Has this happened to you? A friend

says, “You just have to see this

movie – it’s the greatest movie I’ve

ever seen. You’re just got to see it.”

So you go to that movie, and your

level of anticipation is so high that

the film just doesn’t quite measure

up. Later, you realized that you spent

time and money to something that

isn’t worth it.

GREAT

EXPECTATIONS

I. HAPPY ALL

THE TIME?

We sing choruses like,

“Joy, joy, my heart is

full of joy,”

“Dito ay masaya, doon ay

Masaya, sa piling ni

Jesus ay Masaya,”

“…Kahit walang pera, di ba

laging Masaya?”

Really? Happy all the time?

When God converted Saul of

Tarsus, He said,

“This man is my chosen

instrument to carry my name

before the Gentiles…I will

show him how much he must

suffer for my name’s sake.”

(Acts 9:15,16)

A. APOSTLE

PAUL’S

EXPERIENCES

“Visions and revelations

from the Lord.” (II Cor. 12:1)

“Caught up in the

third heaven.” (II Cor. 12:2)

“Come over… and help us.” (Acts 16:9)

“Angel appeared to him and

comfort him.” (Acts 27:23)

B. THE GOSPEL

ACCORDING TO

YOU

“You yourselves are our

letter, written on our

hearts, recognize and

read by everyone.” (II Corinthians 3:2)

“STRONG

CHRISTIANS ARE

STRONG BECAUSE

THEY ENJOY THE

LORD.” - Stuart Briscoe

II. WHAT ABOUT

THE OLD RUGGED

CROSS?

SEVEN FACTS WE

HATE TO FACE

1. Growing Old

2. Experiencing

Physical Illnesses

3. Reaping what we

Sow.

4. Being

Misunderstood.

5. Not having enough

money.

6. We must Die.

(Death waits for no one.)

7. We must face

Judgment.

A. THORN IN THE

FLESH

“especially because of the

extraordinary revelations.

Therefore, so that I would not

exalt myself, a thorn in the

flesh was given to me, a

messenger of Satan to

torment me so I would not

exalt myself.”(II Corinthians 12:7)

“YOU WILL HAVE

SUFFERING IN THIS

WORLD.

BE COURAGEOUS!

I HAVE CONQUERED

THE WORLD.”(John 16:33)

B. THREE

REASONS FOR

SUFFERING

1. WE’RE HUMAN

2. BECAUSE OF OUR

DISOBEDIENCE

CONSEQUENCES OF SIN (GEN. 3)

• To the Serpent – “You are cursed

more than any livestock.” v. 14

• To the Woman – “I will intensify

your labor pains; you will bear

children with anguish.” v. 16

• To the Man – “The ground is

cursed because of you. You will eat

from it by means of painful labor…For

you are dust, and you will return to

dust.” vv.17-19

3. GOD’S TOOL TO BUILD

GODLY CHARACTER

“Great men rise above adversity

and attain new heights of

achievement by turning

TRIBULATIONS into

TRIUMPHS, FAILURES into

FORTUNES, SETBACKS into

SUCCESSES, OBSTACLES into

OPPORTUNITIES, and BURDEN

into BLESSING.”- William Arthur Ward

“My goal is to know Him

and the power of His

resurrection and the

fellowship of His

suffering, being conformed

to His death.” (Philippians 3:10)

III. THE

SUFFIENCY OF

GOD’S GRACE

A. HE PRAYED

THREE TIMES

“Concerning this, I

pleaded with the Lord

three times to take it

away from me.” (II Corinthians 12:8)

“…He went away and

prayed, My Father, if this

cannot pass unless I drink

it, your will be done. He

went again and prayed the

third time, saying the same

thing once more.” (Matthew 26:39-44)

WE ALL HAVE TO DRINK

THE “CUP OF SUFFERING.”

B. GOD’S GRACE

IS PERFECT

“But he said to me, My

grace is sufficient for

you, for my power is

perfected in weakness…

For when I am weak, then

I am strong.”(II Corinthians 12:9,10)

“CONTINUE TO TRUST

GOD IN THE VALLEY

AS WELL AS PRAISE HIM

ON THE MOUNTAINTOP.”-Bob Russell

LORD, I TRUST YOU!

LIFE IS HARD

BUT GOD IS GOOD!

LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE

BUT GOD IS SOVEREIGN!

LIFE IS UNFAIR

BUT GOD IS JUST!

LIFE IS SHORT

BUT GOD IS ETERNAL!

GOD IS GOOD – ALL THE TIME!- Mary Farrar

As Christians we can

expect some mountaintop

experiences.

We can expect some hurts.

But we can expect

whatever the hurt,

HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT.

AMEN!