Healing (2)
Notes
Transcript
Last week recap:
God created everything and it was very good!
Sickness/disease/pain/suffering were not in God original plan
The fall happens and the whole earth was cursed
The power/authority that was given to Adam and Eve was shifted to the enemy
The enemy is the god, lower case g of this earth
Jesus came to defeat the works of the enemy
Sickness/disease/pain/suffering will not be around after God makes all things new
So, sickness/disease/pain/suffering is not of God!
God partners with us to defeat the works of the enemy!
This morning we are going to look at a couple more important questions as we talk about healing. Btw, remember you can send in questions that you have to me!
We are going to look at couple of questions about suffering this morning.
In order to have an organized conversation about this, we have to make some distinctions about what we are talking about.
So, what is suffering?
According to the Google dictionary,
Suffering is: the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship.
Let’s look at a couple of examples and see if we would consider these to be suffering
Are these things considered suffering:
I stubbed my toe
I failed a math test
Getting in trouble from a parent
Being made fun of
Losing a friend
Getting sick
Going hungry for a meal
You see, there could be a wide range of things that we consider to be a part of suffering.
As we discussed last week, we are still in a broken and fallen world. But, Jesus has overcome the world. What does this mean? We will get to the question of whether or not christians should suffer at the end.
Before we get there, let’s look at some mentions of suffering in the bible to see how scripture defines suffering.
The word suffering is found 120 times in the ESV translation. Though I will not go through all of the tests, let’s touch on some to get an idea of suffering in scripture.
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
Suffering in relation to being captive in Egypt
Notice, these are God’s chosen people
Let’s jump to numbers where we have the Israelites complaining about being in the wilderness and the Lord tells Moses to say to the people, and we are picking up part of the conversation:
33 Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness.
Suffering because of unfaithfulness in the wilderness
Here again, we have God’s chosen people
Jumping to Nehemiah
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
Nehemiah is burdened that the walls in Jerusalem are destroyed and they have no protection against anyone coming against them
So, Nehemiah wants to rebuild the walls for protection
11 They crush olives among the terraces; they tread the winepresses, yet suffer thirst.
Here we have Job speaking to God, showing that we can suffer because of thirst
10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
you can suffer in hunger
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
suffering because of terrors
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
can suffer distress and anguish
6 “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
suffering because of paralyzation
20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
woman with the issue of bleeding was suffering
12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
Jesus suffered in multiple ways
15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
- demonic influence
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
suffering in dishonor
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
suffering in temptation
So, as we look as suffering we see that scripture has just about as wide a view of suffering as we would
Basically, suffering can happen in many different ways.
So, that leads us to a massive question when it comes to healing:
Should Christians Suffer?
Should Christians Suffer?
As with many thing, there is a spectrum of thought on suffering and Christians. I will give you three views on the spectrum, even though there may be more nuances to it.
Because we are in a fallen world we should expect and even embrace suffering.
Jesus can overcome, but we should not expect it.
God allows suffering for christians just as much as He does for non-christians.
God may even cause suffering for christians to teach a lesson or for a greater good.
The world is broken and we will face suffering, but we should not embrace suffering.
Jesus has and is still overcoming the enemy.
God allows suffering for christians, but always uses it for a purpose.
God may RARELY cause suffering in extreme situations.
The world is broken, but Jesus has overcome everything and christians should not embrace suffering.
Jesus will always overcome the enemy and therefore, christians should never suffer.
God will never cause a christian to suffer. All suffering is of the enemy and should be rejected by christians.
Any suffering a christian is suffering is because the christian “allowed” it from the enemy.
We are going to look at a lot more scripture to help us see what we should expect as christians when it comes to suffering.
I’m afraid that sometimes theologies are formed by oversimplification of things.
My goal is not to convince you of how hard life should be this morning. My goal is just to point to an overview of scriptures about suffering so we can have biblical theology.
Please don’t think my goal this morning is to glorify suffering or the work of the enemy.
If you stay with me, we will get to some good things at the end.
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered
20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
So, we see a lot of scripture on suffering, even for christians.
I think, it is error if we land on the extreme end of the spectrum that says christians should never suffer.
But I think it is also error to believe that we should embrace suffering.
Here is some scripture to help balance the spectrum
Last week we talked about how suffering was not God’s original plan and is not His plan in the end.
We ended with:
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
Jesus came to destroy the work of the enemy, so I think it is safe to say that we don’t have to embrace suffering, but maybe we do endure…
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Since we are close on time, I will not bore you with the Greek word. You will have to take my word for it, but the greek word for “trouble” often refers to persecution, but can also be generic for any difficulties
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Notice what we are facing here: trouble that’s the same greek word we just talked about! Hardship, even more generic, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger, death….
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
So, we see that in all sufferings, we are more than conquerors through Christ!
John addresses false prophets and evil spirits
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
So, as we hold a balance, it is clear we will have suffering and struggles, but is also clear, that we can be victorious because of Christ!
To my knowledge, we are never told to embrace suffering, but to endure and to press through! And the hope is, we have the overcomer living inside of us!
So, what struggles do we have?
What suffering are we facing?
We talked last week a little about how we are in a war!
In Ephesians 6, we are told how to stand firm against the enemy…
One piece of armour is the shield of faith
I stole this picture from John Piper’s website, but I left the credit on the bottom
Notice, how the shields link together and protect the group….
Maybe, we are meant to stand in faith together…
So, let’s do that this morning!
