On Priasing God During Life's trials

Introduction

• This sermon was given to me friday night

• i know i am interrupting the series, however i must follow the Spirit

Christ is for the….

1. The Hurting (22-24)

a. Trials will come into your life

i. James 1:2-4

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

b. There are two types of trials

i. Trials we bring on ourselves

1) Sampson brought his trials on himself

2) Solomon brought trials on himself

3) Israel brought trials and tribulations on themselves

ii. Trials we don’t bring on our selves

1) Matthew 5:45 - "he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

2) Job did not bring his trials on himself

3) Joseph did not bring his trials on himself

c. Christ himself told us..

i. John 16:33 - “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

ii. This is after Christ has promised the coming of the Paraclete!

iii. He is saying Look, I am sending you the comforter, who will be with you always

iv. Also every trial you face, I am with you and I have also conquered it already!

d. The life of the Apostle Paul is a life marked with suffering and trials.

i. 2 Cor 11:23-27 -

23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in 1bfar more labors, in 1cfar more imprisonments, 2dbeaten times without number, often in danger of death.

24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.

26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;

27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

ii. What are we supposed to do if all these trials are promised to us?

1) 2 Cor 1:5 - "For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ."

2) There may have a great need for comfort today, my answer for you and the promise of the Word is that Christ is that comfort!

2. The Helpless

a. Paul and Silas were chained to a wall, they were indeed helpless.

i. There was not a natural way they could have gotten out of their situation.

ii. They were literally in a place they could not save themselves out of. -->

b. They were thrown in the inner prison. (24)

i. They were chained to the wall by their feet.

ii. They were beaten

iii. They were bloody

iv. They were tired

v. It was cold, dark, and wet.

c. Verse 25…BUT

i. It is an unexpected turn, this verse should not say what it says.

ii. IT DOES NOT SAY…

1) "They pouted all night

2) "they decreed and declared

3) "they brought judgment down on Rome

4) "They found a spoon and started digging

iii. BUT…about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing Hymns of Praise to God

1) What were they singing??

2) Whatever it was is classified as a Hymn…That is most likely a Psalm or something that was made up by the Christian Church about Christ.

3) Eph 5:14 -

14 For this reason it says,

“Awake, sleeper,

And arise from the dead,

And Christ will shine on you.”

4) 1 Tim 3:16 -

16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:

He who was revealed in the flesh,

Was 1cvindicated 2in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Proclaimed among the nations,

Believed on in the world,

Taken up in glory.

5) The Disciples sang a Hymn with Jesus on the night he was betrayed

a) Most scholars agree that this was taken from Psalm 113-118 the "Hallel" or "Praise"

6) And as they raised up the name of Jesus and sang the glories of God

a) The Ground began to shake,

b) Prison doors began to open

c) Walls began to fall

d) Chains began to come loose

7) As they sang and Praised God during thier trial, God began to move in a mighty way to deliver them from thier trouble!

iv. They have the attitude that is best during trials and tribulations! one of praise!

1) This is the joy unspeakable and the fullness of glory 1 Pet 1:8

2) This is a joy that doesnt make sense in trials.

d. Can i just tell you that God is a deliverer!

i. He can deliver you from addiction

ii. He can deliver you from your shame

iii. Your guilt and pain

iv. HE IS A DELIVERER

3. The Hopeless

a. He not only is a help to the hurting, a deliverer to the helpless, but also a deliverer to the hopeless!

i. Who are the hopeless here?

1) The Jailer

2) The prisoners

ii. Notice back in v. 25 while Paul and Silas were singing, the prisoners heard them!

iii. As Paul and Silas sang and were deliverd it lead to the deliverance of thsoe around them!

b. Look at the poor jailer.

i. When he awoke in verse 27

ii. he was about to KILL HIMSELF

iii. TALK ABOUT HOPELESS

iv. he belived that there was no other option for him

v. OH BUT GOD HAD ANOTHER PLAN

vi. PAUL CRIED OUT

vii. the Jailer said WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

c. Paul had the answer

d. I know the answer

e. The scriptures declare the answer

f. "believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved

i. That is it! not a might be saved, but a will be saved

Conclusion

• Christ is for the hurting

• Christ is for he helpless

• Christ is for the hopeless