In This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart (John 16:33)

In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." Read or listen to this chapter of Enduring Trials God’s Way to learn what scripture talks about trials and tribulations. Table of ContentsIn This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Is SovereignIn This World You Will Have Trouble, So Be PreparedPrepare for Trials by Building During Times of PeaceImagine You're an Athlete or SoldierIn This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Provides the Greater VictoryDeath Is Our Greatest EnemyThe Danger of Daily TrialsDiscussion Questions https://youtu.be/27kNQNDk6eU In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." Learn how to prepare for trials and suffering in this life. In John 16:33 Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart." First Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you." The New Testament was primarily written in Greek, and the word for “strange” is xenizō. It means, “Surprised, astonished, or shocked.” We should not be surprised, astonished, or shocked by trials; instead, we should expect them. James 1:2 says, “when you fall into various trials…” versus “if you…” We will face trials, and this is a New Testament theme: Acts 14:22a—“Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, [Paul said], ‘We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.’” 1 Thessalonians 3:3—“No one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.” Even though trials are part of the Christian life, we often question how they could happen to us. We might say, “Why would God let this take place?” We act surprised, astonished, or shocked, but based on Scripture we should say, “Since I know trials are part of the Christian life, how would God have me respond? How can I handle this in a way that glorifies Him?” We should go through this life with the understanding that all Christians experience trials. People expecting the Christian life to be carefree are in for a shock. This is why it is terrible to tell people, “If you become a Christian, Jesus will make your life wonderful!” When they experience trials, there are only three possibilities: They will be upset with you later, feeling as though you lied to them. They will be angry with Jesus for not making their life perfect like you said He would. They will think Christianity is untrue, telling themselves, “If Jesus were real, He would not have let this happen to me.” Instead, we need to be honest about trials, encouraging others and ourselves to embrace what Jesus said to His disciples: “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart” (John 16:33). In This World You Will Have Trouble, but Take Heart Because God Is Sovereign Even though we should expect trials, we do not know when they will take place, which makes them unpredictable. James 1:2 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” The words “fall into” communicate the unexpected nature of trials. The Greek word for “fall into,” or other translations say, “face,” “meet,” or “encounter,” is peripiptō. It only occurs three times in Scripture and each time it describes something that is unpredictable. The other two occurrences are: Luke 10:30—“Jesus answered and said, ‘A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among (peripiptō) thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.’” Acts 27:41a—“Striking (peripiptō) a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground.” It was unexpected when thieves robbed the man and when the boat crashed. Unpredictable is a great way to describe trials, but do not misunderstand the words “fall into” and think trials are accidents. It is not as though we are walking along, trip, and find ourselves in a trial. If we see trials this way, then when we experience one we will say, “I am so unlucky. Why do bad things keep happening to me?” Even worse is when people feel as though they could have prevented whatever took place. They are filled with guilt and regret saying, “If I had only _____, then this would not have happened.” They beat themselves up, sometimes never forgiving themselves. Instead of viewing trials as accidents, we need to recognize they are from the Lord. Before trials reach us, they first pass through the throne of God. Some people are troubled by this view, but what is the alternative? God is not sovereign. He is not directing our lives. He is not in control of what happens to us. He is looking down saying, “Why did this happen to_____? I wish there were something I could do. If only _____ would have happened instead.” This is a troubling view! If you could only choose one area of life you want God in control of, wouldn’t it be the trials you experience? When you are suffering, one of the best ways to encourage yourself and experience any comfort is in recognizing: “God is in control. I can trust Him. He loves me. I am His child. He wants what is best for me, and He is using this for my benefit.” One of the most quoted verses when people are suffering is Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” This verse is about God’s sovereignty. It encourages us because we are reminded the trial we are experiencing is not an accident. In This World You Will Have Trouble, So Be Prepared Since we should expect trials, we must prepare for them. Asa, king of Judah, provides a perfect illustration. Unfortunately, sometimes people read the Old Testament and think, “What does this have to do with me? How can I learn from people whose lives are so different from mine?” These are unfortunate questions to ask because the New Testament states the Old Testament provides us with examples: Romans 15:4a—“For whatever things were written [in the Old Testament] were written for our learning.” 1 Corinthians 10:11a—“Now all these things happened to [the Israelites] as examples, and they were written for our admonition.” Church Age believers can learn from Old Testament accounts. Often, they provide a backdrop for New Testament instruction. Asa was one good king in the Old Testament, and he reveals how (and when) to prepare for trials. Early in Asa’s reign, God gave him peace. What did he do during this restful time? He built! Part of 2 Chronicles 14:5–7 records: The kingdom was quiet under [Asa]. And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest. Therefore he said to Judah, “Let us build these cities and make walls around them, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God; we have sought Him, and He has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. Prepare for Trials by Building During Times of Peace Like Asa, we should build during peaceful times. While Asa strengthened his nation physically, we should strengthen ourselves spiritually. Pray and read the Word regularly. Serve the body of Christ. We do not serve others so they will serve us. We serve others because we want to serve Christ, but one blessing often produced is brothers and sisters who will “weep with [us when we] weep” and “suffer with [us]” when we suffer (Romans 12:15b, 1 Corinthians 12:26a). I have seen people enter trials and become frustrated that nobody was there for them, but in most of those cases they were not there for others who were “weeping” and “suffering.” Unfortunately, during peaceful times, we are often tempted to do the opposite of build, and that is to relax. Then we are unprepared when trials come. Let me illustrate the danger of this with a sports analogy. I attended a small high school. Our football team had less than twenty players. While I have no doubt I would not have played much at a more competitive school, at my school I was the running back, punt returner, and kickoff returner. As a result, I was often tackled, and it taught me there are two ways to be hit. The most common and desirable way is when it is expected. You know you will be tackled, so you prepare for the hit. The other tackle type takes place when you are blindsided. Since you did not expect to be hit, you are unprepared, and it can be devastating. The point? Sadly, many people are like football players running down the field, unprepared for the trial about to blindside them. As a pastor, I have seen people become serious about their relationships with the Lord once they are in a trial. Then they begin praying, reading the Bible, and attending church consistently. God uses trials to bring people to Himself, so this is better than not engaging in these spiritual activities; however, this is far from the ideal approach. What if Asa built his nation after an enemy attacked him? Should a student begin studying the day of a test? Should a couple plan for retirement when they retire? Should parents start discipling their children when they become teenagers? Likewise, people should not begin preparing for trials when they are experiencing one. Imagine You're an Athlete or Soldier Athletes and soldiers spend years preparing for competitions and combat. Should Christians compare themselves with athletes and soldiers? Paul thought so! He said a Christian “must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ…that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:3–4), and he called Epaphroditus and Archippus “fellow soldiers” (Philippians 2:25, Philemon 1:2). We are commanded to wear armor and carry a sword (Ephesians 6:11–17). Paul compared the Christian life to a race (1 Corinthians 9:24–25,