Mims Chapel Church 

LESSON 9 • Fourth Week

The Disciple's Ministry
Through Much Tribulation

Background Reading                   Devotional Reading
Acts 14:18-19; Ephesians              Romans 5:3-8
6:12; 2 Thessaloniansl :4-7; 2
Timothy 2:12; Colossians 1:5;

Central Verse
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribula­tions: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33, KJV

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world."
John 16:33, NLT


Key Terms
Survive—To remain alive: continue to exist.
Springboard—Something that helps launch, start an activity, enterprise, etc.
Endurance—The ability to withstand hardship or adversity.

Introduction

Jesus lets the believer know that if he were to live godly, he would suffer persecution. There will always be enemies of God and righteousness who will do anything that they can to hinder or harm the children of righteous­ness. So, He tells the believers repeatedly so they can be prepared for the ungodly attacks of the enemies.

Jesus wants the believers to know that even though the attacks are coming from the devil, they have a specific purpose in their lives. And He wants the believers to look at the positive side of tribulations. Jesus wants the believer to learn to find glory in the negativity that Satan brings. "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulations worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:3-5, KJV).

The New Living Translation says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love." NLT.

Discussion

Tribulation is a cause of grief, great trouble, or suffering. Those who commit themselves to Christ's Lordship and those who enter the kingdom of God must suffer "much tribulation" along the way. The way may not be easy, but the believer can take comfort in the fact that Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit will be with them every step of the way. Remember that Satan is the "God of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and that means that the believer is in a very hostile and toxic environment, so he must engage in spiritual warfare against sin and Satan's power. The believers who are faithful and committed to God, His Word, and His righteous ways can expect trouble in this world. This world does not like you; The present evil world and false believers will remain adversaries to the gospel of Jesus Christ until the Lord overthrows the world's wicked and evil system at Christ's return.

Meanwhile, know that Christ will be an enemy to your enemy and an adver­sary to your adversary. He will be there for you during every battle. The hope of the believer is laid up for the believer in heaven (Colossians 1:5), and it will be revealed in the last time. The believer's hope is not in this world, but in the appearance of their Savior when He comes back for them.

Peter tells the believer that since Christ has suffered for them in the flesh, they must prepare their minds and know that they are going to suffer like­wise (1 Peter 4:1).

Paul had been preaching and witnessing to the people with such fervency, and many people were blessed. His message had stirred up so much hatred and anger that certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium had come and per­suaded the people to stone Paul and put him outside the city, thinking that he was dead. God didn't always protect His people from bodily harm, as the believers know that even today, the kingdom of God advances at a signifi­cant cost. So, even though he was hurt, God would not allow them to kill him.

The Church continued to grow despite tribulation. As the Church grew, the disciples continued to fast and pray over every decision. In the early Church, believers were taught that "if you fast, you will last and if you pray, you will stay." As they fasted and prayed, Peter and the leaders ordained Elders in every Church. Due to persecution and tribulation, the believers met frequently and remained close to one another. Most of the time, they ate together and prayed together, because fellowship was very important to them. Sometimes in modern churches, the members don't check on each other enough. But when the believers are going through, they need to know that the other saints are concerned and are there for them.

Conclusion

If the believers could remember that God has a specific reason for allowing tribulations and that it's working for their good. Tribulation works to build patience. In their walk with God, it's very necessary to have patience. Pa­tience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering with­out getting angry or upset. A believer who is a good leader must be slow to anger; he must be able to control his emotions and possess himself. It's vital in the lives of leaders that they have reasonable control of their spirit, or the Holy Spirit will not be able to work in and through them.

Therefore, there is a reason for patience, as it helps establish experience. Whenever a person applies for a job, the employer wants to know how much experience he has. The person must have a work history and be able to demonstrate knowledge or mastery of an event, or have gained knowl­edge through involvement in or exposure to it.

Experience is something that others can't take from another person. His experience belongs to him because he gained it. Because he went through tribulation or suffered, he has developed endurance, and endurance has developed strength of character, which leads the believer to hope. Hope is a springboard to faith. Faith is something that a believer can survive on, because they shall live by faith.

QUESTIONS

Will the believers who are faithful and committed to God, His Word, and His righteousness suffer persecution?
Is the believer's hope in this world?
How does tribulation work to build patience?

Essential Thoughts- "Surviving tribulations lets the believer know that they have what it takes to activate their faith."

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