Worldwide Outreach Teaching School

Dr. Meiman Lai Saidi

Where Do You Turn to When It All Falls Apart?

When I share with you this message today, I have also learned a lot. Thanks God gives me this opportunity to find joy and great gratitude when unexpected tragedy strikes! When life fall apart, how do we hold together?

Let’s pray: Our Heavenly Father, your great Love never change, Father, Please come right now and help us to understand you.

SCRIPTURE READING: Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Perseverance, character; and character, hope.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

我們既因信稱義、就藉著我們的主耶穌基督、得與　神相和。

我們又藉著他、因信得進入現在所站的這恩典中、並且歡歡喜喜盼望　神的榮耀。

不但如此、就是在患難中、也是歡歡喜喜的．因為知道患難生忍耐．

忍耐生老練．老練生盼望．

盼望不至於羞恥．因為神所賜給我們的聖靈、將　神的愛澆灌在我們心裡。

COMENTARY from NIV:

Verse 1, ‘since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,’- V. 1, peace with God means that we have been Reconciled with God. There is no more hostility between us, no sin blocking our relationship with God. Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price for our sins through his death on the cross, we now have peace with Lord, our Supreme Being Ruler-God and we have peace with left and right sides’ people all around us which may differ from peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility.

Verse 2, ‘Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.’ Apostle Paul states that, as believers, we now stand in a place of highest privilege (this grace in which we now stand). Not only has the Supreme Being Ruler, God declared us not guilty; He has drawn us close to himself. Instead of being enemies, we have become His friends – in fact, His own children (John 15:15, Jesus said, ‘I no longer call you servants, because a servant doesn’t know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.)

The Supreme Being Ruler, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls you a son, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:4-6) Jesus was born of a woman-he was human. He was born as a Jew-he was subject to God’s law and fulfilled it perfectly. Thus Jesus was the perfect sacrifice because, although he was fully human, he never sinned. His death bought freedom for us who were enslaved to sin so that we could be adopted into God’s family. Under Roman law, an adopted child was guaranteed all legal rights to his father’s property, even if he was formerly a slave. He was not a second-class son; he was equal to all other sons, biological or adopted, in his father’s family. Abba is an Aramaic and Taiwanese word for father. It was used by Christ in his prayer in Mark 14:36, as adopted children of God, we share with Jesus all rights to God’s resources. As God’s heirs, we can claim what he has provided for us- our full identity as his children (see Romans 8:15-17).

Verse 3, 4, Apostle Paul told us that in the future we will become suffering, but until then we must overcome, because we will experience difficulties that help us grow. We rejoice in suffering not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character. The problems they find we run into, will develop our perseverance-which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future. it probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow, and deal with them in His strength (see James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6, 7).

Verse 2-5, As Paul states clearly in 1 Corinthians 13:13, ‘faith, hope, love are at the heart of the Christian life’. Our relationship with God begins with faith, which helps us realize that we are delivered from our past by Christ’s death. Hope grows as we learn all that God has in mind for us; it gives us the promise of the future. And God’s love fills our lives and gives us the ability to reach out to others.

Verse 5, 6, All three members of the Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Spirit) are involved in salvation. The Father loved us so much that he sent his Son to bridge the gap (John 3:16). The Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit to fill our life with love and enable us to live by his power (Acts 1:8). With all this loving care, how can we do less than serve him a completely way.

Verses 1-5, There are two-sided reality of Christian life: On one hand, we are complete in Christ (our acceptance with Him is secured). On the other hand, we are growing in Christ (we are becoming more and more like Jesus Christ). We enjoy the peace that comes from being made right with he Supreme Being Ruler, but we still face daily problems that often help us grow. If we remember these two-sided of the Christian life, we will not grow to be discouraged as we face temptations and problems. Instead, we will learn to depend on the power available to us from Christ, who lives in us by the Holy Spirit.

Appose Paul had summarized four characters that you and I have peace with our Creator, we, tribulation on anguish and others. God deserved v.3 “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.” By grace we have peace with God, with others and yourselves, but now you expect the unexpected.

1. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

We will have struggle, all of them will be taken care of it. The Supreme Being Ruler is going to fix everything alright.

I’ve heard people said, “Come to Jesus, he will fix problem, do you experience a problem? It doesn’t mean God is mad at you, look at verse 3. Suffering is part of our life. But Paul did not say that we should celebrate our suffering, the Supreme Being Ruler-God has plan for us, and in Him we have chosen to works out everything in conformity with His will.

2. IN GOD WE WERE ALSO CHOSEN TO FOLLOW HIS PLAN

Everything has been used for God’s purposes. God will never call you to suffer and let you cry, the suffering comes in our ways. See Joseph’s life, Ruth’s life, God used everything for our good and His purposes. Praise God!

3. REDEEMING OUR SUFFERING

God needs you and I to cooperate, what is our roll? Reading the verse four, it says, the perseverance produces love character; and the character of hope.

a. Suffering always deal with losing your job or identity, grief is how you realize your love one is missing or gone; they never be the same, never going back as before, for example, I can’t talk to my mother any more. She is not in this world, we often avoid to feel pain, disappointment, anxiety, the relation dysfunction, grieving connect with suffering. But grieve is “A joy shored, is a joy doubled. A sorrow shared is a sorrow halved (Author Unknown)

b. Press into God: “ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.耶和華靠近傷心的人、拯救靈性痛悔的人。Psalms 34:18.”

How God redeem our suffering is for our lives transformation by using what happened to bring our hope. 願頌讚歸與我們的主耶穌基督的父　神、就是發慈悲的父、賜各樣安慰的　神．

我們在一切患難中、他就安慰我們、叫我們能用　神所賜的安慰、去安慰那遭各樣患難的人。Praise is to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. I say again that we can comfort others.

Finally, Please LIST YOUR PAIN and put it into your prayer.

The Supreme Being Ruler - God’s purpose is to let you rejoice even you’ve suffering so you can help others, from your pain or loss, God’s always up with something good, even when your life falling apart.

POINT:

PRAISE GOD AND THANK HIM, He always loves us and stands up His grace, help us to using for our good and for others. Remember these important three words, faith, hope and love for yourselves and for sharing to other. But the greatest of these is love. 如今常存的有信、有望、有愛、這三樣、其中最大的是愛 (林前13:13)。