Untitled Sermon (86)

A DISCUSSION ON SUFFERING

INTRODUCTION:

SUFFERING IS SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN IN EACH AND EVERYONE OF OUR LIVES.

BUT PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE THERE OWN OPINIONS WHY WE MAY BE SUFFERING.

MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE SUFFERING WITH SIN.

THE SAME ACCUSATION WAS SAID ABOUT A MAN WHO WAS BLIND FROM BIRTH.

TODAY I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE BLIND MAN SUFFERING.

SUFFERING STIR UP QUESTIONS.

SUFFERING CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.

SUFFERING PROVIDE BENEFITS

A. SUFFERING STIR UP QUESTIONS.

John 9:2 “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”

THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED FROM THE DISCIPLES CONCERNING THE BLIND MAN WAS WHO DID SIN, THIS MAN, OR HIS PARENTS?

WHY IS IT THAT WE LOOK AT SUFFERING IN A NEGATIVE WAY, INSTEAD OF SEEING IT AS A WORK OF GOD.

IF WE NEVER HAVE EXPERIENCE SUFFERING, WE WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCE GOD’S POWER.

JOHN 9:8 THEN IT WAS THE NEIGHBOURS THAT SAID IS NOT THIS HE THAT SAT AND BEGGED?

IT IS A SHAME HOW WE TEAR PEOPLE DOWN, WHEN THEY ALREADY FEELING DOWN.

THESE QUESTIONS DID NOT BUILD UP, BUT TORE THE BLIND MAN DOWN.

JOHN 9:15-17 THEN THE PHARISEES ASKED THE BLIND MAN HOW HE RECEIVED HIS SIGHT?

I FOUND OUT THAT PEOPLE WHO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, WHEN YOU ARE SUFFERING REALLY NOT CONCERN ABOUT YOU, BUT WANT TO KNOW WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING WITH YOU, SO THAT THEY CAN FORM THEY OWN OPINION.

THE PHARISEES DID NOT CARE ABOUT THE BLIND MAN, THEY WAS ONLY CONCERN ABOUT THE BLIND MAN BEING HEALED ON THE SABBATH DAY.

Matthew 7:4 “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?”

B. SUFFERING CREATE OPPORTUNITIES.

John 9:3 “Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DID SUFFERING CREATE?

THE BLIND MAN WAS ABLE TO HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS.

John 9:1 “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.”

THE OTHER OPPORTUNITY HAD TO DO WITH JESUS SHOWING THE CRITICS THAT HE HAD THE POWER TO HEAL A BLIND MAN WHO WAS BLIND FROM BIRTH.

WHAT JESUS SHOWED THAT HE HAD COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO WAS DISABLED.

THE ONE THING I DO KNOW ABOUT SUFFERING IT’S NOT MEANT TO BE YOUR PERMANENT CONDITION.

1 Peter 5:10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

SUFFERING CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO MINISTER TO OTHERS.

WHO IS THE BEST PERSON TO BE ABLE TO COMFORT OTHERS, BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN COMFORT THEMSELVES.

Ephesians 5:15–20 “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”

C. SUFFERING PROVIDE BENEFITS

John 9:24–25 “Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

THE BENEFITS THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE BLIND MAN, HE WAS ABLE TO SHARE HIS STORY WITH UNBELIEVERS.

THE BLIND MAN WAS ABLE TO PUT HIS LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE.

HE NO LONGER WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT OTHER’S COULD GIVE HIM.

MONEY AND CLOTHING WAS NOT HIS HIGH PRIORITY ANY LONGER, THE BLIND MAN JUST WANTED TO SEE.

REMEMBER HE WAS BLIND FROM BIRTH.

BUT NOW HE WAS OF AGE.

IT’S A WASTE OF TIME TRYING TO CONVINCE A FOOL OF SOMETHING THE LORD HAS DONE IN YOUR LIFE , WHEN THEY HAVE NOT EXPERIENCE OR COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE LORD FOR THEMSELVES.

Philippians 3:13–14 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

YOU CAN’T CHANGE WHAT YOU DONE IN THE PAST, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE WHERE YOU AT NOW.