From Setback to Comeback
- MHBPC Admin
- May 2
- 8 min read
Updated: May 4
Date: 4 May 2025, 9.30 am
Speaker: Eld Elgin Chan Sermon Text: Psalm 30; Romans 5:3-5
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction:
Two famous global comeback kids: Bill Clinton in 1992 US Presidential Election and Donald Trump in 2024 Presidential Election.
Gurmit Singh as our own famous comeback kid.
Main Points of Sermon:
Setback in Life:
Setback is universal and happen to all, without exception (individuals, corporations, nations).
Some of us may have encountered setbacks in one or more of the following areas: ambition, study, career, family/marriage, finances, health, business, relationships, retirement plan, ministry, etc.
Dark days of Covid-19 pandemic: “Crisis of a Generation” (by former PM)
Suffering/Setback: origin traced back to fallen humanity (Gen 3)
Our Past Setbacks and our Present Struggles do not define us as failures in life nor our worth in Christ (God’s assurance in Rom 8:32).
Christ’s encouragement: “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.” (John 16:33). Christ has forewarned us of trouble in this life, but in the same vein, He has promised us His deep and abiding peace to help us navigate through our setbacks and emerged victorious in Him (Phil 4:7).
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7)
Place of Sufferings/Setbacks in God’s Plan:
In his missionary journeys, Paul was no stranger to sufferings and setbacks, including rejection & opposition to the gospel, persecution, imprisonment, etc. Yet, he still maintains a positive outlook on suffering as part of God’s plan in moulding him to be a more resilient, godly and mature person in Christ.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)
Here, Paul teaches that suffering is not an end in itself, but a catalyst to produce in us godly endurance, godly character and godly hope, hope that is underpinned by God’s overflowing love in our hearts as a powerful testimony of His transforming power at work in our lives.
Like Paul, may God help us to experience the truth in this statement: “Setback is God’s instrument for Christian growth and maturity in Christ.”
Regarding the role of suffering in God’s plan, the late Tim Keller has this to add: “Suffering drives us like a nail deep into God’s love and into more spiritual powers than we can imagine” (Tim Keller).
Our Response: We have a Choice!
Will we allow our setback to define us?
Or will we invite God to help us leverage it into a comeback?
Paul encourages us in Rom 8:28 that God is working all things (including our setbacks) for our good and to His glory, even when we cannot see the big picture ahead and the circumstances are not in our favour.
A similar promise is given by God in Jer 29:11, 11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer 29:11 NLT).
Although this OT promise was directed primarily to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, it also has a parallel application for us as believers in Christ. What this means is that God is assuring us that our sufferings and setbacks are part of His plan to refine, strengthen and restore us in His good timing, that we may experience His goodness and faithfulness being manifested in us, not only individually, but as a faith community in Christ.
Note: Trust in God’s purpose and timing is crucial and needful for us to arrive at a meaningful comeback, as affirmed by the wise saying in the slide:
“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place than to rush and have things fall apart.” It is humanly tempting to take things into our own hands and push for quick outcomes, but the end results may be painful or disastrous and not in line with God’s plan & desire for us. This is not to say that our situation is beyond redemption, for God is able to overrule our mistakes and sort out our mess as we turn to Him for help and deliverance.
Setback as God’s Setup for Comeback
“Your setback is not God setting you aside….
And it’s not God’s setting you down….
Your setback is God’s setup for your comeback!” (a Christian pastor)
This is affirmed by Paul when he says,
“who (God of all comforts) comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor 1:4 NIVUK)
Another meaningful encouragement: “Your mess can become your message; your test will become your testimony!” This is a precious reminder to us that no matter how messy our situation is right now, God is able to turn our setback into a powerful message and testimony of His grace and deliverance, that others around us who are going through setback may be encouraged to trust in our loving and faithful God.
This is also David’s experience as described by him in Psalm 30:5.
5 For His anger is but for a moment,His favor is for life;Weeping may endure for a night,But joy comes in the morning. (Ps 30:5 NKJV)
David’s personal testimony: he has experienced many dark and tearful nights in his younger days when he was forced to flee as a fugitive into the wilderness of Judea to escape from king Saul’s murderous intent against him, and how he missed his family and friends dearly, not least his soulmate, Jonathan, the son of king Saul. But this was also followed by joyful mornings as he reflected with gratitude and thanksgiving to God for His faithfulness and sustaining grace in preserving his life from dangers and harm.
