How to Glorify God When Life is Hard

Introduction

Richard Wurmbrand, was no stranger to suffering. He was imprisoned the first time for his faith in 1948 for 8 years. He was then released and told to never preach again but Richard went to preaching right away and was eventually jailed again. For all 14 years of his imprisonment the communist government tried to break him and silence him.

He was isolated and tortured—enduring beatings, cuttings, starvation, and exposure to cold. But all the while he praised Jesus while he suffered. He shared the gospel with those who beat him. He tapped out gospel encouragement through morse code on his prison walls. He said “My prison cell became my pulpit.”

The very place meant to stop him became the very place God used him most powerfully.

This is the story we see in our text this morning too — that’s Paul’s story. Chained in a Roman prison, he writes: “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” Paul’s suffering didn’t hinder the gospel hindered; it multiplied.

We often look at suffering as the enemy, as something to avoid and to get through as fast as possible. Suffering is an unwanted detour in the story of our lives.

And yet just like Wurmbrand, just like Paul, we will find ourselves suffering in this world. The big question is how will we respond to it? What will we do when suffering comes our way? How do we glorify God when life is hard?

This morning we’re continuing our series in Philippians, Pursuing Christ Together, in Philippians 1:12-18. And our passage answers this very question for us—when life is hard how do we glorify God. Hear the word of God this morning church.

Philippians 1:12–18 “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. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”

The grass withers and the flower falls but the Word of Lord will stand forever.

Pray.

I. Don’t Waste Your Suffering (12-14)

What if the very place you think is holding you back is actually the very place God intends to use you most powerfully for the sake of Christ?

Philippians 1:12 “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,”

What has happened to Paul?

By the time Paul writes this letter to the Philippians he had been imprisoned for nearly 4 years.

It started in Jerusalem because the Jews there were seeking to get rid of this Christian evangelist who was such a powerful apologist for the Christian faith—then after two years of awaiting trial Paul appeals to be tried in Rome under Caesar because those same Jewish countrymen had devised a plot to kill Paul.

En route to Rome he experiences a two week long storm on the ocean—a shipwreck—and then finally he arrives in Rome and is placed under house arrest and put under 24/7 guard—always being chained to a soldier of the imperial guard.

That’s the short version—you can read all the details in Acts 21-28.

Paul had experienced and was experiencing suffering. He was suffering for his faithfulness to Christ.

And the Philippian church was aware of all this—following Paul’s journey—and anxious for news about their beloved apostle, the one who planted their church.

Also, the Philippian believers were experiencing their own suffering. They had religious and social opponents that were against them and they were a poor church in need of help.

They were no strangers to suffering—and church neither are we.

But we shouldn’t be surprised when suffering comes to us in this world.

We often want an answer for the suffering we experience—”Why is this happening?!”

In Luke 13 Jesus is teaching and he addresses this—a tower had collapsed near the pool of Siloam—and it killed 18 people. And everyone was asking the question—”Why did those 18 people die like that?” “Maybe it was because they were sinners and God was punishing them for their sin, that must be it.” But Jesus says, “do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem?—No, they weren’t”

When suffering comes our way we want to know why—we want an answer—for those who experienced the tragedy of the Tower of Siloam, it was more comfortable for them to believe that “they had it coming”.

But friends the reality is that this world is broken—sin has utterly ravaged it—and suffering is a part of this world.

The only reason that suffering surprises us is because God is gracious and good and we don’t experience suffering at all times. He gives us reprieves—we have good blessing in our lives—family we love, pleasant weather, good food to eat—all these common grace blessings are lingering whispers of Eden—the way it was supposed to be.

And so when suffering comes our souls cry out, “Why is this happening?!”

But the Bible tells us why—sin entered the world—sin broke the world—and we can’t shift all the blame on Adam and Eve—if we are really honest we must acknowledge that we too are part of the problem—we too are sinners and contributors to the brokenness of the world and the suffering that ensues.

While we live on this side of redemptive history—before Jesus comes again—we will experience suffering in this world. We will have physical ailments, experience the loss of death and broken fellowship—and we’ll suffer even when we follow Christ.

The road that God called Paul to was a road marked with suffering. God says of Paul, “For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

And this wasn’t a punishment—but just the result of doing what is right in a world that is all wrong.

The important question is not, “Why am I suffering?”

You are suffering sometimes because this world is broken and broken things hurt people. You are suffering sometimes because of your own sin—you did something dumb and the consequences hurt. You are suffering sometimes because someone else sins against you. And you are suffering sometimes because you stand up and do what is right.

For many reasons you will experience suffering in this world—we can’t escape it—but “why” is the wrong question.

The question we should be asking is “how”? How are you going to use my suffering for your glory God?

Here’s the good news for the children of God when we suffer—God doesn’t waste our suffering but sovereignly uses it for His good purposes and perfect plan.

