Character

Title

Faith glories in trouble

:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,

glory – kauchaomai – this is the same word that was translated “rejoice” in verse 2. He’s going to talk about another reason to be rejoicing.

The verb is also a present tense, we are currently and continually rejoicing.

In verse 2 we are reminded about the things in our future we should be rejoicing about.

In this verse we are reminded about the things in our present that we should be rejoicing about.

tribulation – thlipsis – a pressing, pressing together, pressure; oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress

It is the word used to describe the “Great Tribulation” coming on the earth before Jesus comes back (Mat. 24:21).

It is used to describe the time of famine that made Jacob’s family go down to Egypt. (Acts 7:11)

It is used to describe the first persecution the early church went through after Stephen was stoned (Acts 11:19)

James (1:27) uses the word to describe the difficult life that widows and orphans had.

It is the word Jesus used to describe the troubles that can make shallow Christians fall away.

Mt 13:21 "yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.

Lesson

Tough times aren’t all bad

It’s one thing to shout “Woo-Hoo” about heaven, but shouting for joy for the tough times?

It sounds like somebody is a little twisted,

Our tendency is to run from anything that begins to hint at being trouble. We think of “tribulation” or “pressure” as being bad.

It’s not necessarily bad.

Our word “tribulation” comes from the Latin “tribulum”

Illustration

In the pictures of the ancient Roman method of threshing grain, one man is always seen stirring up the cut stalks while another rides over them in a crude cart equipped with rollers instead of wheels. Sharp stones and rough bits of iron were attached to these cylinders to help separate the husks from the grain. This simple cart was called a tribulum -- from which we get our word "tribulation."

When great affliction comes to us, we often think of ourselves as being torn to pieces under the cruel pressures of adverse circumstances.

Yet as no thresher ever yoked up his tribulum for the mere purpose of tearing up the stalks of grain but instead to be able to separate the grain from the chaff, , our loving Savior never puts us under the pressure of sorrow and disappointment without having something useful in mind.

God has promises for us when we’re in “tribulation”:

Jesus promises us peace:

Joh 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Tribulation cannot separate us from the love of Christ:

Ro 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [Shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

God has comfort for us, and wants us to give comfort to others in it:

2Co 1:4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

I know that when most of us are going through a tough time, if we think about asking for prayer we usually are asking that people would pray that the tough time would be over quick.

I wonder if we ought to change some of our prayer requests.

Maybe we should be asking: “God help me to learn what you want me to learn in this tough time”.

WEIGHT ILLUSTARTION:

IF YOU go to the gym and lift weights, you are experiencing a burden with purpose. If you work out with a partner or a trainer, their purpose in placing weight on you to lift is to develop you. The purpose of lifting weights is to build muscle.Now, if someone took that same weight and threw it at you, the purpose would be to harm you.

The same weight causes pain but not for the same reason. One pain is to develop you. Another pain is to harm you.

God allows trials or temptations in the life of the believer to develop them.

:3 knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;

perseverance – hupomone (“under” + “to remain”) – steadfastness, constancy, endurance; in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and even through the greatest trials and sufferings

James says almost the same thing:

(James 1:2-8 NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, {3} knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James uses the same words for “produces” and “patience” (perseverance).

This is one of the products of a difficult time – endurance, patience, perseverance.

An athlete doesn’t build endurance without “tribulation”, without having an exercise program of workouts. Think of it as “stamina”.

When you are out of shape and haven’t exercised in awhile, you have to slowly build up your stamina.

Illustration

Wilma didn’t get much of a head start in life. A bout with polio left her left leg crooked and her foot twisted inward so she had to wear leg braces. After seven years of painful therapy, she could walk without her braces. At age 12 Wilma tried out for a girls’ basketball team, but didn’t make it. Determined, she practiced with a girlfriend and two boys every day. The next year she made the team. When a college track coach saw her during a game, he talked her into letting him train her as a runner.

By age 14 she had outrun the fastest sprinters in the United States.

