A Proper Mindset in the Midst of Suffering

Introduction

Well, good morning church. As always, its a privilege to be able to bring the word to you this morning. As we continue our journey through the book of Philippians, we come to our next passage, which is found in verses 12 through 14 of chapter 1. Before we begin, lets take a minute to do a brief overview of what we have covered so far. We know Paul, the author of this book, is in prison in Rome, awaiting trial. The Church at Philippi has sent Epaphroditus to minister and bring gifts to Paul. He began in Chapter 1, encouraging the church with thanksgiving and prayer. Paul has begun to teach the saints at Philippi, how he is praying for them, what he is praying for them, and how to pray. He has encouraged the church in the gospel of Jesus Christ and how their salvation rest in the hands of Christ. He has told the church what to be seeking in spiritual growth, which is knowledge and discernment. How those things come about as we grow spiritually and mature in Christ as Christians. He has taught the church the purpose of growing in our knowledge and discernment. As we move into our text, Paul continues teaching the church. Paul teaches the church about something that every christian is promised to endure…and that is suffering. Many “churches” today, and i use air quotes because I don't believe them to be true churches, teach a different gospel than God’s word teaches. This is called the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. There is a church here locally, City Hope, which is the fastest growing church in Wichita Falls at the moment. I want to read you a brief portion of City Hopes Statement of Faith.

GOD’S WILL FOR PROVISION It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.

Spiritual(John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)

Mental and Emotional(II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).

Physical(Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).

Financial(Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19)

Church, if you have been influenced by this doctrine, this is a lie. They put scripture references by each point they make, but its merely God’s word molded to fit with a wordly, man-centered theology..instead of God’s Word molding your theology. If this statement is true…Why have I personally seen so many Christians…who were strong in their faith…suffer. If it is God’s will for His people to reap the benefits of being Spiritually strong, Mentally and Emotionally Healthy, Physically healthy, and financially stable....What do you tell your brother in Christ who has a brain tumor. Who has slowly suffered to the point of losing their ability to walk, to speak, to work, to be emotionally and mentally stable.....Do you look at that man who is suffering immensely and on deaths door step and say “well you did not pray enough, you did not have enough faith, you did not ask enough, you did not claim these promises, you didn’t tithe and give enough money”. Side Note....You are a lot braver than I am to tell God he owes you something. I am not talking about resting in the promises God makes in His word…I’m taking about telling God he owes you good health, he owes you money, he owes you a life of little to no suffering or trials. If you have been taught to have this kind of attitude toward the Lord of lords and King of kings, you need to take that kind of thinking and throw it out the window and then check yourself. I bring this up to make you aware of the lies and the false doctrine that has become so prevalent in this world. Be aware and be very cautious of any “church” or “teacher” that tells you to seek things that are of this world. Every unbeliever desires to be wealthy. Every unbeliever desires good health and most of the time goes to great lengths to achieve it. Every unbeliever desires an emotional high or “spiritual experience when they worship their idols. All that emotional feeling is good for, is to make your path to hell comfortable. God’s Word teaches His people that they WILL endure suffering and trials…Every believer will…but their is a reason for this, and we will cover some of that this morning as we work through our passage. If you will, please open your bibles to Philippians chapter 1, and read with me verses 12-14. Philippians 1:12-14

Philippians 1:12–14 (ESV)

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul Comforts the Church

Point 1. Paul begins in verse 12 by telling the church that his imprisonment has actually advanced the gospel. These are comforting words to the saints at Philippi. Its evident throughout Paul’s letter, the church at Philippi was concerned for Paul. Remember, the Book of Philippians is called the epistle of joy. Its a letter of Joy and comfort. Paul is not suffering for nothing, he is suffering for the advancement of the gospel, the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. I want to being your attention to Romans 8:28

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

What a powerful Word. Paul is explaining this to the church at Philippi. Although Paul has been thrown in prison, although he is awaiting his trial, God has used this to work for the good of His kingdom…the advancement of the gospel. Another passage that comes to mind is Genesis 50:20 where Joseph speaks with his brothers about what they did to him.