This is what Paul is reminding the Philippians of…I want you to know brothers, all that has happened to me, all this suffering, has really served to advance the gospel.

In two ways as we continue in our text:

Philippians 1:13–14 “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’s suffering has advanced the gospel in two ways: The imperial guard are hearing the gospel AND other gospel preachers have been emboldened to preach all the more.

Paul is ultimately saying, rejoice with me, look at all that God is doing through my circumstances.

The truth is that our good God will use, even the bad things that happen to you—even your suffering and your needs for great, kingdom work. Our God is a redeemer and there is nothing that he can’t redeem.

Illustration: Joni Eareckson Tada is an amazing example of God redeeming suffering. If you don’t know her story, Joni became a quadriplegic after a diving accident when she was a teenager. After the accident she did what most of us would, “Why?! Why did this happen to me!” And she struggled with anger, resentment, and depression. At times she wanted to kill herself. But as time passed she began to see what God was doing with her suffering. She stopped asking, “why” and started looking for “how”.

She began to flourish, learning to paint, writing books, and speaking about God’s faithfulness in the midst of her suffering. She founded Joni and Friends a ministry that helps people with disabilities all over the world and points them to Jesus. Joni saw that her suffering was a grand platform from which to make much of Jesus.

Friends, we too can face the suffering in our lives and see God use it but we have to do what Paul and Joni did.

Notice, Paul says in verse 13, “it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ”. It has become known—well how? Because Paul was making it known!

Paul wasn’t sitting his chains sulking—he wasn’t lost in his own world—he wasn’t waiting for a better day to come before he would be faithful with the gospel message. He saw his suffering as an opportunity to make much of Jesus. And friends if we want our suffering to mean something then that is exactly what we need to do.

We need to see that our suffering is not happening in a void—we are suffering in community and people are watching and wondering, “How do the people of God respond to suffering and tragedy?” “Is there really any hope?”

Because Paul used his suffering as an opportunity to represent Christ the gospel spread among those who didn’t know Jesus. Because Paul used his suffering as an opportunity to glorify Christ other Christian brothers were emboldened to share the gospel even more. Paul’s courage and example of faithfulness called them up to be faithful and to persevere.

A faithful example amidst suffering is extremely powerful because it points beyond us to our powerful God.

Paul could have focused on all the suffering in his circumstances and let it silence him. But instead he saw it as an opportunity to glorify God.

Friends, what would happen if you saw the suffering in your life as an opportunity to make much of Jesus? I’ll tell you what will happen. God will use it and redeemd it and will not waste it.

With God even our suffering—even the hard times— becomes meaningful and powerful in His hands.

And let me just pause for second here—and also say you can see your suffering as an opportunity for gospel faithfulness while at the same time crying out to God about your suffering.

I’m not calling you to put on a brave face and to not let others see you hurt. I’m not trying to white-wash suffering or make it sound like you just need to act happy.

God is big enough and loving enough to comfort you in your suffering AND strengthen you in it AND bring you joy while you’re in pain. I’m not calling you to “act happy”—the call is to lean into your good Father. When we do this others see us run to the arms of our God and they too desire to know Him.

But if we want to see God use the hard parts of our life for good then we have to resolve to be a people who face our suffering with the gospel in our mouth.

And this isn’t natural to us—we need God’s help with this: So two things before we move on.

1. Pray up. If we want to glorify God in our suffering we should pray often that when suffering comes Jesus will be on our lips.

I have a proclivity to twist my right ankle—before I went hiking recently I preemptively prayed, “God, when I’m on the trail don’t let me twist my ankle.” We need to do that with our response to suffering. “God when suffering comes my may—help me to praise you in it!”

2. Fight against making comfort an idol. If being comfortable is the primary way we feel God’s love for us—we will question God’s love for us often.

And when we suffer we will struggle in our faith rather than praise God in the midst of it.

Let our hearts be rooted in the love of God for us in Christ—let us be fixed on his glory and majesty—let us proclaim that He is always good—and let us be grateful for the comforts we have without letting them become prisons for our hearts.

Suffering is going to come to us—and our God is good in the midst of it—we don’t want to waste our suffering but instead we want to use it to glorify God. Amen?

Transition: If we want to glorify God in the hard times of life then we must determine not to waste our suffering but rely on God working in us to use it for his glory.

Secondly, we also must determine to not waste our focus.

II. Don’t Waste Your Focus (15-18)

Paul said most of the brothers were seeing his example of serving in his suffering and they were emboldened by Paul’s example. But most is not all—there were two groups of people watching Paul and responding in different ways. Let’s keep reading in verses 15-17. God’s word says…

Philippians 1:15–17 “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.”

So there are two groups. One group who from good will and love for Paul are preaching the gospel boldly. They see Paul suffering for his faith and they want to stand in solidarity with their brother and glorify God in the public square.

