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Handling Adversity As Christian 18072024 - Apostle Peterson Onoja Abu
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In this transcription, the speaker begins by thanking God and praying for strength and encouragement in the midst of difficult times. They then introduce the topic of earthly adversity and how being a Christian does not exempt one from facing challenges in life. They use the example of Job's story from the Bible to illustrate this point. The speaker emphasizes that God permits adversity and that how one handles it determines how quickly they can overcome it. They then reference James chapter 1, verses 1-4, which encourages believers to count it as joy when they face trials because it produces patience and strengthens their faith. The speaker concludes by stating that challenges come in different forms and at different stages of life, but they are all meant to refine and strengthen believers. We appreciate your name for this evening. We thank you Lord because we know you have called us together to have a time where your word will come to strengthen us in a difficult season, in a time like this. Father, we have come to seek strength from you, waiting upon you so that you can strengthen us and encourage us in the work and in the service of the Lord. Thank you Lord for the plans and promises you have towards us as your children. Thank you for every member, every worker, every minister. Thank you Lord for everyone that you have plans and promises for. Thank you Lord for what you have planned to do and thank you Lord for what you will do and what you are doing. We are asking you Lord that this evening let your word come to us as healing. Let it become a healing balm to our soul so that we can receive encouragement and strength and grace to serve you even in a challenging time like this. Help every heart in the mighty name of Jesus. Thank you Father because you are faithful. For in Jesus' mighty name we pray. This evening we will be talking about an important topic which I believe will be a strength to us as Christians. First of all I want to appreciate everyone of us for making that time to be in this meeting. My prayer to God Almighty is that it is going to be a blessing to our lives in the name of Jesus. Let us open our Bible to the book of Job chapter 1 verse 6. Job chapter 1, I read from verse 6. Job chapter 1, chapter 1 from verse 6. The Bible says in verse 6, I will read down to verse 22. Please follow, I want everyone of you to open your Bible, follow me please. From verse 6, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Sata came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Sata answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said unto Satan, Hath thou considered myself and Job, that there is none like him in the earth? A perfect and upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil. And that is wonderful boasting, God was boasting about the man Job. My prayer to God Almighty is that you and I will be a reason why God will boast. Verse 9, Then Sata answered the Lord, and said, Doeth Job fear God for naught? Hath thou not made an edge about him, and about his house, and about all that he had on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and it will cause thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power. Wholly upon himself put not forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their elder brother's house. And there came a message unto Job, and said, The ozzing were flowing, and the asses feeding beside them. And the Sabians fell upon them, and took them away. Yea, they slay all the servants with the edge of the sword. And I wholly am escaped alone to tell thee. And while he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is falling from heaven. In fact, it was called the fire of God. And had borne upon the sheep and the servants, and consumed them. And I wholly am escaped alone to tell thee. And while he was yet speaking, there came another also, and said, The Shadians made out their three bombs, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away. Yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword. And I wholly am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Satan, and while he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their elder brother's house. And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house. And it fell upon the young men. And they are dead. And I wholly am escaped alone to tell thee. Let us read from verse twenty to verse twenty-two together. One, two, go. Then Job arose, and went his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Verse twenty-two, And in all this Job seemed not, nor charged God foolishly. It is a pitiable situation, and it was pitiable to Job and to his family. We are talking about a very important topic. The first notion I want to clear is that being a Christian does not shield you from going through challenges on earth. Being a Christian does not make you exceptional when it comes to life challenges. In fact, being a Christian might even make your challenges on earth to be tough. Because Jesus never promised that we would have peace on earth or we have comfort on earth. Although he promised to give us an inner comfort, an inner peace that goes beyond human understanding. An inner peace that goes beyond human feelings and thinking. Meaning that in the midst of adversity, in the midst of challenges, you can sustain the peace of God to keep you and to encourage you to endure through that season of challenges. I will be discussing with you on what I titled as earthly adversity. Earthly adversity as a Christian. Adversity will always come. It came upon the patriarch of faith in the Old Testament. And it came upon the apostles and the disciples of Jesus in the New Testament. It even came upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, a servant is not greater than his master. There will be adversity that will come to you. It will come in different degrees. It will come at different times. It will come at different patterns. But in whichever