I Am Not Ashamed: Suffering Servants To Glorified Saints

When I presented an overview of Romans chapter eight, we learned that we have a new life new life in the Spirit. That new life is characterized by ...

• Our New Life in the Spirit Means Sonship

• Our New Life in the Spirit Means Suffering

• Our New Life in the Spirit Means Sanctification

• Our New Life in the Spirit Means Security

This morning I want to revisit this theme of suffering, and the glory that will be ours in spite of it.

I. OUR PRESENT SUFFERINGS vv. 17-18

“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. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:17–18, NIV84)

1. vs. 17 tells us something that, in our present day, sounds very odd

a. the Apostle tells us that we will suffer

b. the if — “if indeed” — of that verse is not the if of an imaginary result of something that might or might not happen to us

c. it is the if that is used to say that something must happen before another thing can happen

2. Paul is declaring that, strange as it seems to the earthly mind, the present proof of the believer’s ultimate glory comes through suffering on our Lord’s behalf

a. because we share in Christ’s glory we will also share in Christ’s sufferings

b. some of you are immediately thinking, “Whoa, pastor. I don’t like that part.”

ILLUS. Our attitude about suffering is that it is something we don’t deserve. Hasn’t Joel Osteen promised us “Our Best Life Now”? Many years ago when comedian Jack Benny received an award he responded, “I don’t deserve this, but then I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.”

ILLUS. Someone once asked C. S. Lewis, “Why do the righteous suffer?” His response was, “Why not? Their the only ones who can take it!”

c. the Apostle doesn’t really give us an option here — suffering and glory are a package deal for the child of God

3. the Christian’s suffering has two sources ...

A. THE SUFFERINGS DUE TO A POST GENESIS-THREE WORLD

1. what do I mean by that?

a. we live in a world that is fallen

b. we live in a world that sin has adversely affected

1) there was a time, in the beginning, were death, and disease, and danger, and disaster, and dysfunction were simply unknown

2) Adam lived in perfect communion with the Father, and with Eve, and with the Created Order — the lamb laid down with the lion

2. that all changed when the First Adam chose to listen to the Usurper

a. the result of the Fall is that chaos rules within the created order

“To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” (Genesis 3:17–18, NIV84)

b. beginning in vs. 19 the apostle reminds us that the effects of the Fall were so catastrophic that suffering is not merely the experience of humanity but of the entire cosmos

ILLUS. My dog is getting old. He’s had several bouts with back issues in recent years, and his back legs don’t always work like they should. Sometimes it’s just hard to watch him as he struggles up steps, or his legs slide out from under him on a smooth surface. He doesn’t complain. He doesn’t reminisce about his puppyhood when he was strong and vigorous. But he is a part of the created order that suffers, and groans inwardly because sin — my sin and your sin — has subjected him to frustration, and if Baxter could somehow communicate it, my dog would tell me how he waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

d. Christians have always understood the reason for death, and disease, and danger, and disaster, and dysfunction — it’s called sin

3. unfortunately we tend to think of physical suffering as the exception to normal life in our culture, that somehow it is not normal, and when we do suffer that it can almost always be fixed

a. we just assume that human ingenuity, medical advancements, and technology is going to be able to solve all our problems

4. when it comes to our physical suffering, we need to be thankful for modern medicine, but we also need to remember just how “modern” modern medicine really, really is

ILLUS. Consider the development of antibiotics. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that doctors and scientists discovered what we commonly refer to as "germ theory" — that disease is an infection caused by bacteria and viruses. Well into the early 20th century many doctors and scientists still believed in “Miasma theory” — that the diseases that commonly afflicted humanity were caused by "bad air" or "poisonous vapor" that resulted from rotting organic matter. The first antibiotic Penicillin, was accidently discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, but it wasn’t until 1942 that it was first used in a civilian patient. There are a few people here this morning who were born before antibiotics came into common use. There was a day, not too long ago, even in our country where if your appendix burst, you died because there was no way to stem the infection that resulted. Then there is the development of anesthesia. Praise God, for that great gift. I have had several surgeries in my life and so have some of you, and none of us would have liked to have gone through those surgeries fully awake. And then, after the surgery, there are painkillers. Whether it's a mild over-the-counter pain reliever or something more potent like OxyContin, we’re all thankful for modern pain relievers. Just this week there was a major announcement about a new drug that has been discovered that shows promise in actually reversing the effects of Alzheimer's disease. It's just in trials, and may be years before it's available to the public, but it's an exciting announcement.

5. we can be thankful for all of these things and yet none of these things eclipse human suffering

a. death, and disease, and danger, and disaster, and dysfunction will always be a part of our world and a part of our lives

b. because we live in a Genesis-three world there will always be physical ailments, emotional distress, mental anxiety, and the distinct suffering that goes with each

6. however, for the believer, these sufferings will one day end, and glory will be ours

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” (2 Corinthians 4:16–17, ESV)

B. THE SUFFERINGS DUE TO A CHRIST-HATING WORLD

1. everywhere in the New Testament, the suffering Christian and the persecuted Church is simply assumed

a. Jesus told his disciples ...

