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Do you see only struggles?

Have you gone through, or maybe you’re going through a time of struggle to struggle?

— These times can lead us to be disappointed in God’s handling of our lives.

– Disappointments tend to lead us into doubting. (This is a natural reaction to experiencing disappointments)

– We should be careful when dealing with our calling to follow God, that we do not let any of our life’s disappointments affect our trust in Him.

(It helps to remember who is the master and who is the servant.)

May I suggest the way the Apostle Paul handled such things sets us a wonderful example…

Let’s read 2^nd Corinthians 11:24-31… (ESV) Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.  (25)  Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;  (26)  on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;  (27)  in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  (28)  And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.  (29)  Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?  (30)  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.  (31)  The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.

Q1. Put a checkmark for every suffering Paul endured…

O- 5X forty lashes     O- 3X beaten with rods     O- 3X shipwrecked     O- endangered by rivers

O- in danger of robbery     O- hunted by other Jews and Gentiles     O- betrayed

O- in danger in the wilderness and on the seas     O- feeling burdened by work

O- suffering sleepless nights     O- going hungry or thirsty     O- suffering cold exposure

O- Worry about other brothers and sisters

— Of course, this question is designed to illustrate how much the Apostle Paul can testify to suffering…

Q2. From 2^nd Corinthians 11:29… Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? — Here Paul is asking us to understand…

a/ his anxiety over the sufferings of others.     b/ his anger at injustice and abuse.     c/ both a & b.

Q3. From 2^nd Corinthians 11:30… If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Why does Paul say this?

a/ to brag about how much he’s suffered.     b/ to show how God understands our weaknesses.

Q4. If you understand, as Paul did, that God knows our weaknesses…

— How do you think He reacts to them?

a/ He gets frustrated.     b/ He gets angry.     c/ He is sympathetic and forgiving.

Oswald Chambers proposed that the root of all sin lies in the suspicion that God is not good.

– This suspicion brings us into doubt… Faith, on the other hand, looks past all our struggling and trusts that God is with us and working in us, for blessings not for suffering.
— This brings up a KEY question… Who is being blessed by our struggling and suffering?

(HINT: It isn’t always about us, sometimes God is trying to minister to others.)

To look into that further, we’ll read Philippians 1:3-6… (ESV) I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,  (4)  always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,  (5)  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  (6)  And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Q5. Fill in the blanks…

From Vs.6… He who began a good work in you will _____ __ __ ____________.

a/ quit and give up.     b/ forsake you and leave.     c/ bring it to completion

On Pg.#2, for further discussion, we will look at… What GOOD WORK(S) has God started in you?

_____________________________

What GOOD WORK has God started in you?  (Pg.#2)

SEE Romans 12:6-8 (GNB) So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;  (7)  if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach;  (8)  if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

— A question before we go any further… Who do we use God’s gifts for?  (Ourselves OR Others?)

(Highlighted in the underlined phrases above.)

Q6. In Romans 12:6-8, Paul makes a partial list of various gifts God gives His people…

(Checkmark the ones you can find above.)

O – Speaking God’s message.     O – Serving.     O – Teaching.     O – Sharing.

O – Having authority.     O – Acts of kindness.     O – Selfishness.     O – Encouraging.

* (If anyone selected Selfishness, I think you need to explain yourself 😉

From Vs.8 I want to focus on the word, “encourage” — From the Greek word parakaleō (par-ak-al-eh’-o); to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration or consolation): – beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) *exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

(*Footnote: exhort comes from the Latin meaning “to urge earnestly”.)

1^st Thessalonians 5:9-11 (ESV) For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  (10)  who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.  (11)  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Q7. How is the gift of encouragement to be used? (Underline the correct answer.)

a/ To enable those who choose to live in sin.     b/ To comfort and strengthen fellow believers.

Paul also wrote in Philippians 1:3-6… (ESV) I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,  (4)  always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,  (5)  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  (6)  **And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Q8. How does Paul view all who work in these various services for the Lord?

(Checkmark the answers found above.)

O – He is frustrated. O – He sees them as his partners. O – He is thankful.

O – He prays for them. O – He’s sure that God will continue these good works in them.

Paul told God’s people, that they were partners in the gospel… He saw the work that we do, using our giftings, as partnering in spreading the Gospel of salvation and the building of God’s Kingdom.

**I am also sure that as God has begun a good work in each of you, He will bring it to completion, and someday you will find out how many others you helped find Christ Jesus as their Savior.

Click here for a PDF copy of pg.#1 to print

Click here for a PDF copy of pg.#2 to print