UNDERSTANDING ADVERSITY

 

Greetings Everyone.

    Thank you for dropping by. Today I am going to begin a study on the subject of adversity. I know it will be encouraging and as well it will be enlightening.

    But before we begin, if you want to see this on video, please go to my you tube channel and watch it there and please hit the subscribe button and check out my amazon book page. You will get all the info on that page.

    Also, if you look at the banner at the top of my You Tube page you will see a book entitled, “When The Storms Come.”  It is the actual study we are going to do on Adversity.

If you are a preacher or teacher, you will find it an excellent source of information for teaching it yourself. There is no copyright on any of my material on my amazon book page because everything I have written is free to use by any who want to preach or teach from any of the works found there.

There are also links to my Amazon Book Page, Facebook page, Author page and Blogsite. Please feel free to take advantage of them.

Alright. Shall we begin?  We will look at 16 points that ask the question,

WHAT ARE GOD’S PURPOSES FOR ALLOWING ADVERSITY?

( 1).    Adversity is God’s way of   “Getting Our Attention.”

( 2).    Adversity is our assurance  “God Loves Us.”

( 3).    Adversity is God’s call for  “Self Evaluation.”

( 4).    Adversity is God’s way of  “Conquering Our Pride.”

( 5).    Adversity is our reminder of  “Our Weaknesses.”

( 6).    Adversity is our motivation  to  “Cry Out To God.”

( 7).    Adversity is our evidence of  “Spiritual Warfare.”

( 8).    Adversity is God’s method of  “Purifying Our Faith.”

( 9).    Adversity is God’s increasing our  “Hatred For Evil.”

(10).   Adversity is our reminder to  “Pray For Our Authorities.”

(11).   Adversity is our signal to  “Re-Evaluate Priorities.”

(12).   Adversity is God’s means of  “Testing Our Work.”

(13).   Adversity is God’s way of  “Sifting Our Friendships.”

(14).   Adversity is God’s call to  “Identify with Christ.”

(15).   Adversity is our motivation to  “Open Accountability.”

(16).   Adversity is our preparation to  “Comfort Others.”

Following those 16 points we will take a brief look at 6 different ways that adversity can be a benefit to us.

Of course we also need to take a moment to learn how to avoid adversity.

Finally, when we have covered all those bases, I will present a short talk on what I like to call the “Mystery of the Eagle and Godliness”.  This little sermonette will tie it all together and hopefully you will be able to understand why we go through adversity and how we can cope with it.

Now that we know what we are going to study, I would like to close out this introduction with a definition of Adversity so we can be prepared when we start the first point.

So what does the dictionary have to say about what Adversity is?

ADVERSITY is an adjective or an action word.  It means Distress  or  Misfortune.

From the word Adversity comes the word “Advert” which in turn means to turn the mind or turn our attention.

The Latin word for adversity is ‘Advertere’ which means to turn to.

From adversity we also get the word ‘adverse’ which means opposed to, hostile, or contrary to desire.

And again from adversity we get the word ‘Adversary’ which means ‘enemy.’

The connection with that word is Adversary-the devil and Adversity-hostile or contrary to.

So when you put it together you get a devil that is hostile.

Some other meanings of adversity are: Trouble, anguish, testing or tribulation.

Adversity is greater than our ability to resolve.

And finally, Adversity usually comes in multiples: the calamity of several trials at once.

So, lets close this out with the understanding that when Adversity comes, we have three responses to it.

(1) Our first response to adversity should NOT be to try to remove it but allow it to reveal our true weaknesses. 

II Cor. 12:9; 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.        

(2) Our second response to adversity should NOT be to focus on outward circumstances but to realize that we are dealing with unseen spiritual powers. 

Ephesians 6:12; For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

(3) Our third response to adversity should NOT be to live for Christ in our own efforts, but to realize that Christ must live in us through the powers of His Holy Spirit.

Galatians 2:20; I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I hope this little introduction will serve to help you as we move through the points. It will be a good study and I know it will encourage you.

I hope you have a great day and please remember to go to my you tube page and click the subscribe button and check out the links to other resources.