"All men will hate you because of me, ... " (Matthew 10:22, NIV84)

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:10–11, NIV84)

b. for two thousand years suffering for Jesus indeed has been the normal experience of the Church

c. only in American has that norm been abnormal, but that abnormality is quickly coming to an end, and being maligned for the faith will soon become the norm even in America

ILLUS. Today there is an escalating hostility toward orthodox Christianity throughout Western culture. In 2010, Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, speaking before a gathering of priests about the dangers of the secularization of our society, said, "I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. His successor will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history." While it’s too soon to know whether the Cardinal’s words are prophetic, he was completely accurate about the growing hostility toward orthodox Christianity in American culture.

"Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:12, NASB95)

2. what kind of persecution can Christians expect from the world?

a. The Bible Speaks of Persecution by Cruel Act

1) though most of us will never experience real physical persecution of the kind our Christian forefathers did, many believers around the world are not so fortunate

2) in places like China, North Korea, Kenya, India, and virtually any place where Islam is the dominant religion, believers fully understand what Jesus meant when he said, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves ... " (Matt. 10:16)

3) around the world today, Christians are being persecuted for their faith

a) some will be beaten and tortured for their faith

b) some will be arrested and thrown in jail for their faith

c) some will be betrayed to the authorities by a brother or a close friend because of their faith

d) some will be maligned or disparaged because of their faith in Christ

e) many will be displaced from their homes and their property confiscated for their faith

5) these things may not happen to you, but if they do, be aware that you are in good company

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19, NIV)

b. The Bible Speaks of Persecution by Slander

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11, NIV)

1) slander is making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation

2) in the early days of Christianity the believers were falsely accused of all kinds of things

ILLUS. They were called “atheists” by their neighbors because they would not worship the pagan gods. They were called “immoral” because they would frequently meet in secret places where who-knows-what would take place during their "love feasts"? Today we know it as the Lord's Supper. They were called “unpatriotic” because they confessed loyalty only to Christ as Lord and refused to worship the Roman Emperor. They were called “cannibals” because they "ate the body" and "drank the blood" of Jesus.

3) have you ever been slandered because of your commitment to Jesus Christ?

ILLUS. Some of you may remember back in 2009 when then Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano defended a report from her office that referred to Pro-life Christians as "extremists" and compared us to terrorists. In 2013 Soldiers attending a pre-deployment briefing at Fort Hood, TX were told that evangelical Christians were a threat to the nation and that any soldier donating to those groups would be subjected to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In June 2015 when the Supreme Court made Homosexual marriage legal nation-wide Justice Kennedy who wrote the majority opinion, bluntly said that defenders of traditional marriage are irrational bigots. Which is the last major group holding out against homosexual marriage? The Evangelical Christian community. You're the irrational bigot according to Justice Kennedy.

3) if you are a bible-believing Christian, then this current culture thinks you are unreasonable, extremist and a potential insurrectionists — I say where those titles proudly!

c. The Bible Speaks of Persecution by Reproach

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” (Matthew 10:24–25, ESV)

ILLUS. In America today there is a growing animus among elite social progressives toward biblical-worldview affirming Christians. These are the people who exert significant influence in educational institutions (particularly colleges and universities), the Arts and Media, Law and Politics. In a book released in February (2015), entitled, “So Many Christians, So Few Lions: Is There Christianophobia in the United States?” George Yancey and David A. Williamson explore the depth of that hostility. “The vast majority of cultural progressives,” they write, “were quite civilized in expressing their political and moral disagreement with conservative Christians, but a significant minority of them felt free to express a dehumanizing hatred that was open, unabashed, and crude.” Listen to some of the more extreme comments of America’s liberal elite toward us. These are comments from highly educated people in our culture:

“I want them all to die in a fire.”

“I would be in favor of establishing a state for them. . . . If not, then sterilize them so they can’t breed more.”

“The only good Christian is a dead Christian,”

“I abhor them and I wish we could do away with them.”

“A tortuous death would be too good for them.”

“They should be eradicated without hesitation or remorse.”

Yancey and Williamson discovered that 37% of self-described progressives would like to see laws passed restricting the amount of influence orthodox Christians could exert on society. These laws would include:

Stripping churches of their tax exemption

Banning home schooling

Restricting their ability to become judges, senators, representatives, member of Cabinet, and military chief of staff

Banning churches or denominations from providing adoption services

We learn from Yancey and Williamson that a substantial minority of progressives would like to strip “fundamentalists” of their basic human rights in a democracy.

3. because of our faith Jesus said people will hate you which will lead to exclusion, and insults, and the proclamation that you're evil (and that’s called reproach)

II. OUR FUTURE GLORY

1. the Apostle writes in vs. 18, For I consider — it’s a word that refers to numerical calculation

a. Paul is essentially telling his readers, “Look, I’ve run the numbers, and by my calculation the glory we will receive in heaven far outweighs our suffering here on earth.”