Genesis 50:20 (ESV)

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Again, we see someone that has endured sufferings and trials…many of them, yet, in the end, God’s purpose is accomplished. I believe that is where we need to focus…if you’re a note taker, and you write anything down, let it be this. In the trials and sufferings we see throughout God’s Word, the purpose is not to accomplish our will or what we think should happen, but to accomplish the will of God and to further His kingdom. A believer and servant of Christ never suffers for no reason at all. If God places us in a situation, in which we suffer, seek to serve Christ in that moment. Seek to find a way, pray for God to reveal to you a way in which you can further His kingdom in the midst of suffering and hardships. Fix your mind upon God and not your circumstances. Church, I know this is much easier said than done. But, it is vital that we turn to God and His word and not turn to our circumstances. In verse 12, Paul turns the readers eyes from his circumstances, to what Christ is doing through him in his circumstances. “What has happened to me has advances the gospel”

The Purpose of Paul's Suffering

Point 2. As we move into verse 13, Paul gives the reason why his imprisonment has advanced the gospel. (READ VS 13) Pay special attention to the words “The whole imperial Guard and all the rest”. It took just a minute for this to sink in for me. Its not just some measly little prison guards who have heard the gospel…but the imperial guard and the “all the rest” can be taken as those of Caesars palace. These are people who most likely would not have heard the gospel had it not been for Paul's Imprisonment. God has placed Paul exactly where He needed him. God has placed Paul in that prison, for that moment, for those exact people to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Church, sometimes, after a while, God reveals the purpose of our sufferings and trials. Sometimes he reveals that answer immediately after, sometimes during the trial, sometimes never. It is so important for us, as believers, to focus not on our circumstances, but on the will of God and on His kingdom.

I was talking with Chris not too long ago. Chris has endured a difficult trial and storm…as had I. When we were talking about suffering in the midst of these trials, Chris brought up a book most of you are probably familiar with. Its called the “Screwtape Letters” written by C.S. Lewis. Some of you might be familiar with C.S. Lewis’s book “The Chronicles of Narnia”. They recently came out with a series of movies that cover these books. Anyways, C.S. Lewis was actually a pretty solid theologian. The Screwtape Letters is a book, where a senior demon, named Screwtape, is writing to a junior or “rookie” demon, named Wormwood. In his letters to Wormwood, Screwtape is telling him how to best attack believers. The first couple letters begin with a man, who Screwtape refers to as a “Patient”, coming to salvation. In the 4th letter, Screwtape is instructing this rookie demon, Wormwood, on how to attack this new believers prayer life. Let me tell you, when C.S. Lewis wrote this, he was dead on. Let me read you a couple small portion of the 4th letter.

Screwtape starts the letter by saying “My Dear Wormwood, The amateurish suggestions in your last letter warn me that it is high time for me to write you fully on the painful subject of prayer” Screwtape writes and tells Wormwood “The best thing, where possible, is to keep the patient from the serious intention of praying all together.” Screwtape goes on to tell Wormwood, if he cannot divert the believer from prayer, there is a simple way to attack the believers prayer life… Screwtape writes “but there are ways of preventing them from doing so. The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him (God), towards themselves. Keep them watching their own minds and trying to produce feelings there by action of their own wills. When they meant to ask Him for charity, let them, instead, start trying to manufacture charitable feelings for themselves and not notice that this is what they are doing. When they meant to pray for courage, let them really be trying to feel brave. When they say they are praying for forgiveness, let them be trying to feel forgiven. Teach them to estimate the value of each prayer by their success in producing the desired feeling; and never let them suspect how much success or failure of that kind depends on whether they are well or ill, fresh or tired, at the moment.”