way, there are seasons of adversity. And that is why the topic is coming to encourage us on how we can endure adversity as Christians. How we can endure adversity as Christians. Now the thing you must understand is God permits it. In this world, there are different seasons. There are seasons where everything goes very bad and very worst. And that does not mean that God is against you. Now the reason we are talking about this particular topic is that most of us as Christians, we easily give up our faith when we stay too long in challenges. And sometimes, many churches, many pastors, they are not rightly dividing the word of God by showing you that in this coming year, you will never face adversity. You know there are many end of the year prophecies for the new year. And there are many new year prophecies like that. That okay, in this coming year, Nigeria will be better. There won't be adversity. The churches will not face any challenges. Well, I appreciate such encouraging prophecy. But the truth of the matter is that it cannot be fulfilled generally on everyone. So those that are not going to challenges now, may go through challenges next month. What I'm trying to explain to you is that as long as we are on this planet earth, there are bound to be adversities. But how we handle adversity determines if we will quickly come out from it or if we will stay much longer in it. Let us open to the book of James chapter 1 verse 1 to 4. James chapter 1 from verse 1 to verse 4. When we read in Job, we saw that Job, a righteous man, yet went through adversity. He lost everything, everything he lost. And that was a great loss. Now, James chapter 1 from verse 1 to verse 4. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. Greetings. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations. If you use other translations there to read that verse too, it says, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse trials. Now, another word for adversity is called trials. Another word for hard times is called trials. Another word for tough times is called trials. Another word for life challenges is also called trials. Verse 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith will get patience. That means, if you go through trials and you undergo it according to what we are about to teach you, according to the scriptural pattern, at the end of the trial, when you eventually overcome that adversity or that trial, you will develop a nature, a divine, refined nature called patience. Patience, you know, for you to be able to possess the spirit of patience, you should be able to go through what we call trials. Patience cannot come upon you without the test. How do we know that you have developed patience? It is when you have gone through the test of life. You have gone through the test of time. You have gone through what I call adversity. And you conquer adversity. The result, the evidence that you have gone through adversity is that it deposits in you a very refined nature that is called patience. So that is what the Bible says in verse 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh towards patience. It produces in you patience. Hallelujah. Then verse 4. But let patience, you should allow patience to have a perfect work, that here may be perfect and entire, one see nothing. So where we read in the New Testament now, we have seen that Christians, believers, can go through challenges of life. In different degree, in different ways of life. So sometimes it may not come in the same way that this other brother is going through it. It may not come in the same way that this other sister goes through it. Are you with me now? It will come in different ways, but they are all working the same thing in our lives. We are going to face challenges of life at different stages of our life. At different stages of our life. Before you got married as a single brother, as a single sister, there were some peculiar challenges you were going through. If you look back right now, you will discover that you are not going through those things again. That is when you were still single or possibly when you were in secondary school, when you were still in high school. You go through some challenges that currently you are not going through now. When you went into the college or the university, there was a kind of different, peculiar challenge that you were going through that you were not going through while you were in secondary school. Now you are going through it in college. But if you look today, you are not going through that challenge again. Now when you went through your secondary school, your university, and you went for your youth service for those in Nigeria, or you went for your high tea service for those in Nigeria, and after everything, as a single brother, there were some peculiar challenges that you were going through that currently now you are married, you are not going through. Now you are married, before you had a child, there were some peculiar challenges you were going through as newly wedded couples, just you and your spouse. There were some peculiar challenges that both of you were going through. If you look at today, now you are not going through those challenges again. That is because you have gotten a child. Currently that you have a child, there are entirely different challenges. Challenges. Adversity that you are going through. Very different from the ones, or from the challenges you went through in your past. There is a peculiar challenge you are going through currently now. So what am I trying to prove to you? I'm trying to let you know that adversity, challenges will come at different stages of our life. Now, as a Christian, how we handle these challenges determines if we are truly Christians or not. How we handle these challenges determines if we are truly matured spiritually or not. So it is the handling of adversity that determines whether we have depth in God, whether we are connected to God, and whether we are going to overcome the storms and the challenges of life. Now let us go to the book of Proverbs 24 verse 10. Proverbs 24 verse 10. Proverbs 24 verse 10. The