Tribulation Works — Don McClure

Romans 5: Justification, Grace, and Tribulation

We'll stand while we read this Romans chapter 5. I'll pick it up in verse 1 just to get the theme of it here. We'll actually be in verse 3 but Romans 5 1 therefore being justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so we glory in tribulations also. Knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience.

Hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit Who was given unto us? Father. We thank you for your word how grateful we are for it and Lord is tonight.

We also celebrate communion together Lord when the Living Word our Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross for us. In there the great sacrifice of your life for us for our sins. The great offering of yourself Lord so that we may have fellowship with you.

We may have communion with you me. We may forever have a relationship with you being loved and adored and accepted now and forever and ever because of the work of the cross. How we thank you for it and Lord we pray that the cross would not just be your glory that you had Before the world began but Lord that it would be the glory that we would have long after the world is past.

Lord, may we love the cross? Not just you're going to it for us. But learning Lord what it is for us to go to it to meet and commune with you with you and with each other as well. So Lord, may you minister tonight to us each and everyone in Jesus name?

Amen. You may be seated. You know as far as the New Testament is concerned. There are essentially two Types of Christians, I guess you could say carnal Christian and a spiritual Christian somebody essentially that is ruled by their own flesh and somebody that is ruled by their spirit a Christian that is living and walking in the flesh and a Christian that is walking in the spirit.

And essentially it seems like one of the major differences between those two is that one of them really knows I think wonderfully, you know who they are in Christ. Who their life is in Christ what it is to be hid in Christ to be found in Christ and they love that and the carnal Christian has not really grasped that fully.

They don't really see the wealth the fullness the plan the identity all the the Lord is really done for them. And thus they're still oftentimes left out there on their own in their own devices. But for the person that does know who they are.

For the the the the spiritual Christian the one that loves walking in the spirit. Sharing the life of the spirit for them life is a tremendous excitement for them they seem to know much of how to handle the issues of life as they come as they is the trials the Tribulations the struggles come they see them.

They even perhaps invite them and they're determined they're going to grow in them. For those who really don't know who they are in Christ who really aren't living and walking in. In sharing that life in Christ as they ought to they don't really understand it yet.

They don't seem to have the ability to interpret the pressures of life as they come and they see a trial coming. It's just a trial. It's just a problem. It's just something there. That's it's an obstacle.

It's a problem and it's a totally unnecessary thing instead of it being one Opportunity after another to grow in Christ to Discover more of his life in his presence and his power for that person when issues come they just why I don't need it I don't want it.

I don't like it. One is becoming more and more like Christ through the trials and the tribulations of life. And the other one is oftentimes bewildered and he's in he's confused. One of them, you know He's looking for heaven and he loves the thought of heaven and preparing his life for heaven and letting God Conform him to the image of Christ and another one is still carnal.

He's still earthly he still so often interprets life is the abundance of things as Is you know is a happy marriage good kids good job good health 401k and you know pension program and have once good friends and once no traffic on the road in In the plumbing not to back up, you know or whatever and if life goes that way, it's okay.

But let one of those things get in trouble and he's just why why does this has to happen to me? And they're upset and they're taken off guard and they're in trouble and. And they're in they oftentimes they don't just simply have a trial they have two trials.

They have just the trial that comes but they're all but then every time that happens they're having a trial about trials. Why does this have to happen to me? I didn't you know, what did I do and they're honestly confused by them.

They're honestly seemingly take back and taken back and they're frustrated by them well here in Romans 5 in many ways to me Paul is helping us to separate between these two worlds and between these two people and and and for the one that really wants to to go on and In all that they can in their relationship in their fellowship with God.

Knowing Our Identity and Access in Christ

When they have determined that they look at what Paul has to say here in the first two verses about a Christian. They're they're being justified by faith having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have this Access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God here Paul looked now all Christians every saved person is in this verse these verses.

They're there. You are whether you're you may be here tonight not enjoying who you are in Christ. You may not be resting in who you are in Christ. You may not be rejoicing in who you are in Christ. But if you're a saved person if you've given your life to Christ, you're in him.

