Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Churchwww.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

Pastor / TeacherPastor / TeacherJames H. RickardJames H. Rickard

Thursday, Thursday, June 5, 2008June 5, 2008

Memory VerseMemory Verse 1 John 1:9, 1 John 1:9,

“If we confess our sins, He is “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our sins and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.”unrighteousness.”

The Upper Room The Upper Room DiscourseDiscourse

John 13-16; John 13-16;

John 13:17, John 13:17, Sharing Sharing

the Happiness of Godthe Happiness of God

Principles of Sharing the Principles of Sharing the Happiness of God:Happiness of God:

The BeatitudesThe BeatitudesMat 5:3-12Mat 5:3-12

Three main sectionsThree main sectionsa) God's Plan of Salvation a) God's Plan of Salvation and the new believer, and the new believer, b) Advancing in the b) Advancing in the Christian way of life, Christian way of life, c) Undeserved suffering of c) Undeserved suffering of the mature believer. the mature believer.

C. The mature believer who C. The mature believer who undergoes undeserved undergoes undeserved

suffering.suffering.

Verse 10, Verse 10, Happiness comes to the Happiness comes to the believer who is faithful believer who is faithful

while under stress. Theirs is while under stress. Theirs is a reminder of the eternal a reminder of the eternal

reward and bliss they have reward and bliss they have already been promised.already been promised.

Verse 11, Verse 11, Happiness comes to the Happiness comes to the believer who is verbally believer who is verbally abused. The believer is abused. The believer is

reminded that it is not he reminded that it is not he who is insulted and who is insulted and

persecuted but Christ in him.persecuted but Christ in him.

Verse 12, Verse 12, We are commanded to be We are commanded to be exceedingly joyful in our exceedingly joyful in our

soul and body with a soul and body with a personal sense of destiny…personal sense of destiny…

... when, due to our kinship ... when, due to our kinship with the Lord Jesus Christ, with the Lord Jesus Christ,

we continually receive we continually receive persecutions, and, based on persecutions, and, based on our advance in God's Plan, our advance in God's Plan,

we may come under various we may come under various attacks.attacks.

MAKARIOS would not be MAKARIOS would not be possible without the Word possible without the Word and Spirit. The Spirit is the and Spirit. The Spirit is the teacher of Bible doctrine, teacher of Bible doctrine, which is the source of true which is the source of true

happiness.happiness.

SummarySummary::

1) Vs. 3 = Salvation1) Vs. 3 = Salvation2) Vs. 4 = Rebound2) Vs. 4 = Rebound3) Vs. 5 = Humility3) Vs. 5 = Humility

4) Vs. 6 = Intake of the 4) Vs. 6 = Intake of the WordWord

SummarySummary::

5) Vs. 7 = Forgiving others5) Vs. 7 = Forgiving others6) Vs. 8 = Walking with 6) Vs. 8 = Walking with GodGod7) Vs. 9 = Ambassadorship7) Vs. 9 = Ambassadorship

SummarySummary::

8) Vs. 10 = Suffering for 8) Vs. 10 = Suffering for blessing Stage 1; blessing Stage 1;

(Providential Preventative (Providential Preventative Suffering atSuffering at

Spiritual Self-Esteem)Spiritual Self-Esteem)

SummarySummary::

9) Vs. 11 = Suffering for 9) Vs. 11 = Suffering for blessing Stage 2; blessing Stage 2;

(Momentum Testing at (Momentum Testing at Spiritual Autonomy)Spiritual Autonomy)

SummarySummary::

10) Vs. 12 = Suffering for 10) Vs. 12 = Suffering for blessing Stage 3; blessing Stage 3;

(Evidence Testing at (Evidence Testing at Spiritual Maturity)Spiritual Maturity)

Suffering acts as a guardian Suffering acts as a guardian or parent in life because of or parent in life because of what your parents did for what your parents did for

you in childhood, suffering you in childhood, suffering does for you as an adult.does for you as an adult.

Suffering does two thingsSuffering does two things: :

Suffering does two thingsSuffering does two things: :

1) It restrains us from sin, 1) It restrains us from sin, human good, and evil, just human good, and evil, just

as our parents restrained us.as our parents restrained us.

Suffering does two thingsSuffering does two things: :

2) It challenges us to 2) It challenges us to advance in the Plan of God, advance in the Plan of God,

just as our parents just as our parents challenged us to grow up.challenged us to grow up.

Suffering is a warning that Suffering is a warning that we're doing it wrong, or it is we're doing it wrong, or it is a means of greater blessing.a means of greater blessing.

Suffering is an authority Suffering is an authority designed to challenge the designed to challenge the

believer to grow in grace, by believer to grow in grace, by the proper use of the the proper use of the

Portfolio of Invisible Assets Portfolio of Invisible Assets to fulfill God’s Plan.to fulfill God’s Plan.

Suffering provides Suffering provides acceleration and momentum acceleration and momentum to reach spiritual adulthood to reach spiritual adulthood

while glorifying God.while glorifying God.

There are two reasons and There are two reasons and five categories of suffering five categories of suffering

in the spiritual life.in the spiritual life.

1) 1) Punitive sufferingPunitive suffering

1) 1) Punitive sufferingPunitive suffering

a. The law of volitional a. The law of volitional responsibility. Making bad responsibility. Making bad decisions brings bad results decisions brings bad results

to our lives.to our lives.

1) 1) Punitive sufferingPunitive suffering

b. Divine discipline. b. Divine discipline. A warning from God to get A warning from God to get you back on to the path of you back on to the path of

righteousness.righteousness.

2) 2) Suffering for blessingSuffering for blessing

2) 2) Suffering for blessingSuffering for blessing

a. Providential Preventative a. Providential Preventative Suffering (PPS).Suffering (PPS).

2) 2) Suffering for blessingSuffering for blessing

a. Providential Preventative a. Providential Preventative Suffering (PPS).Suffering (PPS).

b. Momentum Testing (MT).b. Momentum Testing (MT).

2) 2) Suffering for blessingSuffering for blessing

a. Providential Preventative a. Providential Preventative Suffering (PPS).Suffering (PPS).

b. Momentum Testing (MT).b. Momentum Testing (MT).c. Evidence Testing (ET).c. Evidence Testing (ET).

Each stage of spiritual Each stage of spiritual adulthood has a comparable adulthood has a comparable

category of suffering for category of suffering for blessing; blessing;

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchThursday, June 5, 2008Thursday, June 5, 2008

Tape # 08-041Tape # 08-041

Sharing the Happiness of God, Pt 3Sharing the Happiness of God, Pt 3Suffering for Blessing, Pt 1Suffering for Blessing, Pt 1

Upper Room Discourse, Pt 183Upper Room Discourse, Pt 183

John 13:17; Matt 5:3-12John 13:17; Matt 5:3-12

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008