Suffering in progress

PrayerMany of you probably remember the movie the Princess Bride.When I was a young teen, I can still remember that there was one movie that kind of got the thumbs up as a movie that was alright for Christians to watch. Princess Bride.I guess because it only had one mild swear word, and everyone felt it was well placed.But there is a line in the movie when Buttercup, the Princess, has had her world fall down around her and being kidnapped by who she perceived as being a horrible pirate, who is pocking fun at her shouts,Buttercup: You mock my pain. Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. Ever met someone like that?Sound a little glass is half empty, but the fact is that life is full of discontent, and even as we proclaim the gospel, and celebrate forgiveness, and our freedom bought for us by Jesus on the cross, we do so often in a way that feels like lip service, because if we were honesty we would have to admit that we are living our lives from struggle to struggle. Let me simply say that if that’s you, there is nothing wrong with you.First off, if you were given the impression that once you came to Jesus everything would be clowns and balloons, someone lied. The skies are not always blue, there are no candy rainbows, that squirrels and bunnies would stop and wave, ….you still have to pay taxes.All those who followed Jesus during his ministry and called Him the leader and forgiver of their lives; who submitted their lives to His Lordship----suffered and died; without exception.Do we really think we are going to get off with nothing.Jesus made it clear to those who walked closest with him. In this world you will have pain (John 16:33)OK take a breath!!Before we dive into this topic and glean from God’s word to us todayl et get a little context.Jeremiah who is thought be the author of the book of Lamentations, is a prophet of God.He has walked close with God, he has had God whisper into his ear. God called him to give his very words to the people of Israel, words to return to their God.And they refused. And so now Jeremiah looks at his nation, the city of Jerusalem, the center of Government and more importantly worship for his people, in complete devastation!!Seemingly Abandoned by God. Like you and I after the evening news!!And so now we have Jeremiah “name calling” to God.He calls him a bear, a bully , a murderer.A description of God that sounds more like the way we would describe an enemy. And I wonder...I mean God had his choice! He is inspiring these books to be written. I can see Jeremiah handing this in and God saying man this is depressing!My readers don’t want this!!Can’t you write something a little more uplifting!!Remember Solomon’s Song of Solomon? People really liked that!Maybe I’ll get Ezekiel t write me something else.No! God includes it in the collection of writings he thinks important for you and IAnd I believe, the very fact that this Lament; this crying out to God, is in Scripture tells us a few things.1. It tells us that even when we are in the very depths. Even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, even when we are at rock bottom, we may very well be right where God wants us.That is both deeply comforting, and extremely frightening.2. it tells us that in this text, there is something that is profitable for teaching us, for strengthening us, possibly for correcting us and for training us in righteousness.All of us. If you are like me, you feel like life is a constant dog paddleI have news for you. When you walk through life saying everything is great. That you’ve got it all together. You are not fooling anyone.No one is walking out of your Life Group after you’ve said over and over, I don’t really need prayer, Everything is great!No one is walking out saying, “Man, she’s really got it all together”They are leaving saying....”She’s creeepy!”And we don’t do anyone any favours (ourselves especially) when we deny our suffering.And God does not ask you to keep quiet about it.So regardless of how you find yourselves today this message is for you.PAUSEAnd as many levels and degrees as there are of suffering, the reasons for it may be many as well.The bible makes it clear that there are several reasons for suffering.A. Often, We suffer because of our own choices.We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9).Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7-8 ESV)It is a natural consequence. When we continue to reject God’s path and trade it in vfor the worlds, that we will find trouble.We often miss the fact that we serve a God who “wants it to go well with us” Deuteronomy 6:3 tells us.The point of living a righteous life is not simply to appease a cosmic killjoy. It is so that it will go well with us. (Pause)Some of you, like myself I are not awesome at upkeep.you’ll be driving your car. And be like man the car is not sounding good. What is the date for my next oil change. (2005)---huh?There is a proper way to take care of a vehicle in order for it to last and so that things will go well with it.And someone somewhere knows that, and put that information into a manual.Every 5000K Change the oil. When the gas gets low put more in. When the tires are bald, put new ones on. If you hear noise under the car, get it checked out. If you hit a cat keep driving.If you want to keep certain people at the church stop picking on cats and country music.There is a proper way for a life to be lived, so that it will go well with you.And when we choose our own way, we might get by for a while. We can turn the radio up so that we don’t hear the clunking and tell ourselves that everything is fine.And we can turn up the numbing effects in our lives that keep us from paying attention to the pieces falling off in our lives. Name your poison--with business, maybe its alchohol, an affair, pick a poison. And in