You're just not enjoying him you have access into God's presence as we looked at that word in our last study. We are actually Introduced his royalty to God as his children and as we're brought in there as kings and priests before God.

One person is overwhelmed by that to realize this is who I am. I can't believe it. And they're taken back and with all their heart. They want to know more and more and more. I'm royalty. I'm a child of the Living God.

I am one day going to wake in in his likeness in his image. I don't think so. Look at me now. I'm a far cry from that. We had a long way to go before anybody would mistake me for royalty. You know sort of a thing and but that person they look since it but if indeed I am royalty I want to know more and more about it.

And there they find that that is somebody there that that they want their life to be equipped and Changed in transformed into that royalty. You know suppose. Not likely to happen, but suppose this week.

I got invited to the White House by the president himself. Wanted to have he was having a state dinner and he wanted me to come not real likely I don't think but if such a thing had happened, I would obviously immediately be taken back, you know by it I'd be very confused perhaps by the whole thing.

But then once the shock of the invitation settled in and I after went around told her but I'm going to White House. And then I'd probably start thinking about and think Why? With the same thing everybody else immediately thought later on I'd start why?

What in the world did he want me there to come to the White House for I think what would I wear? I mean these people at the White House the way they dress I Mean when I go over there in my $79 suit, it's a night.

Look at this 79 bucks. Can't beat that but but when I go over there in my suit I didn't you know, they're gonna they're gonna look at me and say that's a $79 suit, isn't it? But anyway, or whatever else that they may think about the thing and but once I get in there, I would what will I say?

How will I act? What will I do if the president turned to me and asked me something? Dawn, thank you for coming. Actually. We wanted to talk about the world economy. I'd like your input. Oh It's in trouble.

Yes, sir. What do you suggest? Fix it, you know, I then you know, hey, well, what do you think about national security? We've got some real breaches of national security. You know, what do you think about that bad?

Shouldn't happen, you know, I could maybe give some very broad sweeping things. But for any input on it with what that would justify my being there I mean at the end of the night the president the cabinet, you know, and his advisors be sitting around.

What did you invite that idiot here for? You know, I mean, yeah, he didn't know anything. And I wouldn't. But here essentially you and I are about to be invited Ultimately into something far beyond any state dinner.

We're going to be invited into heaven and They're invited and introduced and brought in there in a sense there. What would it be something when I get there? Would I reflect a maturity and a glory and a majesty?

Would I have a reflect a character? Would I affect a would I represent Christian? Characteristics and maturity and qualities of which the Lord would look and say and here's Don. And then you know have him sit down and at the end of the night people would say wow I know why you invited him.

And but yet I am going to be invited to just such a dinner. So are you every one of us? We are we have been invited and are being introduced as Royalty and when we realize that, you know, we've got to find her immediately.

I would find myself within dress me. If I was going someplace I'd be on a crunch course. Teach me everything you can about national security. Teach me about the economy. Teach me everything I can possibly find about economics.

Teach me dress me, right? Help my English. How do you how do they talk back there or whatever else? I'd want to learn every bit that I possibly could and I wouldn't mind the pressure. I wouldn't mind the study.

I wouldn't mind the crunching of time and energy in preparation for such an event. And in a sense this is what Paul is talking about somebody who honestly and truly knows who they are and knows they're about to go to heaven and there when they get there to have something within them that represents the qualities in the depth and the maturity of God himself.

The the one whose image we are made in and whose image we are going to be conformed back into to realize God. I do not have these graces. I do not have these characteristics. I don't have this maturity.

I don't have this depth. And now Paul he isn't changing the subject here when he goes on and he says and not only so in verse 3. But he says but we glory in tribulation. Knowing the tribulation works.

Glorying in Tribulation as Preparation for Heaven

It does something and here he looks there to somebody that realizes dress me teach me train me equip me mature me. Prepare my heart and prepare my life. And then when I in the in in in that process of it, I Want that character?

God looks at all right. We're gonna have some trials. We're gonna have some testings. We're gonna have some buffeting. We're gonna have some you were gonna push your Your brain your mind your heart your life to new limits new testings.