Bible says in verse 10, If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. If you faint in the day of adversity, if you give up, if you give up your faith, if you give up your life, there are two ways of giving up. As a Christian, you can give up your faith and say, because of what I'm going through in life, I'm not going to continue with God. Because of the challenges of life I'm going through, I'm not going to be connected to God again. That is giving up. Others may give up by taking their life, committing suicide. Now if you give up, it means your strength is small. It means you have not yet built capacity in God. So challenges comes to also test the strength of our faith, and to test how strong our strength or our faith is. The period of adversity is a period of hard time. It's a period of hard time. It's a period of affliction. It's a period of misery. It might be a time you are going through a very terminal diseases, incurable sicknesses, diseases. That is also called adversity. It might be a time where you have to, you know, you lost your loved ones, you lost your relative, you lost someone so dear to you. That is also called a period of adversity. It can be a time of joblessness, where you lost your job, you have no job. That is also called a period of adversity. It can also be a time where you lost, you know, every opportunity that brings financial provision to that home, that provides financial support. You lost all your businesses. You lost, you know, every financial source of income. You lost those things. That can also be a period of adversity. It can be a period where, you know, things are very tough. You couldn't, you know, pay your house rent, and you were sent out from that house. You were sent to pack out from that house. You were given quick notice. This is also a period. It can also be a season of childlessness, barrenness, and you are trusting God for the fruit of the womb. That is also a season. It can be a season of false accusation. It can be a season where you were, you know, accused of something, and you were taken to the prison. That may also be a season of affliction, a season of adversity. So when we talk about the period of adversity, we're actually talking about a period of hard time, a period of affliction, a period of misery, and it's a time full of trouble, a time full of trouble, full of tempests, full of tragedy. So as believers, believers are sometimes not spared out of these challenges because you are a Christian does not mean that you will not go through a season like this. They will not last, but you will go through them. They may not last for long, but they will always come. There will always be a season where our confession and our faith in God will be tested. So but as Christians, it's not, you know, the myths or the magnitude of our sadness that matter. It's not the magnitude of our challenges that matter. When God allows those challenges to come, I don't know how the depth of the challenges may be. It might look so bigger than you. Sometimes you might even think that this situation will kill you. There is no challenges. There is no trial that comes to you that God has not given you capacity to handle. Most times we do not realize that what God allows to come to us, we have the capacity to overcome. So in the midst of challenges, many believers, you know, they lost their faith. They disconnect from God. And sometimes they think that the challenges they are going through, God is not aware of it. God is aware of it. God is aware of them. And God is willing to bring you out from them. But you see, there is something, there is a lesson that God wants you to learn from that challenge. Now adversity is inevitable part of life. It is an inevitable part of life. It is something that will always come. Whether you are a Christian, whether you are not a Christian, it is something that will always come in life. So whether it comes in form of personal trials, maybe you have health issues, or you have financial struggles, or it comes as external challenges, maybe you have issues like national disasters. There was fire outbreak that burnt off your business, or burnt off your apartment, your house, your buildings, and made you to become homeless. So everyone faces difficulty at some point in life. Always put it at the back of your mind that everyone faces difficulties at some point in life. So as Christians, how we handle this adversity significantly impacts our life. Are you with me? It impacts our spiritual goods, our weakness to others, and our relationship with God. There won't be testimonies if we do not endure challenges and use God's own ways to handle those challenges. There won't be testimonies because the world is waiting for your testimonies. The world wants to see what God can do at such a time. And you are going through that problem so that you can be a testifier to the fact that a man can go through such a problem with God and still overcome. Think of the person of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and think of them. They were thrown into the fire. God didn't stop the Babylonian officers from throwing them into the fire. God didn't stop them, but they threw them into the fire where God manifested His power. It was not before the fire. It was inside the fire. So inside the challenges, inside the storms, inside the trials, you will find grace to overcome. They were inside the fire and God was with them. So sometimes believers think that because they are Christians, there is no need for them to go through challenges. No, it is in the midst of challenges that God wants to manifest His power. The disciples were on the ship and the boat was about to capsize. Jesus was sleeping there. Imagine that we are facing storms in the sea, but Jesus was there. The question is, if I have Jesus in me, will I face storms in life? Yes. Jesus can be in your boat that is about to sink. There can be storms, but it will never sink. The difference between you and the unbelievers is that whatsoever you are going through in life as a Christian, it can be tough, it can be hard, it can be challenging, but it will never destroy