Adversity: The Path To God's Power

Introduction

We all have a natural aversion to pain and difficulty. Some Christians even say we shouldn’t have pain or suffering if we are walking with God. Many people think pain, hardship, difficulties and suffering are contrary to the abundant life. Those are commonly held beliefs that couldn’t be further from the truth of God’s Word.

Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t be further from the truth of God’s word.

Today we are going to bring together everything we studied about adversity over the past three months. As we do we are going to see

The path that leads to God’s blessing, grace and power goes through adversity.

Would you like God’s grace in your life? Would you like to see God’s power work in you and through you? Are those worth having, God’s grace and power? The way to get to them is through adversity.

Turn in your Bibles to that Jared read for us. This is a fascinating passage in that it talks about something incredible.

In Paul tells us that he went to heaven. There are lots of stories of people who say they died and went to heaven and then write books about it. Did they or didn’t they? Only their hairdresser knows for sure. Raise your hand if you’re old enough to understand that joke!

I can’t argue with anyone’s experience but here’s what Paul said,

2 Corinthians 12:4 NIV

4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

2 Corinthians 12:3–4 NIV

3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.

2 Corinthians 12:4

Unless they are going to sell a book and make a lot of money. Okay, I’m being cynical. Here’s what I know. Paul was the real deal. He got to go to heaven either physically or in a vision. That’s amazing. We all would like that, wouldn’t we?

Unless they are going to sell a book and make a lot of money. Okay, I’m being cynical. Here’s what I know. Paul was the real deal. He got to go to heaven either physically or in a vision. That’s amazing. We all would like that, wouldn’t we?

Actually, I don’t think any of us would if we had to sign the same nondisclosure contract Paul signed. He couldn’t say a word about it. How often do you think he wanted to tell just a little bit about heaven? Do you think it was hard not to say anything? Absolutely! It was painful!

Oh, there was one other thing. Paul was in a unique class. People who went to heaven and lived to tell about it. Do you think that might have gone to his head? How could it not? People like to one up others. Paul was probably sitting around having coffee one day and someone said. “I had a vision. Jesus came and talked to me. He told me heaven is more wonderful than you could ever imagine!” People are saying, “Oh wow, how cool is that!” And Paul is just sitting there. But he couldn’t say a word.

You see, God knowing human nature, decided that Paul needed a reminder that he couldn’t talk about heaven. He gave him what Paul calls a thorn in the flesh. No one knows what it was. Some think it might have been epilepsy. Some suggest it was and eye condition that made it difficult for him to see. What ever it was, it wasn’t good. Actually it was really bad!

Paul was an apostle, he received direct communication from God, so he did what you and I would do. He didn’t just ask God to take the thorn in the flesh away, he pleaded with God. He asked once and got no answer. He asked him twice, no answer. He pleaded a third time and got an answer, but not the one he wanted. God said no. And when he told him no, he told him why.

God told Paul why he had to suffer adversity and in telling him, he told everyone why He allows and at times sends adversity.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

9

God allows and sends adversity that through it we might get something much better, the blessing of knowing the power of God.

A few moments ago I asked you if you would like to know the power of God in your life.

1. God uses adversity to reveal a weakness.

Something we experience that we can’t avoid that gives us pain and suffering. We are too weak to fix our problem.

2. God uses our weakness to reveal our need.

The need may be physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, relational. We have to see our weakness, our inability to fix things on our own.

3. God uses our need to reveals our choice.

We are too weak to fix our problem and we have a choice, to trust Him in the area of our need. The path to this choice is humility. We’ll never make the choice if we think we are strong and can fix things on our own!

4. God uses our choice to reveal His power.

God won’t force His grace or kindness or power upon us. Our faith unleashes it.

5. God uses His power to give us something better (than we ever expected).

What God blesses us with is often not what we think we need.

When we go down this pathway we see God’s wisdom, we receive His grace, we experience His power. When we truly experience this we can say with Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:9

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 NIV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

We can boast and delight in our adversity, our weakness, in insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties. We can do this for it is only when we are weak that we become strong!

There are five different kinds of adversity in the Bible. Trials, tests, discipline, pruning and persecution. They are different from one another but all of these can lead to blessing in our lives.

We also talked about the spiritual adversity of the attacks from the flesh, the world and Satan. Even though those attacks come from our spiritual enemies, we can still use the power of God to fight and resist them and grow through them.

I have a summary sheet I’m going to give you based upon all the things we’ve learned in our study of adversity. This summary sheet is version 1.0. I put it together rather quickly and am going to work on it and improve it over the next few months. I want your feedback on it. Tell me what you think and how I can improve it.

Discussion questions:

What is the most frequent type of adversity you face? What helps you deal with it?

What part of the five steps to the power of God do you find the hardest? Why?

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from our study of adversity?