We're gonna ask more of your character than has ever been in it before. We're gonna ask more depth of your love more of your heart more of your nature. We're gonna put in the pressure cooker. But if I'm a spiritual Christian at all, I'm gonna say get on with it.

Just so long as you can get me to the dinner on time. Dress me for it equip me for it prepare me for it. That is a date that is set and I have accepted the invitation and I'm going to go. And I'm not ready.

But the Christian the spiritual one looks there and he begins as Paul says even so we glory in tribulation. He looks at it at the fact that somebody would tutor him. Somebody would take him. Somebody would disciple him.

Someone would train him. Someone would take him aside and put him through you know, the the processes and the lessons of life. He will eat the the Christian there. He begins to glory in it. Paul says that's what it means there.

He actually rejoiced the fact that God would take him aside. God changed my nature changed my character if you will. I want to listen I want to respond and I want to learn and I want to grow and you see the Christian he glories in a sense Paul is saying here in tribulation because he knows that the tribulations of life the tire the trials of life.

It's a training ground. It's preparation ground. It's equipping ground. It's a dressing room. For the guy for the you know, the married supper of the Lamb for heaven. To be introduced as royalty and he brought in and therefore he doesn't mind.

You know what it is. He glories as a matter of fact in tribulation the word tribulation Means affliction trouble. Persecution it means a pressing together under pressure. In other words God looks and he says I'm gonna take you and I'm gonna push you to the limits.

I Want to find you know, I wanted if I'm gonna strengthen your character and make it deep and make it strong I'm going to put you through something and therefore the Christian he looks there and he realizes as he looks at life.

And he maybe looks at this wonderful little marriage. He's got or dreams. He has or hopes He has he looks at this marriage. He looks at these children. He looks at the work at the office. He looks at his boss.

He looks at his friendship. He looks at his health. He looks at his 401k. He looks at all of these things out there and he says, okay God, here's all the marbles you got to work with. Here are the things and the relationships I have in life and you can work with them and deal with them and do whatever has got To be done with them to teach me how to live.

To teach me if you can teach me in these relationships in life if you can press me in these if you can try me and test me and push me to the limits and Teach me new depth in the relationships and the issues and the struggles of life.

Take them teach me and He looks at the it Essentially the ball field that God has to deal with in his life and the trials that he says All right I'm gonna teach you how to love and I'm gonna teach you how to Walk by faith that I'm gonna teach you depth and I want to teach you character and I want to teach you devotion and I want to teach you consistency and maturity and morality and values.

And I'm gonna pour a lot of things in you but in the process of it There God he wants to look and he'll may look in light and he allows trials in a marriage. He allows, you know trials. Raising children allows all of these things in a family.

He puts us into and he says now, what do you want? How are you gonna handle this when the when the miscommunication the misunderstanding happens your marriage? How are you gonna respond in the flesh or in the spirit?

Are you gonna realize there that every time a trial comes you now have an open door either into the flesh I'll handle this myself or there's something there where you're gonna glory in the tribulation.

We're gonna say no. I want the issues in my marriage to be handled by the spirit. I Know and watching these children. And you they come up and grow in the world. Don't know Christ are born outside of the knowledge of Christ and God gives him these and now disciple them train them love them and you watch them grow up and there as you do and the Challenges and the pressures and the struggles and every time something happens in the marriage happens with the children.

There's two doors the door of the flesh. There's a hall handle. It's all resolved as I know what this kid needs. There's the door of the spirit where you back off and say God if you can teach me character.

And you can teach me love and you can teach me depth and you can teach me maturity. I want to learn it and Paul says there that the Christian he's actually begins to look at the issues and the trials the tribulations in his life around and he Realizes these are all the arenas that God has that he's gonna work in to teach us whatever he has to teach us Sin we decide am I gonna run away from him?

Am I gonna give up on him? That's when the trials come. What do we do? Do we glory in the tribulation? Do we actually look at there almost like an invitation? That's what Paul says the tree that the struggle in the home the struggle in the marriage the struggle with the health the struggle with The career the struggle at the office the struggle and whatever it is.