the end, after the high is over, the emptiness has grown, and we’ve added damage.Sometimes it’s evident that our own choices cause us suffering.Sometimes B. We suffer when we place someone or something in place of God.but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in youI Peter 3:15I have often said that the Twighlight series is not dangerous because of its light portrayal of vampireism. It is dangerous because of its focus on one person being the be all and end all of another’s exsistence.This you complete me mentality.Which comes off as romantic in a two hour movie. But much beyond that pathetic.Any time we place our value, our identity in something outside of God himself, outside of the cross of Jesus, we start a path to discontent.When a goal becomes a life pursuit and an identifying factor of our life, we have crossed into idolatry and set our selves (and those around us) up for pain.The promotion, the house, the sex life, the successful kids, the grades, the church ministry.We’ve all seen people who have done this. And often have a difficult time pursuing more of Jesus, because they are continually defining themselves by something they were never meant to define themselves by.I think we often need to ask ourselves what is motivating us. How are we defining ourselves?What is the center of your existence?What or who am I serving?Only Jesus can save you.Only he can make promises and keep them.Only he can take what is really the issue and fix it. Clean it, recreate it, redeem it.(Pause)My wife and I were flying back from Cancun a few months ago.And we had to catch a flight from Cancun to Dallas and then from Dallas to Vancouver.The second we boarded our plane to Vancouver, we knew we were in for a treat.The lady sitting behind us was very drunk.And I knew what drunk looked like cause I was just at an all inclusive surrounded by people drinking.In 7 days at the resort my wife and I saw nothing close to what this woman displayed.Aside from her drunkenness, she had obviously had a lot of plastic surgery……..everywhere.And she would repeat the same stories over and over to the man sitting next to her whom she did not know.And they were stories about her history as a swimsuit model, a wet t-shirt model, about how little fat she used to have.How she is finally married to a guy she doesn’t like, with children she cannot stand.And I judged!!I know you don’t so that.....But around the time she started making out with the stranger behind to us, my judgment turned to pity and sadness.She was running. She was continuing to define herself by her past. And an unpleasant one at that.And most of us can think of someone . maybe someone you’ve been praying for. Maybe a spouse, a child, a friend, who continues to define themselves by something other than the person and work of Jesus Christ, and in doing so, run after whatever catches their eye.And it’s sad.But on the flip side. You see someone who has a healthy understanding of the gospel of Jesus the good news that in order to make something great of ourselves, live in the greatest sense, we ought to die to ourselves and live in the light of Jesus.They are hard to figure out because they love Jesus and pursue him above all else. and don’t follow the proscribed norms. They don’t define themselves by their belongings and their prestige.Rather than place something in place of God. These people place Jesus before everything!!!!We see a great example in the Apostle Paul.Look at Paul. The government just could make him toe the line.Stop preaching Christ and the fact that you believe he rose from the dead.“How can I, for me to live is Christ”They throw him in prison. That’ll make him shut up about Jesus.“Thanks, now I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”(Philippians 4:12-13 ESV)“Fine then we’re going to kill you”“Ah, but for me to die is gain”MAN!!Paul lived with perspective.He knew that trials were present, but he also knew whose story he was living in.That’s the reason we won’t give up on preaching Jesus as the big deal (as Mark said last week) is that He is the big deal. And we do not do you any favours, we don’t do those seeking salvation and freedom any favours by offering you a glossed over version of Jesus.You see, people do not need slick ministries, with t-shirts and catchy slogans...They need Jesus.Marriages very well might need counselling, and lots of it. But ultimately they need Jesus.There is nothing wrong with making a church current in its music, its message, in its look but we can never do so at the expense of the gospel.Without Jesus we have nothing.BecauseHe is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.(Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)SLOWLYIt is all about Jesus. And when we make others out to be our Savour we will find trouble, and sadness. Even if it is our spouse. Our kids, our church. Whether it be our reputation or a twisted affection for a pasty white mimbo vampire who consistently moves in slow motion with no shirt on.When we place something else in place of God, they will eventually fail (maybe today, maybe in a decade, but they will fail) because they are being asked to fulfill something they were never meant to fulfill.So, Who is your savior? Not in word, but in practice?PAUSEThe bible also makes it pretty clear that sometimesC. We suffer as a means to maturity.do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,nor be weary when reproved by him.For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,and chastises every son whom he receives.”