week 10: biblical prosperity & suffering Prosperity those times when things are exceedingly well Genesis 31:12 But you have said, I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted. Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Suffering those times when life isn t proceeding in a way that feels like the end will be good Romans 5:3 So let us also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. John 16:33... In this world you will have trouble... Six ways we stand to learn from both times of prosperity and suffering 1. A Biblical awareness of both prosperity and suffering helps to guard our hearts from extremes John 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. Acts 14:22 Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 2. Prosperity was a part of God s original plan. Suffering was his plan too. Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 27
3. Prosperity is more than your financial standing, and so is suffering. 4. Obedience to God can lead to both prosperity and suffering. Doing what the Father requires of us forces us to surrender the outcomes to Him. 5. Suffering and prosperity are both equally capable of producing faith and fruit in our lives. The solution to enduring suffering is found in the result of our prosperity. The solution to staying Christ-centered in times of prosperity is found in the result of our suffering. Hope is needed in times of suffering. Perspective is needed in times of prosperity. 6. Suffering and prosperity are best experienced in community. Galatians 6:2 Bear one another s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 28
Suffering prepares us for Glory. 2 Corinthians 4:17 18 This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Jeremiah 29:13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. 29
How to be a good friend to someone who suffers 1. Dont use awful cliches. All In the Lord s timing. Just don t say it. It is true. But It is not helpful in the least. And it violates the golden rule because nobody likes to hear it in their time of crisis. 2. He won t give you more than you can handle. This is true in terms of temptation but not in terms of trial. The verse being misused here is I Corinthians 10:13. It says: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13). It s likely that God will push our friend to the edge of his limits during his time of trial because that is exactly where he will realize that he can only continue to live if he relies on Him. And during this time, he will need a friend who uses scripture properly and understands the concept of trial. It hurts. It crushes. It refines. It demonstrates His love. 3. Pray for the Lord s will, realizing that sometimes He will say no. Yep, it happens. God says no. And it s not because we didn t pray hard enough or have enough people pray. On occasion he just says no. See Paul s thorn in the flesh if you wonder if this is a Biblical concept. As friends, we must be prepared to accept this answer and mourn this loss with our friend. 4. Don t secretly blame/judge them. See the book of Job for this common response. His friends were certain he had done something to deserve his suffering. And yet the Bible says that he was a righteous man. And it s not just those terrible friends of Job. We actually do this secretly too because it makes us feel safe. It helps us feel like the devastating loss our friend is walking through will never come knocking at our door. Let this go and be broken for them. Don t judge them. 5. Less talking and more listening. Yep, exactly. Just do it! 30
How to be a good friend to someone in their time of prosperity 1. Legitimately thank God for His blessing on their life. It is easy to think well it must be nice to be that guy. But just thank God for the prosperity you see your friend experiencing. It s further evidence that our God is so good! 2. Don t assume that everything is perfect. Prosperity brings some trouble. Bigger paychecks usually mean more work. Bigger houses mean more cleaning. More finances mean more work to manage them. Please realize your friend still has difficulty, even if to you it seems like his life is perfect. He still needs to be treated with compassion and grace! 3. Don t assume they don t need Jesus. The Bible teaches that we all desperately need Him. Some of us hide our brokenness well. Some have been doing it so long they don t even know how to let folks in. Just know they need Jesus even though they seem like everything is going great! It rarely is. Pray for them to realize their need. Be prepared for the mask to fall. See Ecclesiastes for a man who had it all and still wasn t satisfied. 4. Pray for them to keep their confidence in Christ. It would be easy for your friend to begin to feel self-reliant in his time of prosperity. Instead pray that he will continually rely on Him. 5. Pray for them to lay their treasure where it counts. Our hearts are so crooked that we all can easily be wrapped up in selfish pursuits and materialism. Pray that God will open your friend s heart to see how to use his gifts, resources, or money for God s glory and for His Kingdom. 31
Week 10: Biblical Foundation 5 Biblical Prosperity & Suffering Questions about the reading for this week (John 18-21) 1. Do you have any questions or confusion about the actual text what it says? 2. Do you have any questions or confusion about the interpretation of the text what it means? 3. Did God show you anything personal during your reading what does it mean to me? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Questions about today s topic 1. Did this teaching help you to see suffering and prosperity in a new light? If so, please share what stood out to you. 2. We often view suffering as punishment. It can certainly feel that way. How did it make you feel to hear that suffering is part of God s plan? 3. Have you ever been guilty of feeling like you didn t need God during a time of prosperity? 4. Can you name a time when suffering ended up being a blessing in your life? 82