Ready to Suffer
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· 1 viewA biblical survey of the reasons for suffering.
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Do you have suffering?
There are three types of people: Those about to suffer, those currently suffering, and those coming out of suffering.
There are many types of suffering: Physical, relational, mental, financial, spiritual.
How do we make sense of our suffering and what do we do about it? This may be the greatest universal question raised by believers. It could also be the greatest universal challenge to a believer’s faith.Everyone here is one of those three people previously mentioned, but I don’t expect to provide a nice gift-wrapped solution for everyone’s personal suffering this morning. However, I do want to present an overview of a healthy, biblical view of suffering because many times worldly perspectives challenge our thinking.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Let’s renew our minds in regards to suffering.
Let’s consider why suffering happens.
Suffering Because of Your Own Choices
Suffering Because of Your Own Choices
I’m not talking about karma (not in the Bible). I’m talking about dealing with the consequences of your own actions.
A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity, and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.
These are general proverbs that speak to the fact that if you make choices, you reap the results of those choices. This seems simple and yet we are very apt at shifting blame to someone else, especially in relational suffering. We should always take a step back and ask ourselves, “Do I need to own up to any part of what I’m experiencing? Did I play a role in my own suffering?” Not as an exercise in self-deprecation but as an exercise in integrity.
On a related note, there is what Paul says about people who break the law.
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
The biblical function of a government is to enforce law to protect people. That is not not to say that all governments live up to this call, but the principle is if you break the law, God has designed it so that you would be punished.
Suffering Because of Someone Else’s Choices
Suffering Because of Someone Else’s Choices
Sometimes we can actually identify someone to blame for our suffering. It was their fault. They made a choice and now you suffer for it. In these cases I can’t even rely on the small solace I got from the fact that it was my own fault. But the reason for this suffering is pretty much the same. Someone made a choice and now you are suffering…in this case it was another person and not you. We live in a world where we have free will - you AND everyone else. But what do we do about it?
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It is not our role to get revenge or payback. That’s God’s role. Be assured that, at the end of all things, at the judgement, no injustice will occur. God will forgive all the sins of those who have come to know him and will demand payment for all those who have not. He will not make a mistake.
Suffering for No Apparent Reason
Suffering for No Apparent Reason
There are sometimes that it seems like no one is at fault for our suffering, but suffering happened anyway (i.e. genetic disorder, tornadoes, freak accidents). That is because this world is a broken world.
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
It won’t always be like this. God will make creation right in the last day as well. For the believer there is hope for a better place.
Suffering Because God Loves You
Suffering Because God Loves You
Yes, sometimes God takes the prerogative to allow suffering.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!
They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
You might wonder how you would know whether the suffering you are going through is something God is using for discipline or strengthening or if it is something else. We have been talking about different reasons for suffering, but this particular one is sort of universal. God can use all suffering to discipline or strengthen. Even though people exercise their free will, and even though we experience brokenness in the world, God is simultaneously working his plan through all of it.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
I love this promise. It is so explicit. I can take this to the bank. In ALL THINGS. Now, I may not understand. It might still hurt. It might hurt a lot. But God is using all things - the choices of all people - to work good for us believers. And we are talking about our spiritual good first and foremost. Paul is the one who wrote this passage. The guy who was stoned, shipwrecked, flogged, imprisoned, etc…God worked all things together for good for Paul.
I love this promise, but a popularization of this and another verse really grinds my gears.
Soapbox Time: A couple of weeks ago the youth played a game called Bible or Baloney [summarize]. We came to “Everything happens for a reason.” And our evaluation was that it was too ambiguous to judge. It depended to much on a context or the intent. And that’s one of the reasons I don’t like this expression. What I usually hear and what, I will venture, is usually meant by this expression is something like “everything that happens is what God wanted to happen.” And if that’s what is meant then that is wrong and of the devil. Because it takes the human responsibility out of the equation. I can’t just choose to go punch a random person in the face and say, “Everything happens for a reason.” What we talked about earlier still applies. Sometimes others make choices that result in suffering and sometimes you do. But Cooper, God has a plan. Yeah, that’s Bible, Jeremiah 29:11 - and in his plan he gave you free will. He will work his cosmic plans with or without you. But you will ALSO experience the consequences of your choices and the choices of everybody else. Both of those things are true at the same time.
Again, we are good at shifting blame. This is just a fancy way of shifting the blame to God. But we don’t need to do that as believers. We can’t shift enough blame to save ourselves anymore than we can do enough works to save ourselves. That’s why we have Jesus. So even when you make mistakes and I make mistakes, God is STILL working all things together for our good.
Suffering for Jesus
Suffering for Jesus
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessed are you when...not if. This next passage says not to be surprised when this happens.
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.
However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
Peter knew what he was talking about because he experienced just this. In the earliest days of the Church, the apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court. The result of that meeting was that the apostles were ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus and they were flogged. That is, they were painfully and publicly punished by the most esteemed rulers in their culture. This is what Luke says about what happened next.
The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
Picture it. These guys are still in pain and bleeding and they are rejoicing because it was like Jesus!
Talk about not being conformed to the world. The world cannot understand rejoicing for being punished for doing the right thing.
I have only had a small taste of this kind of suffering. And I can honestly say I was overjoyed to be a little bit like my Savior in that way.
There is much more that could be said about suffering. You likely have a lot of nuts and bolts left to figure out on your journey with suffering. Just thinking the right thoughts doesn’t make your pain go away. But if you have the wrong thoughts, that is, if your thinking is conformed to that of the world and not the truth that God has revealed to you this morning, then you will continue to suffer, but without hope - and you will despair. God has provided His word. It is an anchor when the world clouds our thinking with suffering. Begin your journey through suffering by standing on His promise in Rom 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
I don’t know about you, but I need this promise. I need God working all things for good for me. And he gives it to me. This promise is for all who love God and are called according to his purpose. Your purpose is to belong to Jesus Christ. If you don’t belong to him, you don’t have that promise. But he desires that all would repent from the ways and the thinking of the world and turn to him for their hope and healing. And he will accept all who desire to make him master of their life. You can make that commitment today if you like. Maybe you have questions about what that would entail and how you do that. We are about to sing a song together expressing our need for Jesus. If you have questions or if you want to make a commitment to acquire that promise, come visit with me right now while we stand and sing.