(Hebrews 12:5-6 ESV)Now there is a word we don’t like.But only because it has been tainted.Biblically, discipline implies a moving toward a better outcome.It is correction in hope that the object of discipline will learn to act and behave, and believe in a certain way.That;s why James can say in James 1:2-42 eCount it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials fof various kinds, 3 for you know thatg the testing of your faith hproduces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be iperfect and complete, lacking in nothing.James 1:2-4Ever met a child whose parents had no discipline in place?Ever met an adult who has no discipline in place?Discipline is not fun for either party.When Lalainia and I have to discipline our children we take no pleasure in it.It can be difficult and uncomfortable.BUT IT IS LOVE THAT MAKES IT BOTH MANDATORY AND PAINFUL.God finds no pleasure in our suffering.For the Lord will notcast off forever,but, though he cause grief, he will have compassionaccording to the abundance of his steadfast love;for he does not afflict from his heartor grieve the children of men.(Lamentations 3:31-33 ESV)Meaning he doesn’t do it because he finds pleasure in our suffering, he does it because as a God of Love, HE MUST.And the purpose (the Goal) is a return to God. A repairing of relationship with our maker. A lifting up of our hearts and mind off the temporal and on to the eternal.SLOWLYOften God seeks to mature us, sanctify us, by allowing us to walk through difficult times.Causing us to rely more fully on Him.PAUSEAnother reason we may find ourselves going through difficult times is D. Simply because we live in a fallen world.And this one is the hardest to take.--Even those who live righteous lives, who serve God faithfully, will still suffer simply because we live in a fallen world. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly (WE SUFFER, WE CRY OUT) as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.(Romans 8:22-23 ESV)In other words, life hurts.And calamity happens, and relationships aren’t easy, and beyond that we are effected deep within.Even when most things seem to be fairly pleasant around us, many of us still find ourselves living in darkness and depression that we cannot shake.And the falleness of creation and the groanings of the human heart for relief is not simply a theological concept. You find yourself like Jeremiah broken and confused. Looking at the world around you, and your immediate circumstance and wondering if God is even listening to your prayers.If that’s you, I would like to encourage you in a few things.Do not carry it alone. Surround yourself with brothers and sister in Christ that will pray for you and check in on you, and walk with you through this. Get your life group to walk with you through this.Take advantage of our times of prayer before and after the services.(that is two sided- we need people in pain willing to reach out and people willing to take their hands.)- people who are willing to walk across the room to offer a hand.And maybe beyond that you need to prayerfully consider professional counsellors or medication.Yes, I believe that the same God who through His grace and mercy orchestrated the creation of Coke Zero, also orchestrated the creation of medications that can help individuals cope with the depression thrown on them from a fallen creation.If someone has a heart problem, I would implore them take their heart medication. If you have a depression stemming from physical problem that causes a deep depression, I would expect you to take medication to balance yourself out.BUT whatever you do do not walk the valley alone.And please be encouraged by the fact that.......II. Our God is near.Speaking through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 43:2, God says When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you.Isaiah 43:2There is an intimacy to this statement. it is not some abstract metaphor.He is not simply near.He is with you. There is a sense that he is involved in the suffering you endure.Isaiah’s original readers may not have understood this fully, You see, Only Christianity makes the audacious claim that God would allow himself to be vulnerable to pain and death.But the fact is Jesus, God in human flesh, God with usA. Jesus understands your suffering.Who suffered more than Jesus?Are you suffering unjust accusation; Jesus suffered through the same.Are you suffering loss of friendship, rejection by those close in your time of need, Jesus suffered the same.Have you cried out God where are you??Jesus cries from the cross--Father, why have you forsaken me.Are you facing pain and darkness and death; Jesus our Savior has been there. Sweating drops like blood, asking his Father if there might be another way. We do not serve a God who is unsympathetic. ***We serve a Savior who took on shame and torment willingly, to ultimately take torment and shame away for good.***And it might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but ultimately the victory is ours, in Christ Jesus.He suffered everything we have or could suffer and more.In his poem Jesus, of the Scars, Edward Shillito writes these potent words,The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;But to our wounds only God's wounds can speak,And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.PAUSEYou see, when we find ourselves rejected, hurt, suffering pain, rather than being far from Christ, we may be closer to him than ever, identifying with our God in a more intimate way then ever possible were we to walk through life with only blessing.For no God has wounds but Him alone!!!!B. God has not abandoned you.It could very well be that He is closer than ever.And he offer hope.