Biblical Examples in overcoming Setback:
Ruth: Barren Widow to Exalted Wife
Book of Ruth: one of only two books in Bible named after women (Esther)
Ruth is also one of four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus as recorded in Matthew Chpt 1 (Tamar & Rahab, with Bathsheba implicitly inferred when David was mentioned as the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah).
OT cultural/religious practices - women often excluded in family genealogy.
Ruth, as a foreigner and a woman, being mentioned by Scriptures elevates her status in God’s plan of redemption and fulfilment of His covenantal promise to Abraham regarding the promised Offspring that would be the Serpent Crusher to defeat Satan, Sin and Death. It also showcases God’s all-encompassing mercies and grace to those outside of the Hebrew race, as seen in the case of Ruth.
Outcome of Ruth’s setback: despite having lost everything, Ruth remained faithful and determined to care for her mother-in-law by gathering leftover grains from a nearby harvest field after their return to Bethlehem. By God’s sovereign hand, she was led to the harvest field of Boaz, a close relative of Naomi’s late husband, and who eventually redeemed her from poverty and shame by marrying her. In short, her misfortune turned to great joy as she became the great-grandmother to king David, the most famous and beloved of all kings in Israel and the earthly ancestor of our Lord Jesus.
What makes Ruth stand out: her unwavering faith in the God of Israel and her steadfast devotion to Naomi as highlighted in Ruth 1:16,17.
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16,17)
Joseph: Prisoner to Prime Minister
Series of Setback: in his younger days, Joseph experienced a series of setback; betrayed & sold as a slave by his brothers; falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife; imprisoned & then forgotten by chief cupbearer until summoned by Pharaoh to interpret his frightening dreams.
Away from his family for 13 years (sold as a slave at age 17 and became Prime Minister at age 30). His setback: not being able to see his family, esp his beloved father and his youngest brother Benjamin.
Yet, through each setback, Joseph’s trust in God’s faithfulness grew stronger as he witnessed God’s favour in granting him success, even in the most unlikely of places, as a slave and prisoner in a foreign land. We see the repeated phrase in Gen 39: “The Lord was with him and granted him success in everything he did.”
Outcome of Joseph’s setback: his long years of enduring suffering/setback has transformed him into a more resilient, mature and complete person & leader, able to see God’s sovereign Hand in all his suffering/setback. So much so that, at the end of the day, he could assure his brothers in Gen 50:20
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20)
As the saying goes, his heart is in the right place, as God has intended it to be.
Closing Thoughts & Take-Away:
Setback is universal and happens to all without exception, believers included.
Our Past Setbacks and Present Struggles do not define us as failures in life nor our worth in Christ (Rom 8:32).
Place of Suffering in God’s Plan: suffering not an end in itself but a catalyst to produce in us godly endurance, godly character and godly hope, which is underpinned by God’s overflowing love in our hearts as a powerful testimony of His transforming power at work in our lives.
Trust in God’s plan and timing is crucial and needful for a meaningful comeback:
“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place than to rush and have things fall apart.” May the Lord grant us patience to trust in His divine plan & timing for us as we undergo testing and setback.
Setback is transient, like a passing storm which will give way to clear skies and sunshine (in line with David’s experience in Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night; But joy comes in the morning”).
Setback is not equated with God’s silence nor His rejection of our lack of faith. Reminder from Romans 8:28: God is working tirelessly behind the scenes to make all things (including our setbacks) work together for our ultimate good and to His glory. “God’s delay is not His denial of our difficult situation but a necessary preparation for our growth and maturity in Christ. Our season of anxious waiting is His season of patient working in our lives” (a Christian pastor). We see this exemplified in the faith journey of Ruth and Joseph.
Setback-to-Comeback experience: serving God’s purpose & plan to build up the Body of Christ and to glorify Him. This is affirmed by Paul to all believers: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). The law of Christ is summed up by our Lord Jesus in His reply to a religious leader in Matt 22 & Mark 12 as loving God first and foremost and then loving our neighbours as ourselves.
In a nutshell, our setback-to-comeback testimonies are not meant to be kept in silos but to be used to encourage our suffering brethren to press on, trusting in God’s sustaining grace and deliverance, thus building up the Body of Christ and giving all glory to Him.
Illustration of caterpillar-to-butterfly growth process as a timely reminder that our suffering/setback is a work-in-progress in God’s plan for our transformation and growth in Christ. Amen.
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