls
a. Natural beauty
b. Lifetime amazement
c. 4 million cft/min flows over the falls
d. Waterfalls are unstoppable short of damming the river from which they flow
e. Crashes down in a ceaseless stream of white mist
2. Troubles like a falls
a. Sometimes the troubles of this life come at us much like the water from a falls crashes to the pool below
b. When trouble comes it seems like a constant flow that cannot be abated
c. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with the constant tide of negativity that seems to gush into our lives
d. God never promised we would not have troubles, He only promised to see us through them
i. READ: Matthew 5:11
e. We can see that troubles will come, but what should the response of the Christian be?
3. Faith is the Key: Transition to the Text-Romans 5:1-9
a. Paul addresses the Roman believers who were wrestling with various problems
i. They were judgmental and condemning
ii. They were committing immoral acts that they judged others for doing
iii. They struggled with issues of faith
iv. Some thought keeping the law was their pathway to salvation
v. They did not understand that obedience builds faith
vi. They did not understand that the law was in place to lead to God
vii. They thought the law was the vehicle of salvation
b. He gives them a lesson on what faith really is: Read Rom 4:18-25
4. Therefore…
a. It is after this discussion on the law and faith that he comes to chapter 5
i. “Therefore”: In other words, because of the lessons from Abraham’s life and because of the evidence that he has presented in the previous four chapters we must all recognize that our justification only comes through faith.
ii. He has tried to show the universal condition of sin and how all are need of being justified: Jew and Gentile alike.
iii. Once we are justified by accepting Christ through faith we can then have peace with God because our sin debt is then canceled out.
iv. Then because we have peace we can exult or be exceedingly glad that we will one day receive the glory of God.
5. Exult not only in the good:
a. For most of us it is easy to be happy during the good times isn’t it?
i. It is easy to be happy when things are going well
ii. It is easy to be exceedingly glad when we have a job
iii. It is easy to be exceedingly glad when we have plenty of money with which to pay our bills
iv. It is easy to be exceedingly glad when we have lots to eat
v. It is easy to be exceedingly glad when we have lots of friends
vi. It is easy to be exceedingly glad when we have we are healthy
b. But what about when things are not so easy?
i. Paul wants to teach us that we must not only praise God during the times of blessing, but also during the times of curses and heartache.
ii. We MUST be exceeding glad during the times of tribulation.
6. Building blocks of elation
a. What I find amazing about this is that tribulation and the things that follow are like the building blocks of hope.
b. Perseverance:
i. As we endure tribulation we learn how to persevere. What does it mean to persevere?
1. The Greek word that has been translated as perseverance is from hupomone. Hupomone literally means “a remaining behind” or “a patient enduring”.
2. I can relate to the first definition of “a remaining behind”. Army illustration**
3. So when we allow God to walk us through tribulation then we will learn how to patiently endure the trials of life.
a. When Paul cried out to God regarding his thorn in the flesh—we believe that poor eyesight was his thorn—God gave him an answer that I am sure was not Paul’s first choice.
b. Read 2 Cor 12:7-9
c. Paul reminds us that when we endure weakness for the sake of Jesus then we are given the power of God to do so!
c. Proven Character
i. Not only does tribulation bring about the ability to patiently endure, but as we patiently endure we find that our character becomes more and more like that of Christ.
ii. Truly Christ has proven character. When something is proven it means that there has been testing. Consumer’s reports
iii. If you and I never face tribulation then how can we be tested?
iv. Christ says that he who is faithful in a little will be faithful in much (Luke 16:10).
1. This should give us hope because as we face the smaller struggles of life and find victory in Christ we can know that also by His help we will be able to endure the great time of trouble that is quick to come upon this earth.
2. Jesus will fulfill His promise to never give us more than we can bear (1 Cor 10:13)
v. Tribulation yields the ability to patiently endure which yields the ability to build proven character
d. Hope
i. Hope is built on a foundation of tribulation
ii. Without experiencing tribulation you cannot really understand what it means to have hope in a better life
iii. Hope means to “have expectation”
iv. Christian expectation is to be re-joined with the Father and Christ our redeemer
v. Unless we patiently endure tribulation and develop trouble-tested character we will not value the riches of heaven
vi. We will not long for a better world
vii. Tribulation causes us to want more than this world can offer us.
viii. Tribulation yields the ability to patiently endure which yields the ability to build proven character which gives hope
ix. Godly hope does not disappoint because it is hope that is built on a foundation of tribulation which is built upon a foundation of faith in Christ which causes us to long for the coming of our Lord
e. Love of God
i. Through the entire process God’s love is poured out
ii. How was it poured out?
1. While we were helpless Christ died for the ungodly
2. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us
f. Blood makes it all happen
i. How is elation possible?
ii. How can we exult in tribulation?
iii. How do we develop the ability to patiently endure?
iv. How do we gain proven character?
v. How do we have hope?
1. We obtain all of this by accepting the spilled blood of Jesus
2. We obtain righteousness by allowing His blood to wash over us and cleanse us from cherished sin in our lives.
g. Wrap-up & Appeal
i. I challenge you to exult in the tribulations that God allows to come
ii. I challenge you to allow the blood of Christ to cover you in all your ways
iii. I challenge you to find elation from your tribulation