you. It will never destroy you because Jesus is inside there with you. But for the unbelievers, when the storm comes, when the rain comes, when challenges come, it comes to destroy them. That is why most times when the unbelievers are going through challenges, sometimes they encourage themselves by fornicating, by drinking, by womanizing, by committing atrocities. Sometimes they go into drugs. They say when they take these drugs, when they drink this alcohol, it wipes away the memory for that time, just for that moment. But as Christians, we do not do those things. So there can be storms in the boat where Jesus is. Let us like in that boat to be a Christian, and Jesus is inside that Christian. The Spirit of Christ is in you. Yes, there were storms. Yes, there were storms. So one thing you must understand is that being a Christian does not prevent you from facing challenges. It will only make the challenges to produce the reality of your ordination. There is a deposit in you that the world wants to see. There is a deposit in you that God wants you to use to bless humanity. There is a gift in you. There is a grace in you. Sometimes for that part, for that version of you to be manifested, sometimes God allows you to go through challenges. It is challenges that will bet that version of you that God and the world is waiting to see. So adversity is not a sign of God's disfavor. It is not a sign that God is against you. Imagine if Job was to be in our time. Imagine how many of us would be saying that the sin of Job is the reason why Job is suffering. How many of we wrongly judged like that? That we thought it was because of their sin, that was why they were going through challenges. We pastors have made that mistake. We Christians have made such mistakes. A brother that was doing fine suddenly lost everything and his life has been right before God. But because we can't see the reason why he can just lost everything. We just conclude and say maybe his sin is the one haunting him. Maybe the things he did in the past are coming to fight against him. But Job was a righteous man before God. God both said about Job and the next thing that followed was affliction. So sometimes we say, oh this brother is going through the challenges, this sister is going through the challenges because God has drawn away his favor. No, the most favored people can go through challenges. You can't say that Jesus going through Gethsemane, going through Jerusalem to the cross, to Calvary. You can't say that Jesus was disfavored. Even though when he was on the cross and he said, Father, Father, why has that forsaken me? He was not forsaken. He was not disfavored, though he was forsaken for that moment. But the Bible says, for God has highly exalted him and given him a name. That momentary challenge, that momentary season of affliction, of adversity is to lead you to glorification. If you can endure and if you can endure it scripturally. So the Bible is filled with stories of faithful people who face tremendous challenges. Job lost everything but remained steadfast in his faith. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and later imprisoned injustly. Yet, he continued to trust in God's plans. Paul experienced numerous hardships, including beating, shipwrecks, and imprisonment. But he kept his eyes on Christ. The presence of adversity is a result of the fallen world. It is because man has sinned against God from Genesis. That is why there is any adversity. But nevertheless, God can use this hardship that you are going through. He can use it for his purpose. And he can use it for our good. So let us come to God's purpose in adversity. If we say God can use our challenges. If we say God can use our problems for his purpose. Then we have to talk about God's purpose in adversity. Number one is for our spiritual growth. If God allows adversity. Number one is for our spiritual growth and maturity. So from James chapter 1 from verse 2 to verse 4 you see that James talks about that the twine of our faith worketh patience. So we begin to develop the fruit of the spirit. And one of the fruit of the spirit, patience is part of it. Patience is part of it. Patience is part of it. Temperance. That is self-control. So where we read in James chapter 1 verse 2 to verse 4. It teaches us that twine produces perseverance. Which is patience. Which in turn leads to maturity. So adversity can refine our character and deepen our faith. Adversity can refine our character and deepen our faith. You can later read Romans chapter 5 verse 3 to verse 4. Romans 5 to verse 4. Okay from verse 3 to verse 5. Romans chapter 5 from verse 3 to verse 5. It explains that the suffering, that suffering produces perseverance. Go back and check it. It produces perseverance, character and hope. And through adversity we can learn to rely more on God. Through adversity you can learn to rely more on God. There are times whereby when God observes that our faith in Him is not shifted to material things. It's not shifted to the salary that was increased, increased salary. It's not shifted to the job you just got. The very good job, the federal government job. And it's giving you a huge amount of money. Your faith is not depending on the business you open. Multi million businesses and transactions going on. And you have shifted your faith from God. Sometimes God will allow these challenges to come. So that we can find our bearing back to trusting God. It was trusting God that made some of us to become better in life today. Why are we not losing our trust in God? We are not trusting our skills. We are not trusting our qualifications. We are not trusting money, trusting our jobs. Trusting the mundane things of this world that cannot hold in the test of time. So God allows adversity sometimes for our spiritual growth and maturity. Number two, for our dependence on God. Dependence on God. You can later read 2 Corinthians chapter 12 from verse 9 to verse 10. 