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)As with Jesus, after death came the resurrection.So with us, after suffering comes hope and deliverance.There is an after.The best is yet to come.It may just be that you and I will suffer from this day until Jesus return.And in so doing we will have no choice but to humbly rely on His grace and his strength and his sacrifice for your sakes.ButIII. There is hope!In factA. It was hope that strengthened Jesus.Hebrews 12:1-2(starting at the second half of verse 1)and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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 12:1-2 ESV)Endurance come from looking ahead. to the goal. Looking beyond the immediate to the eternal.PAUSEWhen you have a nightmareFor those of you who have nightmares you know the feeling of waking up from a horrific idea. A terrifying debilitating reality, into a new reality. And as it is slowly revealed to you that the nightmare is no longer present and that everything is OK. Your joy is intensified to a point it wouldn’t have been if you had not had the nightmare.That is what Paul means in Romans 8: 14 when he says that he is convinced.that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.Fyodor Dostoyevsky says it this way,“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, …., that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened.” Our present suffering will only make our future glory more glorious.We have hope!Scripture makes it clear that the future.....B. The future is not uncertain.i Peter 1:3(b)-According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:3-7 ESV)Our future is not uncertain.God is in controlHe is near us, maybe most intimately when we walk through trial.He offers us hope and a future.PAUSE SLOWLYSO if God is for us and He suffers WITH us, what should our response to be?If it is not pointless, it is not abandonment, if it enhances our future glory, how ought we to look and respond to our present suffering.IV. How should we respond?Jeremiah tells us in Lamentation 3:40-41Lamentations 3:40-41Let us test and examine our ways,and return to the LORD!Let us lift up our hearts and handsto God in heaven:(Lamentations 3:40-41 ESV)When we walk through times of suffering, times of trialI believe there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves.I’ve listed a few in your outlines1. How am I responding?2. How should I be responding? Is my response as it should be . Does my response reflect what I hold to be true of the character of God.3. Am I learning from it? Am I allowing this to be a moment where I am attentive to the voice of God.4. Does my response demonstrate faith, love for God and for others, and Christ-like character?5. How can God use this in my life? Many ministries have been birthed out of suffering. Usually it is those who have suffered pain, who find themselves offering counsel and encouragement to others because in their suffering they have walked intimately with Jesus and they have found themselves maturing in their faith because of it.SLOWLYAnd I don’t know where this message finds you today, I don’t know what your situation is today, but if you have placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus I absolutely know what you future looks like. A future where God’s plans for you are realized, plans for your welfare and not for evil, plans to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)So I want to invite you to ask God to speak to you even in these next few minutes, to comfort you, to reveal more of himself to you. To walk intimately with you.To work in you and through you.BREAKIt seems fitting now, that we move into a time of worship through communion.A time of reflection on the cross of Christ his suffering and the future it purchased for us.During communion we take bread and we take juice and we attach powerful symbolism to them.Symbolism that Jesus himself attached to them.He said that when we eat bread together, we should recall his body that was broken for us on the cross.He said that when we drink the juice together we should remember that our freedom, our forgiveness, our liberty is a result of his spilt blood.He also said that when we remember, we also should look to the future, when we will eat this meal together with him, when all that was wrong is made right.When suffering is no more, and peace and justice reign and we find rest for our weary souls.So as the servers come forward, I just want to say that all who call Jesus their leader and forgiver are welcome at this table. But is you have not yet come to that point, I would ask that you let the bread and juice pass you by, as it has no significance to you yet.And I would asks that you consider carefully the person of Jesus, his sacrifice for your sake, the forgiveness he offers and the future hope he will bring about.So as the bread is passed I would ask that you wait until everyone has received it and then we will eat together.BREADFather, for the extremes you went to to redeem us. To bring us back to you. We thank you and praise you. For a past than can be forgotten and a future hope we thank and praise you, and we eat together remembering the cost of our salvation.Again I ask that as the juice is passed, you would wait and we will drink together.Jesus, we remember your humility, we remember your suffering, your love and your forgiveness, and we pray that we would live in the light of the life that you bring. We drink together and look to a future when we will eat and drink face to face. It is our practise here to take up a benevolent offering each month for those in our congregation that need some financial support so ushers, I’m going to ask you to prepare for that.Heavenly father, in Scripture you make it very clear that if we want to have hearts that are close to yours, we will have hearts for justice and for those in need. So may we give graciously to help those in our midst that finding it difficult to get by financially right now.We pray this in your Son’s name,Amen.MusicBenediction[55] “I called on your name, O LORD,from the depths of the pit;[56] you heard my plea, ‘Do not closeyour ear to my cry for help!’[57] You came near when I called on you;you said, ‘Do not fear!’(Lamentations 3:55-57 ESV)Lamentations 3: 55-57

