SERMON - PERSEVERANCE, SACRIFICE AND SUFFERING
In this message from January 31st, 2010 at Bethel Church in Redding CA, Kris Vallotton shares about finding the hidden treasures of joy in secret places of darkness. He reminds us that we have grace each day for the challenges we face. This message will inspire you to see sacrifice and perseverance as an invitation into deeper intimacy with God.
PERSEVERANCE, SACRIFICE AND SUFFERING SERMON NOTES
- An important part of the kingdom can be found while living in a season of favor but there are pieces of the kingdom that can only be found in perseverance.
What do we do when the miracle doesn’t happen immediately?
- One of the negative side effects of a culture of miracles, signs and wonders is that you can come to believe that if it’s not instant, it can’t be God. This can create a culture where you aren’t used to pressing in for things.
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”
Romans 4:18-20
- The story of Abraham and the promise God gave him of being the father of many nations required him to “hope against hope” and he chose to believe what he couldn’t see.
- When expectation isn’t instantly fulfilled, people can feel disqualified from the miracle.
- In this culture of miracles, we can lose sight of what got us here, which was believing in hope beyond hope. It was daily making decisions in pain to continue contending for miracles no matter the cost.
- Some ride the wake of others' sacrifice and don’t know the history.
- We weren’t born to quit, give up or retreat!
- We weren’t born to have all the answers.
- We weren’t born to quit because we don’t have answers.
- We weren’t born to create an answer when we don’t have an answer to bring comfort.
- Sometimes we just have to embrace suffering.
- If you are afraid of pain and suffering then you won’t enter into the places that need miracles because you can’t handle failure. If you are willing to step out, God will give you grace in “failure seasons”.
