Adversity

Adversity Response
Poverty Panic
Sickness Crumble
Lose Home / Job Bitter, Hostile
How can a loving God allowed this?
Two Attitudes:
1. Burden – restless, burn-out, heaviness
2. Bridge – An opportunity to rise up from the problem
Principles to hold on during in adversity

1. He is in control
2. He can make all things good. Rom 8:28
Paul’s Adversaries - 2 Cor 11:23b-28
23
I have worked much harder, been in prison more
frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to
death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews
the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with
rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was
shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I
have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger
from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow
Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger
in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false
believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone
without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often
gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides
everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all
the churches.
Paul’s Response – 2 Cor 12:8-10

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from
me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all
the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power
may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Adversary + God’s Grace = Strong/come out winning
How can an adversary become a delight, according to Paul?

Can you share your experience about an adversary that
turned into a delight?
Another Response of Paul - Phil 3:8-10

8
What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose
sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may
gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness
of my own that comes from the law, but that which is
through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from
God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to
know the power of his resurrection and participation in his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Is this knowledge the most important in your life?
Paul’s Learnings from Adversity

1. Contentment – Phil 4:11
11
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have
learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
He wrote his epistles from prison, he didn’t sulk while in

prison. He even discovered a lot of revelations.
2. Experience God’s supernatural Strength in weakness

– 2 Cor 12:10
10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul got this surge of power from God to keep going in

the midst of adversity.
3. Source of all his needs – 2 Cor 12:9
9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ’s power may rest on me.
This intimate relationship gave him a sense of sufficiency
through his promises (provider, healer, rewarder, etc).
God gave him this supernatural energy to keep going on
by not looking to himself but to God.
4. Trust in the faithfulness of God – 2Cor 12:10

10
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses,
in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For
when I am weak, then I am strong.
Whatever circumstances we are in we can trust him that

He can
5. God values your service than your desire – 2Cor 12:7

7
or because of these surpassingly great
revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from
becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a
messenger of Satan, to torment me.
He will overlook my desire in order to equip me to serve

him by developing an enjoyable intimate relationship
with him. And Paul didn’t want to loose this opportunity.
6. Strengthening his relationship with other people

– Phil 1:13-14
13
As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole
palace guard[a] and to everyone else that I am in
chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of
the brothers and sisters have become confident in the
Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel
without fear.
God is strengthening his message to the guard and to his

followers and other people.
7. Everything is coming from God – 2Cor 12:7

7
God could have stop it but he allowed it
8. He becomes more effective comforter through adversity

- 2 Cor 1:3-4
3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all
comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we
can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we
ourselves receive from God.
We can become the most effective and strongest

comforter if we had experienced the fiercest storms of
life.
Im I willing to suffer lost?
9. God had a specific purpose for adversity – 2 Cor 12:7

7
When we face adversaries, ask God what is His purpose

for this. If God allows something in our life will it be for
good or bad purpose?
Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works

for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been
called according to his purpose.”
10. He can rejoice in the midst of adversity – Phil 4:4

4
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Paul wrote this in jail in the Roman prison instead of
pitying himself and demanding for his freedom to God
instead he was gleaning and learning and reaping the
most riches of rewards of who God is that he serve.
How have you been acting towards adversity? Are seeing

it as a burden or as a bridge?

Adversity

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Adversity Response

How can a loving God allowed this?

Principles to hold on during in adversity

Paul’s Response – 2 Cor 12:8-10

Adversary + God’s Grace = Strong/come out winning

How can an adversary become a delight, according to Paul?

Another Response of Paul - Phil 3:8-10

Is this knowledge the most important in your life?

Paul’s Learnings from Adversity

He wrote his epistles from prison, he didn’t sulk while in

2. Experience God’s supernatural Strength in weakness

Paul got this surge of power from God to keep going in

4. Trust in the faithfulness of God – 2Cor 12:10

Whatever circumstances we are in we can trust him that

5. God values your service than your desire – 2Cor 12:7

He will overlook my desire in order to equip me to serve

6. Strengthening his relationship with other people

God is strengthening his message to the guard and to his

7. Everything is coming from God – 2Cor 12:7

God could have stop it but he allowed it

8. He becomes more effective comforter through adversity

We can become the most effective and strongest

Im I willing to suffer lost?

9. God had a specific purpose for adversity – 2 Cor 12:7

When we face adversaries, ask God what is His purpose

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works

10. He can rejoice in the midst of adversity – Phil 4:4

How have you been acting towards adversity? Are seeing

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