Good morning everyone. For those who do not know I would like to inform everybody that we already had an official website for our church. I’d like to encourage everyone to visit our website because there you can review my sermon manuscript/notes and you can use it for your devotion.
The name of the website: bayateron.cw.center. Aside from that, I will be posting a variety of Christian eBooks that can be downloaded for self-study and self-meditation.
Last Sunday, we talked about THE PURPOSE OF SUFFERING God intended it so that our faith may be strengthened, we can rely on God and we become like Christ-like character.
Now, I’m going to share with you entitled “ GOD’S PROMISE OF SUFFERING. Let’s pray
3 SIGNIFICANT PROMISE OF GOD OF SUFFERING
I. HE WILL COMFORT US
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
We can never be effective in every aspect of life if we don’t undergo trials and suffering why? For that reason likewise, He wants us to minister
The word “comfort’ here is taken from the word “comforter” in the Greek word “ paraclete which means advocate or comforter.
1 John 2:1. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The word advocate is the same Greek word translated comforter.
When our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He was the Comforter to His disciples. He was together with to sustain them when they were drifting on the storm-tossed sea.
He was alongside to supply for them when there was a shortage of food. He was beside to strengthen them when they suffered persecution at the hands of their enemies. He was along with to solace them in their sorrows.
I want you to know that our God whom we served is the God of “ ALL TROUBLES” He doesn’t say here “ some troubles” but of “ ALL TROUBLES.” In other words whenever we have problems and suffering in life God still there with you to comfort us. Do we hearsay Amen bah!
I just want you to pause for a moment and think off well and ask yourself Am I a comforter to my children or bad reporter. Am I a comforter of those people coming to me.
In fact, our Lord Jesus when He was on His earthly ministry and start serving the people His primary focus was to save problematic people from their hopeless situation that they may be relieved from their discouragement of suffering, he used to uplift to the downfalls and give them hope.
God wants us to be a paraclete that gives a word of hope to the suffering people.
GOD’S PROMISE OF SUFFERING
II. HE WILL GIVE US INNER PEACE
The world we live in can not offer us a real peace in life. No matter how pretty and good place it is if Christ is absent in us, we can never be obtained a genuine peace unless we get connected with Christ to become your Lord and Savior.
The Comfort zone of life unable us to give perfect peace Am I right? Even though we might sleeping on an expensive bed or be in a quiet, peaceful, and air-conditioned room it doesn’t guarantee us that we would sleep well or just we have a pathway to peace.
John 14:27 New King James Version
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
There’s an old saying, money can buy a comfortable bed but can’t buy sound sleep. Amen bah!
To understand the great fact peace is our inheritance of being a Christian. Peace is what Jesus has left us. It is essential and can not be taken away from us by any circumstance. This is
what He means by, “not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let me ask you a question. How does the world give peace?
For instance, we were troubled and you went to a doctor who was not a Christian and asked him, “what can I do to secure peace?” What would he tell us?
Perhaps he would say, Take a trip. Go to Siargao, Palawan, Hawaii, or Singapore. Getaway from it all. In other words, Change your circumstances. Go to a place where nothing bothers you, where everything is peaceful around you. Then you can be at peace.
But Jesus says, I give peace right in the midst of trouble, right in the midst of distress and turmoil and heartache and pressure. I can impart peace to your heart right there, and not as the world gives.
Why? Because we can return to that basic relationship we have–You in Me, and I in you. Out of that comes the guarantee that He is working out His purposes.
He will bring us to the end of the trouble. He will still the storm and quiet the waves.
We rest in the boat, content, knowing, No water can swallow the ship, where lies the Master of ocean and earth and sky. That is peace.
Peace I leave with you. [Therefore], the Lord adds, do not let your hearts be troubled. That is addressed to all of us!
It means you do not have to be upset and anxious, weary and worried. Do not let your hearts be troubled.
How? By returning to that place of rest. Return to the phone booth and rest there in the confidence that Superman is within and will work the situation out for you and will accomplish His purpose through you.
Last but not the least, GOD’S PROMISE OF SUFFERING
III. HE WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL
Isaiah 54:10 ESV For the mountains may depart and the hills are removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
I’d like to focus on one prominent person in the old testament who used to experience rapid trials not only on his personal life but also on his entire household and friends who were abstained during his agony of afflictions and that his name was Job.
In spite of all the suffering of Job, he lost all of his
livelihood, he lost his loving children, he lost his health, neighbors and friends were suspicious him, helpers at home get rid of him, unfortunately, his wife scolded and criticized him due to heavy trials and she wanted him to commit suicide. To make a long story short, Job remains faithful he bow downed and worshiped the living God.
Job 1:20 New King James Version
Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
Let me ask you a question. Is there a time you worshiped the living God when you were down, you were in confusion, in your pain and heartache? You were in emotional disorder, you were broken-hearted, you were in health problem, you were in financial difficulty, you were in marital challenge?
Would you bow and worship the living God? God found Job that he is faithful. He lost everything but he never lost his faith in God. faith of Job can not be shaken despite of rapid trials.
Job’s faithfulness was tested and proven.
Job 23:10 (NKJV) But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
I could say that God is very faithful to Himself and to the life of Job not because Job was perfect but because he was an optimistic– hopeful and confident about the future.
The Lord restores Job fortunes and gave him twice as much he had before.
Job 42:10-12
“The Lord restored Job’s fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.”
Therefore, God will remain faithful no matter who you are, what you are, what is your background in life. He will never look at your mistake from your past but God is looking to your heart.