2. Paul does not merely suggest, but strongly affirms, that any suffering for Christ’s sake is a small price to pay for the gracious benefits received because of that suffering

A. OUR FUTURE GLORY MEANS PERFECT BODIES

1. this is what the Apostle means in vs. 23 when he refers to the redemption of our bodies

a. the inner person is already a completely new creation, a partaker of God’s nature and indwelt by God’s Spirit

b. according to 2 Corinthians 3:18, our inner man is being transformed into the image of the Savior with ever increasing glory

2. however, we’re still waiting for the final redemption of our bodies

a. Paul has already explained that “if we [believers] have become united with Him [Christ] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin” (Rom. 6:5–6)

3. our resurrection bodies are described by the apostle in his letter to the Corinthians

“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” (1 Corinthians 15:35–44, ESV)

a. Paul’s primary purpose in 1 Corinthians 15 and Romans 8 is to emphasize that our resurrected bodies, regardless of their form, appearance, or capabilities, will be sinless, righteous, and immortal

4. this is our future glory

B. OUR FUTURE GLORY MEANS PERFECT BODIES IN A PERFECT CREATION

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)

1. we are essentially waiting for Eden to be restored

C. OUR FUTURE GLORY MEANS PERFECT BODIES IN A PERFECT CREATION WITH A PERFECT SAVIOR

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6, ESV)

1. so how do saint’s respond to suffering in this world?

A. ARM YOURSELF AGAINST SUFFERING BY HAVING THE ATTITUDE OF CHRIST

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin." (1 Peter 4:1, NIV84)

1. what’s the attitude we are to arm ourselves with?

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV)

2. the cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof that suffering can lead to victory over the forces of evil

3. since Christ has suffered in the flesh, believers must arm themselves also with the same attitude (because a servant is not above his mater)

B. ARM YOURSELF AGAINST SUFFERING BY SURRENDERING TO THE WILL OF GOD

"As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:2, NIV84)

1. Christians are the only people in the world who can actually accomplish the will of God, because outside of the new birth, no man does the will of God

2. repeatedly, we are commanded to reckon ourselves dead to evil human desires

“Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.” (Romans 6:8–12, NIV84)

3. we will never be sinless this side of the Kingdom, but that does not mean that we are not to earnestly seek out, understand, and surrender to God’s will

C. ARM YOURSELF AGAINST SUFFERING BY SURPRISING SINNERS

“For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:3–5, NIV84)

1. dissipation is that state in which a person’s mind is so corrupt that he thinks about nothing but evil and how he might indulge his sinful passions, and include others in it

2. needless to say, Christians no longer desire such mindless pursuit of the passions that throw people into a state of over-the-top debauchery

ILLUS. Peter is saying that your acquaintances will simply not understand when you refuse to loose your virginity before your married. They will not understand when you don’t want to go down to the creek to the beer party. They will not understand when you don’t want to toke up, or light up, or snort up. They will not understand when you refuse to pad you expense account, exaggerate your profit margin, or gossip about a coworker.

3. surprise your neighbors, classmates, workmates, and even your family by acting like a son of God rather than a child of the culture

D. ARM YOURSELF AGAINST SUFFERING BY FOCUSING ON THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION

“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (Romans 8:23, ESV)

1. believers are to arm themselves with the genuine hope of the reality of eternal life, final redemption and our resurrection

a. God has promised us that through death we will overcome sin, escape final judgment, and enter eternal heaven in holy perfection

2. the Apostle sums this up when he writes ...

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18, ESV)

Con. In the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, a Japanese gymnast, Shun Fujimoto, was competing in the All-around Gymnastic Team event. During the floor exercises, he broke his right knee. It was obvious to all reasonable observers that he would be forced to withdraw. The did not reckon on Fujumoto’s determination. On the following day, Fujimoto competed in his strongest event, the rings. His routine was practically flawless, but the critical point laid ahead — the dismount. Without hesitation, Fujimoto ended with a twisting, triple somersault. There was a moment of intense quiet as he landed with tremendous impact on his wounded knee. The landing actually dislocated the already broken knee and tore several ligaments, but he — in the vocabulary of the gymnast — “stuck” the landing. Then came thundering applause as he stood his ground. Later, reporters asked about that moment and he replied, “The pain shot through me like a knife. It brought tears to my eyes. But now I have a gold medal and the pain in gone.”

This in effect is what Paul is saying to us. We will go through painful times but one day the pain will be gone and the glory will be lasting. There is no doubt that even though we are children of God we will suffer through some very hard and hurtful times. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have, how spiritual you are, or how many spiritual laws you may practice — you will suffer! This is true simply because we have not yet received the fullness of what it means to be children of God.

Christians need to do their spiritual math. We need to look at our problems from an eternal perspective. Yes we need to recognize that there are real hurts and pains in life. We must recognize these things as present realities but we must also look ahead to the glory to come. Only then will we be able to have the attitude of hope and patience that Paul calls for in verse 25.

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