Prayer

Many of you probably remember the movie the Princess Bride.

When I was a young teen, I can still remember that there was one movie that kind of got the thumbs up as a movie that was alright for Christians to watch. Princess Bride.

I guess because it only had one mild swear word, and everyone felt it was well placed.

But there is a line in the movie when Buttercup, the Princess, has had her world fall down around her and being kidnapped by who she perceived as being a horrible pirate, who is pocking fun at her shouts,

Buttercup: You mock my pain.

Man in Black: Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.

Ever met someone like that?

Sound a little glass is half empty, but the fact is that life is full of discontent, and even as we proclaim the gospel, and celebrate forgiveness, and our freedom bought for us by Jesus on the cross, we do so often in a way that feels like lip service, because if we were honesty we would have to admit that we are living our lives from struggle to struggle.

Let me simply say that if that’s you, there is nothing wrong with you.

First off, if you were given the impression that once you came to Jesus everything would be clowns and balloons, someone lied. The skies are not always blue, there are no candy rainbows, that squirrels and bunnies would stop and wave, ….you still have to pay taxes.

All those who followed Jesus during his ministry and called Him the leader and forgiver of their lives; who submitted their lives to His Lordship----suffered and died; without exception.Do we really think we are going to get off with nothing.

Jesus made it clear to those who walked closest with him.

In this world you will have pain ()

OK take a breath!!

Before we dive into this topic and glean from God’s word to us todayl et get a little context.

Jeremiah who is thought be the author of the book of Lamentations, is a prophet of God.

He has walked close with God, he has had God whisper into his ear. God called him to give his very words to the people of Israel, words to return to their God.

And they refused. And so now Jeremiah looks at his nation, the city of Jerusalem, the center of Government and more importantly worship for his people, in complete devastation!!

Seemingly Abandoned by God.

And so now we have Jeremiah name calling to God.

He calls him a bear, a bully , a murderer.

A description of God that sounds more like the way we would describe an enemy.

And I wonder...

I mean God had his choice! He is inspiring these books to be written. I can see Jeremiah handing this in and God saying man this is depressing!

Our readers don’t want this!!

Can’t you write something a little more uplifting!!

Remember Solomon’s Song of Solomon? People really liked that!

Maybe I’ll get Ezekiel t write me something else.

No! God includes it in the collection of writings he thinks important for

us for being profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

as Paul writes in .

And I believe, the very fact that this Lament; this crying out to God, is in Scripture tells us a few things.

1. It tells us that even when we are in the very depths. Even when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, even when we are at rock bottom, we may very well be right where God wants us.

That is both deeply comforting, and extremely frightening.

2. it tells us that in this text, there is something that is profitable for teaching us, for reproofing us, possibly for correcting us and for training us in righteousness.

I mean there is not a person in here who cannot relate to Jeremiah on some level.

We have all asked the questions of why me?

Why is God allowing this?

There is never a time in our lives where we are able to say, “my life is just as I want it!”

My co-workers totally get me. My boss is awesome.

My relationship with my spouse, my children, my parents, my friends, and everyone in between, all of them are just as I would like them.

I know nothing but fortune, and I have no prayer requests, because everything is great!!

I have news for you. When you walk through life saying everything is great. That you’ve got it all together. You are not fooling anyone.

No one is walking out of your Life Group after you’ve said over and over, I don’t really need prayer, Everything is great!

No one is walking out saying, “Man, she’s really got it all together”

They are leaving saying....”She’s creeepy!”

And we don’t do anyone any favours (ourselves especially) when we deny our suffering.

And God does not ask you to keep quiet about it.

And we find ourselves in a text today that cries out that God has not only allowed pain, but he in this case seems to be the perpetrator of pain.