In 1956 Wilma made the U.S. Olympic team, but showed poorly.

That bitter disappointment motivated her to work harder for the 1960 Olympics in Rome—and there Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals, the most a woman had ever won.

We world teaches us to just quit and give up, BUT GOD wants us to persevere through that adversity.

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Patience (endurance, stamina) is part of what makes you mature, grown up.

(James 1:4 NLT) …for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

James 1:5-8 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. {6} But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. {7} For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; {8} he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

One of the keys to learning to get through the “tribulation” or the “trial” is learning to ask God for wisdom. Ask God for the answers, for the direction that you need to keep going.

Ask in faith – expect that God is going to answer those questions.

Lesson

Rejoice in tough times

These are reasons to learn to “rejoice” or “exult” in our difficulty.

Some people talk about the runner’s “high”.

We get a “high” because God is building our stamina.

Versse 4 and perseverance, character;

character – dokime – proving, trial; approved, tried character; a proof, a specimen of tried worth; NAS has “proven worth”

Trials produce endurance. Endurance produces “character”

Lesson

Enduring shows who you are

It has been said,

“You can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things:

a rainy holiday, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”

Corrie Ten Boom was a young Christian girl imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. Her difficulty revealed the deep character that God was building in her. She writes,

It was Christmas, 1944. Betsie had died. I was in a hospital barracks in Ravensbruck. Dark it was in my heart, and darkness was around me. There were Christmas trees in the street between the barracks. Why, I don’t know. They were the saddest Christmas trees I ever saw in my life. I am sure it was with the purpose of blaspheming that they had thrown dead bodies of prisoners under the Christmas trees. I tried to talk to the people around me about Christmas, but they mocked, ridiculed, and sneered at whatever I said. At last I was quiet. It was in the middle of the night that I suddenly heard a child crying and calling, “Mommy! Come to Oelie, Oelie feels so alone.” I went to her and saw a child not so young, “Oelie, Mommy cannot come, but do you know who is willing to come to you? That is Jesus.” The girl was lying on a bed next to the window, not far from my bed. Although Oelie was completely dying from lack of food, she had a sweet face, beautiful eyes, and wavy hair. It was so touching to hear her call for her mother. Oelie had been operated on and the incision on her back was covered by a bandage of toilet paper. That night I told this poor child about Jesus. How He came into the world as a little baby—how He came to save us from our sins. “The Lord Jesus loves Oelie and has borne her punishment on the cross. Now Oelie may go to heaven, and Jesus is there right now. He is getting a little house ready for Oelie.” Later I asked her what she remembered of what I had told her. “What is the little house like?” I asked. “It is very beautiful. There are no wicked people as in Ravensbruck—only good people and angels. And Oelie will see Jesus there.” Then Oelie folded her hands; together we gave thanks. Then I knew why I had to spend this Christmas in Ravensbruck -- 1944.

-- Corrie's Christmas Memories

We should always thank God for the trial, and ask what is it that you want me to learn from this LORD

One of the blessings of your trial is that people are going to see that “inner life”, they’re going to see your true character.

Verse 4 and character, hope.

As we endure trials, we learn that some things in life can be counted on, others can’t.

I can’t depend upon people.

I can’t depend upon circumstances.

I can always depend upon the Lord.

We learn as the Psalmist did:

(Psa 46:1-2 NKJV) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. {2} Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Learning to endure trials ultimately produces hope in a God who loves me.

Verse 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

disappoint – kataischuno (“according to” + “shame”) – to dishonor, disgrace; to put to shame; one is said to be put to shame whom some hope has deceived

Part of the work that the Holy Spirit does in our lives is to remind us how much God loves us.

The love of God is tied to the importance of hope.

I’m going to have a hard time having hope if I question God’s love for me.

God’s love for me keeps me strong in hope.

Hope is keeps us going.

It allows us to not give up

Our greatest impact on others is not how great of acculades we have or whaat we accomplished in life.

We make impact on others when we show Godly character through trials and not give up

LETS PRAY:)