The whole entire letter is just phenomenal. C.S. Lewis is exactly right in his writings regarding prayer. IF…the enemy can keep you from praying, your trials and sufferings just got that much harder. If the enemy can distract you in your prayers, to focus on yourself, to focus on your situation, to try and manufacture some kind of emotional response to your own prayers....he has set you back. We must....and I know how difficult this can be....take our eyes of our situation and off our circumstances…and fix our eyes upon the cross. It is absolutely vital....to walk in the light and the truth of God’s Word....even when you cant see where the next step leads. Saints…sometimes…The Lord takes us through valleys so low and waters so deep…you will feel like you are lost or drowning. Notice I said “feel”. That is important. Sometimes…God takes from us the feeling of his presence…the feeling of His grace…and when He does…Ohhh it can be difficult. Very, very, difficult. These kind of trials are evident throughout church history. In John Bunyan’s “Pilgrims Progress” he talks about Christian, the main character who is walking through life as a believer, going through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. He talks about this as not a physical death, but how it feels like a spiritual death. When the believer endures trial after trial after trial. The road is so dark the believer feels like he has lost his salvation. Again....note how i said “feels like”. Matthew Henry writes “Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trials of extraordinary graces”. In a sermon titled “Mr. Fearing Comforted” C.H. Spurgeon said “Sometimes, indeed, the Lord purposely leaves His children, withdraws the divine inflowings of His grace, and permits them to begin to sink, in order that they may understand that faith is not their own work”.

Do you see this coming together? Our success in our sufferings and trials DO NOT depend on your circumstances, it does not depend on our emotions, and it surely does not depend on how we feel in that moment. The Lord may take your feelings, but praise God our salvation does not depend on how we “feel” day to day. It does not depend on our circumstances, If your saved…if you are a believer…your salvation depends on the work of Christ…and take comfort…Christ did not fail…He accomplished His work on the cross, so fix your eyes on Him. Pray and pray hard! Fall to your knees and cry out…and when you do…know that He hears his children…and his answering or hearing our prayers does not depend on your emotions or feelings. When you are suffering, when you decide to question God…to look up and ask “why me? What have I done to deserve this?” You pull out your bible and you go through the gospels…Read. Read how Christ, who had done nothing wrong was struck across the face over and over again. How the spotless, sinless lamb had the flesh torn from his back, even though there was no deceit found in his mouth… You Read how the Perfect Savior…who upholds the universe by His word alone, laid on a tree while sinners drove nails through his hands and his feet....Read how the blood that ran from every wound, every nail, every thorn that was crushed into his head…was spilt to cover your sins. I relate to Paul…I am the chief of sinners. Read how that very blood that enables you to stand before the throne of God, was spilt by someone who was truly perfect…the only person who was able to look up at the throne room of God and yell “THIS IS NOT FAIR!”. When you want to yell at God and tell Him how it isn't fair to suffer....remember every sin you have committed against Him. Then look back at the cross and remember what is cost to redeem a sinful filthy soul like mine and like yours. You would be exactly right…It isn’t fair for you to suffer in this life, whether you suffer 20 days or 20 years. What is fair....is for all of us sitting in this room to suffer in the fires of hell for eternity. That’s fair…that’s justice. Be careful what you say and ask for.

The Example of Paul’s Suffering

Point 3. Lastly, Paul gives an example of how to suffer well…and so should we. Verse 14 says “And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Paul’s example of suffering well, gives confidence to the believers in Rome who are watching. Paul practiced what he preached and followed the example of Christ. In the midst of suffering…in the midst of his imprisonment…Paul displays a Christ-like attitude. If you look at John 13:21, when Jesus tells the disciples of the soon to be betrayal, the Scriptures tell us Christ was troubled in His Spirit. But then you read ahead to John 14:1, and Christ encourages and comforts His disciples. It was at this time in Christ ministry…He was hours away from the most brutal, most horrific suffering that had ever and will ever occur…and He knew it. Yet, he sets this aside to minister to and to comfort His disciples. During this time, Our Lord’s concern was not His own circumstances, but the disciples. Paul follows this example. In verse 12, he tells the church, his sufferings…are advancing the gospel and the kingdom of God, then he tells them his suffering has a purpose, lastly, he tells the church at Philippi, His suffering has been an encouragement to the believers in Rome.