Is there something there that the Christian man Paul says he glory she looks at it. He says Lord, this is a great test because I don't have the equipment that was all this. I don't have the answers. I don't know what this woman needs.

I don't know what these kids need. I don't know what this boss is trying to do. I don't know what's going on. I don't have the maturity or the graces of the character to do it. But you do Help me. And here Paul says the child of God.

He literally glories in Tribulation he finds it's one of his greatest hours. It's his greatest Opportunities to truly test the power of the risen Christ within him to trust it to trust the ability of Jesus Christ to rule in Reign within his own life and to transform him and he finds there that he glories in it because you see he knows.

Even so we glory in tribulation knowing Paul says there for the Christian who's living Spiritually that the word there. No, it just means fundamentally what what we think of the word to know. It means obviously to intellectually know but it also means to be skilled in.

When somebody knows his trade when somebody knows, you know as a surgery and he knows medicine. He is skilled in it. And this is the word that Paul means he said here. He says the Christian with through tribulation.

He is somebody that is he's becoming skilled. When he looks there at the trials of life even invites them. And not that he goes searching for them, but when they come they're welcomed in a sense. Okay, Lord, let's roll up our sleeves and teach me something about you.

I never knew before. Something about your power. I never discovered something about your kindness. That's way beyond the limits of mind. Something to be there about your gentleness. Your patience your nature that I have yet to discover because I know I'm gonna be royalty one day I know those graces will be in me.

Let's roll up our sleeves and get on to the business or do we run? Do we run from it do we find herself the heat gets on and you know and out of the kitchen I go. I Don't need this. I Remember, you know one time I came my wife told me we were discussing something and She was actually kidding.

I better say this first hand, but she told me she said listen I want you to understand something if you ever divorce me you're taking the kids. I dropped on my knees. I said forgive me I'm sorry. I'll never leave you, you know or whatever.

But anyway, so often, you know when a trial comes on I just want to run from it, but they're the Christian. He says no, I want to head right into it because he knows you see that's one of the wonderful things about Paul.

Paul. You know the knowledge of what that the Lord would come through and carry him through and give him a victory though He always didn't know how or why it would work out in the processes. There was one thing Paul was so steadfast in whatever else he knew, you know.

You may not know for sure, but you knew he knew the Lord would bring him through. He writes to the church at Corinth in 2nd Corinthians 480 says before we are troubled on every side. Yeah, not distressed.

We are perplexed but not in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. So that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body for we which live are always Delivered unto death for Jesus sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Paul looked there and he says you can do whatever you want to to me. I don't care. All I do know for sure is that in every trial every struggle. It's an opportunity for his Body his life his spirit to be made manifest in this mortal body.

I'll experience something of him that I hadn't known before and Paul knew that he knew that the Tribulation did this for him. So when a trial came and he could see something coming. Wow, that's beyond me.

This is exciting. I'm gonna discover something about the Lord I didn't know and here Paul he gives us here a little outline of what it will do. He says first of all, he says tribulation now not only it works.

Tribulation Produces Endurance

I Think sometimes it's almost good just to stop that verse right there tribulation for a Christian works. Most of us say no doesn't know sir. II. I don't die. Do you know it doesn't work for me at all?

Well Paul says it does tribulation works. It's God's way of you know. Turning up the temperature to putting on the pressure for his child to bring out things within his own child his own child. Didn't know were there but he knew were there and he says it works and he says what it does work is tribulation work of Patience and that word patience there.

Essentially. It means an enduring again a patient continuance. It's essentially an a a an abiding in Jesus under pressure. Their patience what it is all about is it's something there that happens when the trial comes and then I look there and I decide I want to go through the the glory door.

I want to go through the one Jesus where you live. I'm tired of the flesh. I'm tired of doing it my own way. I'm tired of my own resolutions. I Want yours. You know, I think one of the most wonderful things by the way that ever happens to a Christians today they do get tired.

One of the things I love up, you know about getting old is you get tired. The older you get you get tired and it's a wonderful thing. I think God built into us that we get tired. You know when you're young and You could you don't need God to fix stuff.

I can fix it God. I know how to handle these kids. Watch me I'll tell you on a date. I know you you you God you were never married. I'm married I know women, you know or something you actually remember those days guys when you thought you knew him.

