The Tribulation of God’s Saints

Revelation 7:9-17

Introduction

1.      Tribulation is a Bible word for trouble

2.      Trouble is often what life is about

3.      John speaks of “great” tribulation – so there is big trouble and then there is trouble – sometimes what we think is “big” is really small – we have not yet had “big” trouble  

Discussion

1.      The certainty of trouble

a.       2 Tim 3:12; Acts 14:22  

b.      Over 40 passages in the NT refer to tribulation for God’s people  

c.       Matt 13:21; John 16:33; Rom 8:35; Rom 12:12; 2 Cor 1:3-5  

d.      The “great tribulation” simply refers to a time when all of this got worse  

2.      The causes of trouble

a.       Sometimes because of sin – Rom 2:9; 1 Pet 4:3-4  

b.      Sometimes because of righteousness – 2 Thess 1:4-6  

c.       Sometimes because God is correcting us – Heb 12:4-6  

3.      The benefits of trouble

a.       Implied in James 1:2-4  

b.      Implied again in Rom 5:3  

4.      Our help when trouble comes

a.       God – That is what Psalm 23 and 121 are about  

b.      Our personal faith  

Conclusion

1.       We do not have to like trouble; we just have to accept it, live with it and grow through it

2.      Some think that to become a Christian is to eliminate all trouble – that is not going to happen

3.      To be a Christian is to know that there will be an end to trouble – and that is enough for me