The way in which we suffer, is an example to those around us, how to suffer. It either teaches how to suffer well, or how to suffer poorly. Fathers and husbands…When you suffer, your wife and children are watching. Those of you who work in public offices, when you suffer, you are teaching any believers you work with, how to suffer. You are also teaching the unbelievers how a follower of Christ suffers. The manner in which we suffer, is very important, and as hard as it is....we must follow the example of Paul, and above that, the example of Christ. When you suffer well…you will encourage those around you who see your suffering. If you suffer poorly…you can and most likely will damage your witness to unbelievers....and discourage the believers around you. Again, I know this is so much easier preached than practiced. However, with that being said, we, as believers, are called to suffering and trials…and therefore are called to suffer well and endure our trials with our eyes fixed on Christ. Church, It’s evident Paul did not find his joy in his circumstances…he found his joy in the gospel.

Conclusion

As we conclude and our time in the passage comes to an end, lets briefly look at an overview of the passage together. The teachings of this passage require a change in our behavior and in our attitude. What is your attitude in the midst of suffering? Do you have the attitude Paul is teaching the Philippians to have? Is your attitude Kingdom minded? Ground in the scriptures? Or is it self-centered? Focused on your circumstances and whats going on around you? Is your attitude driving you to your knees in prayer or is it driving you away from the Lord all together? These are hard questions…but they must be answered none the less. Saints, when you are suffering, what do your prayers look like? Are they asking for deliverance over... and over, and over again? Or are your prayers focused on the will of God regardless of your current emotions or feelings? Let me say this, there is nothing wrong with asking to be delivered from suffering or trials....but when you are not delivered....When God says “My grace is sufficient”…It’s time to trust those words, to buckle down, and to suffer well.

Next, you must ask yourself, Am I suffering in a manner that is pleasing to God and that I want others to imitate. Are you suffering in a manner that your children and those in your household should imitate? Are you setting an example that those around you should imitate? Or has your thoughts and dwelling on your circumstances caused you to be angry and bitter towards the Lord?

We must ask ourselves these difficult questions and then ask what the consequences are for not suffering well.

And we close with this....Suffering and trials are a very heavy topic. Sometimes the suffering is light and we come out with an answer and our faith is stronger and we look back and tell ourselves “Wow look at how God used that”. Sometimes, the suffering is agonizing, sometimes the suffering is clutching your dead loved one, sometimes the suffering is dealing with a terminal illness, and not knowing the purpose God has behind it, yet trusting in Him and all the while....suffering in a manner that is pleasing to Him. But take comfort believers, Paul tells us in Philippians that He who began a good work in us will complete it…That is a promise. 1 Peter 5:10 says that after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ.... will Himself.....restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you…that is a promise. Our life, our time here on earth is but a tiny grain of sand on an entire planet. One day, God will restore His people. One day…Those who have trusted in the name and the work of Jesus Christ will dwell for all eternity in His presence. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God....If suffering is what furthers His Kingdom, Suffer well, and suffer knowing that your suffering is furthering the Kingdom of an eternal, all powerful, all knowing, sovereign God, who one day…will wipe away every tear from your eyes, give you a perfect body. Know you are suffering for a King, who suffered, that you might have eternal life in the place He is preparing for you. So, What does it mean to suffer well? (EXPOUND)

If you are here this morning and you have questions…If you are not a believer…please, find me or someone after the service. We will be happy to answer any questions you might have. Again, I know this is a heavy truth we find in God’s Word. One last thing…Don’t endure suffering alone. We all who are members here at Covenant Baptist church took an oath and made a covenant with one another…To bear each others burdens. If you are suffering…lean on those here in the church. Let us bear your burdens with you, let us go to the Lord often in prayer. If the members around you…if your pastors and elders do not know whats going on…they do not know how to pray for you. Do Not suffer alone. Come to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us suffer with you, let us pray with you, let us weep with you, and let us rejoice with you. Lets Pray,

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,