Yeah, remember vaguely, you know when you actually thought and so you were gonna handle one. Or you knew how to handle children. It's a wonderful thing is is is you time happens and you get tired. And you roll up your sleeves and you go in there and you solve it boy.

Do you ever did I ever teach them kids something today or whatever else and all they do is keep on eating and get bigger. And then and they multiply and then they come at you in numbers and you get tired and they're gaining strength and you're losing yours.

And then there's with time you realize, you know. We got to find another plan and there's got to be another way of attack and the Lord says yes there is it's another door. It's called the door of the Spirit.

And when it's wonderful when you sometimes get tired in your marriage you're tired and your family are tired at work tired of resolving your own problems. It's a wonderful thing because it's due tribulation is doing its work and its work is so often.

First of all just tires and then as it tires us down it brings us to a place. Is there a strength beyond my own? Is there an endurance beyond my own? Is there a power and a consistency beyond my own and then Jesus raises and you said well, I got a little I Got a little power.

I created the universe a few other things like that. You know, I I'm available. I do love you. And if you'd like to abide in me, maybe the two of us can get through it together. Hey. Great idea and you begin though to realize tribulation works in it works patience.

You come to her Jesus help me if you'll get me through this Lord. I'll thank you forever. That's patience. Beginning to rest in him beginning to be dependent upon him and there's something there. It is so wonderful sometimes when the Lord takes you and he and he and he has a way of just Taking away all the hope all the resources all the strength everything sometimes among the most wonderful things.

That can ever happen when you're just you and him. You and there with the Lord do you realize these these trials these tribulations these struggles? To where you need his strength and you need his power.

And you depend upon him because here he says it it works it has a way of working. Some years ago, I went up to San Jose and actually 1991 and when I went up there I took over a ministry that wasn't a Calvary Chapel before but it became one when I went up there and at the time that I got up there.

There was 388 people and 75 of them were older over over 60 years old. Mostly dead people moving around just kidding. See if you're listening, but anyway. But I'm looking there in here and then they they looked at me and they didn't like me.

I was very different and I looked at them and it was kind of mutual. But anyway the. But I'm looking at this whole thing and I had I took a board that knew nothing about Calvary Chapel. Nothing about the word nothing about I had a staff.

I didn't take a single person with me and then there was no money. Eight point one million dollars and there it was one of the most wonderful times in all of life because there was no human remedy none nada and Went morning by morning to get up and realize Jesus.

I don't know how many times I told him. This is your church. This is your church you you you birthed the church. You really gave yourself for the church. You love the church you shed your blood for the church now go get him.

You know sort of a thing, but it was something there. There's a tremendous dependence In there and been in the elders. You could have the elders and you could have The staff and you could have the death you can have it all.

But day by day when there's nothing but the Lord. To get you through it's one of the most wonderful times you'll ever have in your life. When you look there and there's nothing though to get and save your marriage, but the Lord there's nothing that can help your kids.

But the Lord there's nothing that can work out the job situation the health situation the financial situation. Nothing at all, but him. There is when you can step back and begin to realize that's the environment in which the Lord does some of his most wonderful work.

Ever because he says tribulation work at patience and patience experience and that word experience is a wonderful word. It means tried and tested a tested approveness. It means they're a tried character.

Tested Character Through Trials

What happens is is that when you take somebody they decide I want to go through the door where Lord you do it. And I trust you help me. I don't know how to resolve this. I'm tired of my own ways. I want to depend upon you and they depend upon the Lord.

They say they yield over to him and as they yield over to him and they begin to abide under pressure in Christ. He says that tribulation produces that patience and that patience produces a tested approved character.

Something happens through this pressure cooker through this trial through this struggle. There is a specimen that begins to arrive out of it that all of a sudden you admire it. There's a depth. There is a maturity.

There is a stability. There is a consistency. It wasn't there before in Trials of what do this? That's what that's their purposes. If you ever look to your Bible and realize virtually every character in the Bible that you would respect every character you admire.

