What do I do with suffering?

Read Philippians 1:29–30 “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.”

Intro: the reality of suffering, Georgia school shooting

Good morning students.

How’s everyone doing?

Are you all surviving the new school year? Yes/no raise your hand. (surviving school pic)

Awesome.

At FBC

as your pastor

we’re here to talk about

all aspects of the Christian life.

Because life is not always

roses

and rainbows. (roses and rainbows pic)

Just recently

there was a school shooting

in Georgia.

I hate to

bring it up.

But suffering is real.

And many Christians

are unprepared for it.

And when they are unprepared

many of them become discouraged

and even

leave

for a while.

But what if I told you

there is a way

to turn

suffering

into something good.

Even into joy!

So today’s sermon

will answer

the question

what do I do with suffering?

Because some of you

are suffering

right

now.

And some of you are not

but those of you who are not

and are in a peaceful season

I want to prepare you

for when suffering

does

come your way.

1. Use it for _____ (v.29)

1. Use it for Jesus (v.29)

Let’s look at v.29, ‘For to you, it has been granted on behalf of Christ’.

Now

the first word

in this verse

is the word for.

Which means

that this verse

has a relationship

with the previous verse.

For

is like

the word because.

So this verse

explains

v.28.

And if you were here last week

you learned

that v.28 taught

that God is your protector

or bodyguard.

Because if you are a Christian

you will face opposition

you will face suffering

simply for believing in Jesus.

People will make fun of you

and reject you

because of your faith

in Jesus.

But thankfully

he protects you

from your ops

by protecting you

from them

and also saving

you from eternal punishment.

So now

Paul

is also

explaining

why

Christians even have to suffer

in the first place.

And this is such an important lesson

because many people

ask the question

‘If God exists why is there suffering in the world?’

Many atheists

and even

fake Christians

will point to

terrible suffering

either in the world

starving

children

or their loved ones

dying of cancer

as to why

they don’t

believe in God.

And that is something

I can have empathy

for.

Because we all

suffer.

I have suffered.

A month ago

I had COVID.

Then a couple of weeks after

my wife

was in a car accident

bad enough

to where we lost a car.

Even worse

was the suffering I had

when I was a teenager. (high school pic)

my parents were divorced

when I was still in 3rd grade

so I grew up with just my mom

and since she was the only one raising me

she would work multiple jobs

7 days a week

so that

I basically

was at home alone

almost all the time.

And that continued

for more

over

A decade.

I was alone

and very depressed.

So what’s the answer?

Some Christians

say

it’s because

we live

in a fallen world

a corrupted world

so there is suffering.

But that doesn’t

give the full picture.

So what does God’s Word say?

Because remember students

what God’s Word says

trumps

whatever people say.

John 9:1–3 (ESV)

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

So a man blind from birth

was before Jesus

and his disciples ask him

whose sin

caused him to be born blind?

The man or his parents?

Jesus’ answer

was neither.

The man’s blindness

was so

that God

would display

show

a great work

in him.

Jesus is saying

that the reason

there is suffering in the world

is so that God

can show his glory

and his power.

Later on in this same passage

Jesus

heals the blind man

and he goes on to believe

in Jesus

and gives him

glory.

The suffering

of one blind man

was used for a wonderful miracle

of instantly

restoring

his sight

showing

God’s Mercy.

Now

Do you know

what the suffering

of the entire world

was used for?

To show

the incredible

mercy

and grace

of the cross.

Students

how will you really know

that God is love

if there were no evil

in his way

and

no enemies

for him

to die for?

Matthew 5:46–47 ESV

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

When you are walking down

the cafeteria

and you dap up

your friends

how is this love

any different

than what non-Christians

do?

Now imagine

you give your spot

in line

to your op.

Or you give him

your favorite seat. (cafeteria school pic)

Who does that?

No one.

That’s real love.

When you sacrifice

for your enemies.

That’s what Jesus

did.

He sacrificed

his perfect innocent life

for his enemies

us

so that we could be saved

from the wrath

to come.

And if enemies

didn’t exist,

and if suffering

didn’t exist,

if the excruciating crucifixion of Jesus

the most painful way to kill someone at the time

didnt exist

we would never truly know

how awesome

how deep

God’s love

truly is.

Now the reason

why I took a semi

detour

to explain

all of this

is because

I’m about to say

one of the most

controversial things

you may ever hear.

Or rather

the Bible

is about to say

one of the most

controversial things

you may ever hear.

And that is

‘Suffering is a gift from God.’

Write that down (repeat).

And again

that’s what

God’s Word is saying.

Look again at v.29, ‘for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ’.

Again the word it

is referring

to the suffering

caused by the opposition

Christians face

for believing in Jesus.

And the word granted

actually is better translated

as ‘graciously given’.

So what Paul is basically saying is

‘As Christians you suffer because it is a gracious gift from Jesus.’

And if you still don’t believe me

Paul fully explains

in the rest of the verse, ‘not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.’

Now the immediate reaction

you probably have

right now

is ‘I don’t like that’.

‘I don’t like suffering.’

And guess what

students

neither do I.

You think

I want to preach this to you?

Sounds like the worst thing

if this is true.

Because I thought

that ‘following Jesus would bring peace

into my life

not

suffering.’

