Bible Text: 2 Thessalonians 1 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship

How should we respond when life gets difficult?

#GodsBiggerStory

— Pastor Lou’s Notes —
Intro:
Life does get tough at times, isn’t that right? What are some of life’s tough situations? It could be rebellious children, a pregnancy of a young teen girl, problems with a neighbor, you or a family member battling addiction, the loss of a spouse or child, a stressed marriage, battling a low self-esteem, etc…

When we encounter trials and tribulations, we can either run for them or face them by faith in the promises of God. If we run from them, we will miss out on what God wants us to learn and apply to our lives. Consequently, we will miss out on His blessing of our faith and love growing and we usually make the situation worse.

Paul gives us some principles about how God brings about spiritual maturity in the life of a Christ follower. The Bible seems to indicate that faith and love are like a muscles. In order for muscles to became stronger and grow, they must be exercised! Muscles become stronger under the stress of weight and exercise. So, we need to realize the God allows the weight of trials and tribulations in our lives in order for us to exercise and strengthen our faith. That will only happen if we respond to trials and hard times in a manner that honors God.

1. Trials and Tribulations are the weights that exercise our faith and love v. 3-4

1. Why does God allow persecutions and trials?
1. He helps us learn more about His character
1. He is always faithful in His promises e.g He will never leave us or forsake us
2. He is love, grace and righteousness
3. He can see past our immediate circumstance
4. He knows what is best for us

2. He lets us learn more about ourselves and our character

1. There might be sin in our lives that needs to be confessed and from which we need to repent
2. We can learn a deepening dependence of God, His Word and the Holy Spirit
1. Faith is exercised and is getting stronger

3. We can be learn compassion for those who experience trials and hard times
4. We start to become less judgmental of others

1. Love is exercised and getting stronger

2. God will always reveal Christ and His Justice v. 5-10
1. The Bible seems to link living for Christ with suffering
1. One of the reasons for this is that evil lives in the world and this darkness stands against the light and holiness of Christ and His Word
2. Please note that we don’t suffer in order to earn our salvation
1. Our salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ and nothing else!
2. Hard times will show our faith, refine and strengthen our faith and character

3. Darkness will always try to extinguish the light of Jesus
4. Therefore there will be and continue to be trials and suffering in this world
5. God will not let this happen without equipping His followers to bear up under it and grow their faith, love and character.

1. God’s judgment is always right
1. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble Christ followers
1. This will happen in His perfect timing when Christ comes back and establishes His 1000 year reign on the earth
2. Christ will punish those who do not know God or hear the gospel and reject it
1. Punishment is eternal
2. Punishment will include most of all eternal separation from God. This is the very definition of hell. Total isolation with no hope.

3. Christ will reward those who have been faithful to Him and endured through the trails and persecution
1. We will always receive God’s blessing for living by faith and doing His will
2. We will receive His rewards when He returns

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1. Our future give us motivation to persevere
1. We need to live up to our high calling
1. We do this by Christ’s power
2. The result is the our lives glorify Christ and Christ is glorified in us

2. The challenge
1. It is and always will be our choice as to how we respond to trials and tribulations
1. Run away
2. Trust and Obey God by faith
3. With His help, exercise our faith

Closing Illus:

There is a banking commercial that asks the question, “What is in your wallet?”. Perhaps the first question for today is what are you facing? What trail and/or persecution? Perhaps the second question for today is will we respond in faith permitting God to increase or faith and love? Will we let God transform us from the inside out to bring our character more in live with Jesus’?