The reason you respect them and admire them is because of their character and the character that was produced through trials. When you look at a Moses and you see the trials and you see the struggles and you see in the backside of the desert.

You see him grappling with his fundamental issues of life of learning to trust in God and then you begin to see the man stand there before Pharaoh and say let my people go and The end and there is a tested approvedness there.

There is a character. When you look at a David and you realize started off a nice young boy. Love God precious heart wonderful things but far from the man that could truly sit upon the throne with depth and with character.

So God takes him and he puts him through a pressure cooker. Let's him have years under, you know. Running over through every nook and cranny and hill and dale and valley and cave over all of Israel. You know for his own life being hunted like a dog and yet through this he learned to trust to abide under pressure and character began to be formed and there began to be a depth that one day when God brought him out and Brought him before the world and put him on the throne.

There was character. There was royalty there was a king you could you could follow you could respect. When you see these qualities when you look at a Daniel when you look at a Hannah. They're in her trials and her struggles there with her family and with her children.

But knowing what it was to cry out and to weep before God and to abide in him and let him produce character. You come along you find a little Esther, you know, obviously a pretty face. No question about that, but not much more initially but then when she finds herself in the book of Esther and the pressures and the trials and the struggles and There what is called upon her?

She had no capacity to do in her, you know Mordecai gets a hold of her and tell you got to go before the king. She says Oh Mordecai, you know, he's out there and he's sackcloth and as she said, come on get him in here.

Give him a bath. He's having a hard day. He's thinking really weird stuff and Then he's got to sit down with her and he says don't you realize Esther you are alive for a reason God has created you for a reason for a purpose.

You have no inkling of it. You're just a pretty face. I got married to the king you think but you're far more than that you're a woman who has yet to realize the capacity that God has given into your life and God's gonna deliver the people one way or another.

Either with you or without you. It's your choice. But you can rise to the occasion. And here under that sort of pressure in her heart and her life comes to grips with abiding and trusting. A Character comes forth where she sends a message back to Mordecai.

Tell the people to get ready. I'm going and if I perish I perish and You look at that and say where did she come from? Tribulation works. Wonderful things they take somebody in tribulation work at patience patience experience and experience.

Hope That Does Not Disappoint

Hope. The word hope is a wonderful word. It means to anticipate with pleasure an expectation of. You know a fulfillment there is something that there is now happens into this person that has gone through where they've allowed Tribulation to do its way its work.

It produces patience patience character experience and who and an experience gives a stability. It gives a maturity. It gives a depth that gives a quality about somebody there that there's an unshakable Hope.

There is something there that absolutely knows within that person. God will come through. He cannot fail himself. I'm given to him and for his purposes and for his plan. He will work. He will do it. There is a full assurance.

There is a sense of wonderful stability. And he says in hope maketh not ashamed the word of shame just means put to flight. Words of shame just mean I got to get out of here. We're the word of shame. It just basically means the pressure gets on and I've got to find a way out.

But he says hope make it not ashamed. Something there when they realize I don't need a way out. God has a way in and He's gonna work his plan don't know what it is, maybe. But you see somebody like this when they learn this.

Paul looks there and he says you want to be royalty. You want to be invited to the feast? You want to be introduced as royalty? You want to be a sitting there, you know in the White House? You want to go to the wedding supper of the Lamb and you want to look there and you're gonna be royalty.

Don't you want to get dressed? Don't you want to get ready? And God so often he you know He puts things around us and as he puts them around he lets things shake and he lets them happen. And either somebody looks there's I don't need this man.

I don't need this woman. Who needs him? I'm out of here. And they're shamed they're put to flight. Or else something happens where they look there and say God you have an answer. And the problem isn't him.

The problem isn't her. The problem is I don't know the answer yet. And I've got to abide in you to show me and to teach me and to help me putting me in the pressure I don't care. I know you've got an answer.

We don't you do and Whether it is with the children or with whatever else it may be there to find there that whatever to be able to rest and Say God all I know is I have this wonderful assurance That you're gonna come through.

And make it not a shame and he says for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It's given to us the word shed abroad means to pour forth to shed forth to bestow or to distribute Largely there this person once they've gone through the trial.