The second group are preaching the same gospel but their motives are different. They are doing it with “selfish ambition” driving them. They are not being sincere but they are seeking to hurt Paul.

Let’s unpack this second group a bit—who are these people seeking to afflict Paul?

First, they are preachers—we might be tempted to believe that these weren’t true Christians, that maybe they were pagans seeking to make trouble for Paul—but Paul calls them preachers and brothers—Paul doesn’t question whether or not they were part of the church like he does other opponents in scripture.

Also, we can assume they are preaching the actual gospel. Otherwise Paul could not say that he rejoices over the message they preach. They were preaching the true gospel with false motives.

Commentators believe that some preachers were using Paul’s suffering as an opportunity to knock Paul down a couple of pegs and to elevate themselves. Or that they were interpreting Paul’s suffering and imprisonment as God’s commentary on Paul’s ministry and maligning Paul before the churches.

And there is a point of warning here for us—for preachers the warning is pretty obvious and direct—I can preach Christ from the pulpit and I can do it with the wrong motives. I can preach the true gospel with my own glory in view—with my own goals energizing me.

Brothers and sisters pray with me that I would never do this. I want to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ with his glory alone in mind. But it is possible to serve Christ while really meaning to serve yourself.

And here is where the application for all Christians come in—it is possible for you to set out to serve Jesus while really working to serve yourself.

We can volunteer at church in order to receive recognition—we can give financially, for influence—we can be hospitable in order to be admired—we can teach or contribute in biblical conversations in order to be seen as knowledgable.

Serving, giving, teaching are all great things and gifts for the church but we can do them with the wrong motives.

And here’s the thing—sometimes these ulterior motives will be obvious to others—but most of the time these things are a sin of the heart that no one but God can see.

Jeremiah 17:9–10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind…”

We must go to God seeking to understand our own hearts. Or else we may find ourselves like these brother preachers who were preaching the true gospel but with the wrong motives.

We may find ourselves seeking to serve a holy God while really working to serve ourselves. Works done for our own glory will burn up like chaff at the end of our lives.

But this isn’t the main point of verses 15-18. We find it in verse 18. How does Paul respond to this situation where others are looking to cause trouble for him? Look at verse 18 with me.

Philippians 1:18 “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”

Church, let’s not miss this: Paul isn’t rejoicing because his chains are comfortable or because the motives of these preachers are pure.

He’s rejoicing because Christ’s gospel being proclaimed. That though we are sinners who deserve God’s judgment, Christ came, lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved, and rose again so that all who trust in Him are forgiven and given eternal life. That’s why Paul rejoices.

Paul says, “Are they preaching the true gospel? Then praise God! Are they slandering me but Jesus is being lifted up? Praise God!

Paul says, “I don’t care why they are doing it—whether because they love me or are jealous of me—I just care that Jesus is being proclaimed!

Church, this the example we need to follow—Paul didn’t waste his focus!

Paul kept his focus centered on Christ so that he could rejoice when Jesus was being lifted up—even if he wasn’t being rightly understood.

Some of us care too much what other people think and how we are being perceived.

Let’s go back to our example earlier—if Christ is at the center of your service you aren’t worried about who recognizes it, just that Jesus is served by you.

If Christ is at the center of your giving you aren’t thinking about how much you gave just that God is worshipped in your money.

When Christ is at the center of your teaching you aren’t worried about people knowing how much you know but how much they know God.

The focus on the Christian life is meant to be consumed with the worship of our God.

Two of my favorite books are called Every Moment Holy and Valley of Vision. I love these books because they take all of life and orient them towards God.

And I need that help. Are you struggling—look at God. Are you angry—go to God. Are you worried, fearful, weak—go to God! Jesus said when I am weak I should go to him because he alone can be my strength. When I fear he alone can be my shield.

When I was lost He alone came to me—and rescued me—he saved me and put my feet on solid ground. He gave me a robe and ring and called me beloved. Because I am His I belong to God!

When life is hard and you are suffering don’t let your circumstances pull your eyes off of Jeus.

In the Bible Jesus calls out to Peter to come to him on the water—and amidst the storm and waves Peter begins walking on water—while his eyes are fixed on Jesus the waves are as solid ground to him—but as soon as Peter takes his eyes off of Jesus and puts them on his circumstances he begins to sink under the water.

Our life is like that—storms will come—waves will come—maybe you are in them right now—but don’t waste your focus. The wind and the waves obey the voice of our great God. Put all your focus on Christ and praise him in the storm.

When we rightly center our focus on Jesus we too can say with Paul, “I rejoice! I have joy in God! Though I suffer, I will praise Him. Look and see how good my God is.

Conclusion

Church, suffering is going to come your way. The question this morning for you is…how will you respond to it?

Will you waste it? Will you let it take all the focus of your life?

Or will you use it as a platform to make much of Jesus and point others to the only one that can comfort them in this hard world?

Let us pray.