Until

however

through God’s help

I realized

the reason

why

suffering

is a gift.

Do you remember

and understand

the answer to

Q: if God exists, why there is suffering in the world?

A: so that God can show his power and glory on the cross.

Read this with me.

You must also

understand

that God also

shows his power and glory

through your suffering.

Not just

Jesus’ suffering

but yours too.

Which means

Jesus makes your suffering

have meaning

and purpose.

The reason

why people

are so depressed

is because

their suffering

has no meaning

or purpose

to it.

But Jesus

gives you

his child

a purpose

for your suffering.

How?

Let me ask you a question. When you remember

the suffering

Jesus went through

for you

and how he gave you freedom from sin

and eternal life

how does that make you feel?

Grateful.

Joyful right?!

When someone does a great favor for you

say you were supposed to fail a test

but your teacher

gives you a boost

and bumps your grade

to a C

don’t you feel great joy

and gratitude

and even a determination

to support

your teacher?

Famous actor George Clooney

Who is rich now

used to be very broke.

In fact

he would constantly ask friends

for loans

and to sleep

on their couch.

Years later

when George

made it big

he invited

14

of those friends

who helped him

to an undisclosed location.

When they his friends got there

they sat around

a table

and each friend

were given a bag.

When they opened it

in each bag

was $1 million dollars. (money bag pic)

Don’t we all wish we had a friend like that?

If you wish you had a friend like that raise your hand!

A rich man who found about this story

later asked George

‘why would you do that?’

And George responded, ‘why wouldn’t you do that you jerk?’

You see even to a rich person

$14 million

is still a lot of money.

But he didn’t expect anything in return

or to make a profit off of them

like something Mr. Beast would do.

He simply

was so grateful

what his friends

did for him

that he was willing

to suffer the loss

of $14 million

for

his friends.

And that

is what it means

that Jesus

gives your suffering

purpose.

When you realize

that Jesus gave

us poor beggars

the gift of eternal life

that is worth

far more

than $1 million

$1 billion

even $1 trillion

it makes you want

to use the suffering

you have now

and the suffering

you may face in the future

for him.

Not that you want to repay him!

George did not expect his friends

to repay him the $1 million

because they can’t afford to.

And neither

does Jesus

expect you to repay Him

$1 trillion.

But we use our suffering for Jesus

because we are so grateful

and joyful

of what he has done for us.

Acts 5:40–41 (ESV)

and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

The apostles

who Jesus all died for on the cross

were telling the world

about Jesus

were punished

by the enemy

by being whipped in the back.

Were they sad and discouraged?

No

because they used

their suffering

for Jesus.

They rejoiced

they were happy!

that they were counted worthy

to what?

suffer

dishonor

for the name.

Students

you can

turn your suffering

into joy

too

if you

use your suffering

for Jesus

by remembering how Jesus

suffered for you on the cross

making you

want to joyfully suffer

for Him.

2. Suffer together (v.30)

Let’s look at the final verse

v.30, ‘having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.’

Remember

that when

Paul

wrote this letter

he was in prison

with the possibility of being put to death

and at the same time

so-called Christians

were attacking him

and saying awful things

about him

so that they could increase

their own popularity

and influence.

What this means

is that the Apostle Paul

was suffering too.

And he’s saying,

‘I’m not

telling you to suffer

while I enjoy

and reap

all the benefits

in a comfy tower.’

False teacher

Kenneth Copeland (kenneth copeland pic)

would teach what’s called a prosperity gospel.

So for example

if you were sick

you needed to have faith

by giving money

and then God will heal your sickness.

Now if you gave more money

or a gift

that Kenneth Copeland

particularly liked

then your chances

of being healed

go up.

And Copeland

particularly liked Breitling watches. (copeland watches)

The particular model he liked

was worth tens of thousands of dollars.

So many

of his congregants

would give him one

in order to be healed.

But by this time

Copeland already was given around 12 of these watches.

So a friend of his

who was dying of cancer

wanting to be healed

gave him another Breitling.

But it wasn’t just another Breitling.

It was a Breitling

that was the internal clock

of a Bentley car (breitling bentley)

that was worth

hundreds of thousands

of dollars.

Hallelujah said Kenneth Copeland!

You know

what happened

to the friend with cancer?

He died

hoping that his gift

would heal him from his cancer

and Copeland reaped all the benefits

while his friend

suffered.

Unlike Copeland

Paul suffered

with

his fellow Christians.

Because students

You are not alone.

The beauty

of the Christian life

of the church

is that you are not alone.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (ESV)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

As the God’s word explains

we come to church

to worship God

and also

to encourage one another.

And when you miss church

you are missing

the duty

God gave you

to help encourage

your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

A high school student

had his father pass away.

And when he went to the funeral

he wasn’t encouraged

until

he saw a fellow student

Kim

from his youth group.

She didn’t even say a word

just cried for him

and hugged him.

Later on

Kim’s father died

and the student

came to her father’s funeral

to encourage her.

Students when you are suffering

remember

to suffer together.

Student ministry is something we do together. (student ministry pic)

When someone is is blessed

we celebrate together.

When someone is hurting

or suffering

we hurt

suffer

together.

Don’t neglect student service

so you can be available

to encourage one another.

Because you are not alone.

Gospel/conclusion

Because a world

with no suffering…