The Power of Pain and Perseverance
Pastor Ben Curfman
Foundation: The Acts of the Apostles • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Read Acts 12:1-19
INTRODUCTION
Why do we suffer? Where is God when we are hurting? If God is good, why do terrible things happen to people?
We need a theology of suffering.
Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
Peter’s words to the church after his imprisonment in Acts 12.
The expectation of scripture is that Christians will suffer.
Jesus said to Peter in John 16:31-33
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
(30m)
How do we understand the role of pain in society?
The World Seeks Power Through Pain
The World Seeks Power Through Pain
Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.
Herod had failed in Rome and used political influence to gain his position. He had a chip on his shoulder and needed to prove that he was valuable to the Empire.
Why does the world use pain to get power over people? Because...
Hurt People Hurt People
The Apostles and even his own guards weren’t people to Herod, they were just steps on the ladder of power.
Critical Theory divides everything in the world into two classes: oppressor and oppressed. Society improves when there is a constant revolution of the oppressed against the oppressors.
Critical Theorists and Cultural Marxists would view Herod as the hero of this story because he gained approval from the Jews by killing and imprisoning the Apostles. He was proving himself valuable and thereby overturning the systems of Jewish and Roman oppression.
These are the people in American universities and on social media who are praising Hamas for slaughtering innocent people in Israel because they see Palestine as an oppressed people and Israel as an oppressive nation. Their rhetoric promotes wickedness and reviles power because, as Proverbs 14:9 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
God’s people are not Cultural Marxists or Critical Theorists. We do not inflict pain on other people to become powerful, because we remember that “vengeance belongs to the LORD.”
(15m)
The Church Shows Power Through Pain
The Church Shows Power Through Pain
On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.
When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.
Peter displayed the power of God to the Jews, the Romans, and the Church when he slept in prison and when he left prison.
(10m)
When we accept the pain that God allows in our lives, we also create an opportunity for Him to display His power.
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God used Joseph’s pain to make him a powerful deliverer for Israel.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. “Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
(5m)
CONCLUSION
God is allowing you to experience pain so that His power is revealed to you and those around you. Don’t waste your suffering.
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.