2 Corinthians chapter 12 from verse 9 to verse 10. So if you read it, it reminds us that God's power is made perfect in our weakness. So when we face challenges, we are driven to rely on His strength rather than our own. So God's power is made perfect in our weakness. And that is why we need to continually depend on God. Psalm 46 verse 1 declares that God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble. God is our refuge and strength. Psalm 46 verse 1, our ever-present help in trouble. So in adversity we find our true security and support in God. In adversity. It makes us to totally depend on God. Sometimes God allows people to disappoint you so that you can depend on Him. Certain people have been working hard from your life. God allows that to depend on you, for you to depend on Him. It happens everywhere. People work hard from your life. Even as pastors, we experience it in ministry. The moment our trust, our faith is not resting on certain persons, suddenly God will take them away. God will allow them to go. So that we can go back to trust Him alone. Sometimes when you have your uncles, have your mommy, have your dad, have everyone, your aunties, your elder brothers, your big brothers and big sisters, sending money to you in school, sometimes you may not even pray for provision again. You may not even ask God to provide for you again. Sometimes God will allow things to be difficult for them. So that you can look up onto the hill from where your help comes from. Your help comes from the Lord. Adversity is not made to destroy you, it is made to build you. It is made to develop you. It is made to make you to become a brand plucked out from fire. Adversity. So come now to biblical response to adversity. Biblical responses to adversity. So how do we respond to adversity as a Christian? And I told you that the way the world responds to adversity is not the way we should respond to adversity. When they are responding to adversity, they go to consult idols, consult demonic powers, evil powers for protection. They take alcohol, they drink, they smoke, they womanize, they commit fornication, adultery. Just for them to go through the challenges. This is not the pattern for the Christian. This is not the pattern for the Christian believer. So how do we attend to our adversity? When we are going through a challenging time, when things are getting tough, how do we attend and respond to our adversities? Number one, we must trust in God. We must trust in God that He can do it. Proverbs chapter 3 verse 5 to 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge the Lord and He shall direct thy path. Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10. It is trust in the Lord. You have to trust in the Lord. Trust in the Lord. When you are going through challenges, trust in the Lord that everything will be fine. When it appears there is no help from anyone coming, trust in the Lord that God will provide. Number two, prayer and seeking God. Go into seeking the face of God through prayer. Go into seeking the face of God through prayers. In Philippians chapter 4 verse 6 to 7, the Bible talks about that we should trust in the Lord. And that we should, in everything, by prayers and supplications, let our requests be made known unto God. Talk to God about your pain. Talk to God about your challenges. Talk to God about your difficulties. And the last of it all, we must remain in perseverance and faithfulness. We must be patient with life. After we have prayed, we must wait for God to answer us. And we should also make sure that we are faithful to God. We are faithful to God. We should make sure that we are faithful to God. I don't know what you are going through that is almost destroying your life. Almost destroying your faith. The Lord is speaking to someone here right now. That what you are going through is not meant to destroy you. What you are going through is not meant to destroy you. If only you can learn the lessons that God is teaching you. Sit down. I know it has been almost a year that they have not been chopped. Sit down. Sit down. There are lessons, there are things God wants you to know. There are things God is teaching you about humans. You will never know who are your true friends. You will never know who truly loves you. God allowed these challenges to come. Like Job. For you to know those that truly love you. Go and read about the story of Job. The later end of Job became better and greater than the beginning of Job. God is faithful. So you don't undo adversity in the wrong way. Some of you stay in church. You stay at home. You stop coming to church. You stop attending programs in church. Because you are going through challenges. You are going through challenges. It is a very long way. If you are doing that, you are behaving like unbelievers. You are behaving like unbelievers. You might be going through challenges in your marriage. It is an adversity. It is a period of adversity. Keep trusting in the Lord. Keep talking to God about it. Remain patient. Remain in perseverance. And be faithful. Be faithful to God. In the midst of this storm, remain faithful to God. Remain faithful to God. The Lord is speaking to you right now. And He is asking you. That your heart should not faint. The Lord is here to encourage your heart. The Lord is here to strengthen your heart. He is saying that I know what you are going through. I know about the addiction. I know about the frustration. I know about the confusion. I know about the pain. I know about the tribulation. I know about it. I know about the adversity. Can we go to the Lord in prayer. Let us stand up on our feet. And talk to the Lord. Ask the Lord to give you grace. To undo the adversity that you are going through. We have adversity in different capacities. You know what your pains are. You know what your pains are. You know what you are going through. You know the pains. You know the fears. The challenges. The trials that you are going through. Why not talk to God about it now. Talk to God about it. Remind the Lord of His word. And ask Him to come and help you. The Bible says there are so many afflictions around the righteous. But the Lord delivered them from all the afflictions. He delivered them all. Open your mouth and talk to the Lord.
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