18 November 2007
Apostle Andre Pelser 8AM

2 Tim 2:3
Be a good soldier for Christ. You must endure hardship.
Must means that you have no option.
A soldier is disciplined, always ready, brave, organized, equipped, has objective, is well trained, and obedient to commands, is observant, submissive to authorities, and very fit.
Obeying a command has got nothing to do what you feel about it. It has nothing to do with your opinion. 99% of our motives is to avoid the things we don't like. We live to please ourselves. As a soldier you have no choice. We sometimes think we have so many choices, and we give ourselves so much license, to think that God is just there to please us.
He wants you to be a good soldier, and a good soldier endures hardship.

What kind of hardship have you endured for the Gospel's sake?

2 Cor 11:23
Paul suffered many hardships for the Gospel's sake, and it was not because he did anything wrong.
False apostles compare themselves with one another and then demand money before they do anything. They're immoral, and not willing to sacrifice. There's no presence of Christ or of His power. Only preaching positive thinking and prosperity to the people, giving them a false perception of God. If people aren't willing to suffer for the Gospel's sake, what are they doing? They're just gathering in a club every Sunday and they think that's church. Most of the churches around the world are like that.
Preachers only preaching about good things to please the people.

Heb 5:8-9
Jesus learned obedience through the things He suffered. We also learn obedience through the things we suffer. People aren't born obedient.

1 Pet 2:19
We don't have to suffer sickness or disease, but we will suffer wrongfully.
If we have lack, God can supply our needs. There are certain things we are called to suffer.
Christ suffered for sin, and our sickness, so that we don't have to suffer for it, but He left us an example to follow. Commit yourself to the Righteous Judge when you're suffering, and stand the test or trial that you're facing, and learn what is right and wrong concerning the will of God for your life and then your pure faith will develop.
Jesus was reviled, and yet He did not revile in return. He was afflicted and persecuted.
Afflictions: Gr. Thlipsis: tests or trials, distressed, stripes, tumults, labors, imprisonments.

Why did these things happen to Paul?
Lk 4:1 – Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, and tried so that He could be perfected.
Sometimes temptations come to show us what is still residing inside of us. God also lets you go through certain things so that you can later teach and guide others through the same thing. The things we suffer, we suffer on behalf of the body of Christ, so that you can teach another the things you suffered.

A soldier is going to face some hardship. He will face moments of fear, risking his life, and moments of isolation from the rest of the group. These all contribute to making a good soldier. When you suffer for the Gospel's sake, God will honor you, but you must go through it. You have no choice in th matter. It will make you stronger. People who don't suffer, are weak.
We are being perfected through the things we suffer for His name's sake. Faith will help you to overcome these sufferings.

Jn 16:33: you shall have tribulations…

We don't hear many teachings on this subject, but that doesn't mean it's not to our benefit. God did not call us to suffer because He doesn't like us. This is how He builds strong spiritual muscles in us.
Jesus says, “ you will go through tribulation, but don't worry, because I have overcome the world, and you can overcome the world too”.

Mk 10:28-29
Whatever you give up in this life, God will give back to you 100 fold with persecution.

Don't look at your sufferings in a pitiful light, be strong and see the benefits of it, and what it is creating inside you.
Be thick skinned and soft hearted, like a tortoise. They have hard bodies to protect them, but they have soft intestines and hearts. This will aid in not taking offense to people's nasty remarks and comments, but will also help you to have a soft heart to have compassion on others.
It builds character, brings maturity, and teaches us to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. It builds spiritual stamina in us, and helps us to face bigger tests. The Holy Spirit that led us into those trials will also lead us through it.

1 Pet 5:10
Sometimes we can hurt so much that we wonder if we're still in the will of God, but just hang in there, and remember that the suffering is only for a while. Out of that comes maturity, blessing, establishment in the faith. These things perfect us.
The biggest test comes usually when you purposefully fulfill the will of God for your life.

Learn the way of the Spirit. It's different to the way we would have chosen, because we will only choose things that please our flesh. We should learn to be patient in suffering, and we'll come out on top.

Great faith comes out of great tests.
Faith comes by hearing, after the hearing comes the test. Apply faith against the circumstances. Don't magnify the sufferings, magnify the victories!

The glory always outweighs the suffering.