Echoing the thoughts of

And

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

( ESV)

So regardless of how you find yourselves today.

In the depths of darkness (maybe like Jeremiah, you feel like God has walled you in so that you cannot escape, that he has placed you in heavy chains, you feel as though he shuts out your prayers, you’ve forgotten what happiness is) Or maybe these words don’t ring true to you, but someone you love sounds very much like Jeremiah in this text, this message is for you.

PAUSE

And as many levels and degrees as there are of suffering, the reasons for it may be many as well.

The bible makes it clear that there are several reasons for suffering.

A. Often, We suffer because of our own choices.

We reap what we sow ().

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

( ESV)

It is a natural consequence. When we continue to reject God’s path and trade it in vfor the worlds, that we will find trouble.

We often miss the fact that we serve a God who “wants it to go well with us” tells us.

The point of living a righteous life is not simply to appease a cosmic killjoy. It is so that it will go well with us.

(Pause)

Some of you, like myself I are not awesome at upkeep.

you’ll be driving your car. And be like man the car is not sounding good.

What is the date for my next oil change. (2005)---huh?

There is a proper way to take care of a vehicle in order for it to last and so that things will go well with it.

And someone somewhere knows that, and put that information into a manual.

Every 5000K Change the oil. When the gas gets low put more in. When the tires are bald, put new ones on. If you hear noise under the car, get it checked out. If you hit a cat keep driving.

If you want to keep certain people at the church stop picking on cats and country music.

There is a proper way for a life to be lived, so that it will go well with you.

And when we choose our own way, we might get by for a while. We can turn the radio up so that we don’t hear the clunking and tell ourselves that everything is fine.

And we can turn up the numbing effects in our lives that keep us from paying attention to the pieces falling off in our lives. Name your poison--

with business, maybe its alchohol, an affair, pick a poison. And in the end, after the high is over, the emptiness has grown, and we’ve added damage.

Sometimes it’s evident that our own choices cause us suffering.

Sometimes

B. We suffer when we place someone or something in place of God.

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you

I have often said that the Twighlight series is not dangerous because of its light portrayal of vampireism.

It is dangerous because of its focus on one person being the be all and end all of another’s exsistence.

This you complete me mentality.

Which comes off as romantic in a two hour movie. But much beyond that pathetic.

Any time we place our value, our identity in something outside of God himself, outside of the cross of Jesus, we start a path to discontent.

When a goal becomes a life pursuit and an identifying factor of our life, we have crossed into idolatry and set our selves (and those around us) up for pain.

The promotion, the house, the sex life, the successful kids, the grades, the church ministry.

We’ve all seen people who have done this. And often have a difficult time pursuing more of Jesus, because they are continually defining themselves by something they were never meant to define themselves by.

I think we often need to ask ourselves what is motivating us.

How are we defining ourselves?

What is the center of your existence?

What or who am I serving?

Only Jesus can save you.

Only he can make promises and keep them.

Only he can take what is really the issue and fix it. Clean it, recreate it, redeem it.

(Pause)

My wife and I were flying back from Cancun a few months ago.

And we had to catch a flight from Cancun to Dallas and then from Dallas to Vancouver.

The second we boarded our plane to Vancouver, we knew we were in for a treat.

The lady sitting behind us was very drunk.

And I knew what drunk looked like cause I was just at an all inclusive surrounded by people drinking.

In 7 days at the resort my wife and I saw nothing close to what this woman displayed.

Aside from her drunkenness, she had obviously had a lot of plastic surgery……..everywhere.

And she would repeat the same stories over and over to the man sitting next to her whom she did not know.

And they were stories about her history as a swimsuit model, a wet t-shirt model, about how little fat she used to have.

How she is finally married to a guy she doesn’t like, with children she cannot stand.

And I judged!!

I know you don’t so that.....

But around the time she started making out with the stranger behind to us, my judgment turned to pity and sadness.

She was running. She was continuing to define herself by her past. And an unpleasant one at that.

And most of us can think of someone . maybe someone you’ve been praying for. Maybe a spouse, a child, a friend, who continues to define themselves by something other than the person and work of Jesus Christ, and in doing so, run after whatever catches their eye.

And it’s sad.

But on the flip side. You see someone who has a healthy understanding of the gospel of Jesus the good news that in order to make something great of ourselves, live in the greatest sense, we ought to die to ourselves and live in the light of Jesus.

They are hard to figure out because they love Jesus and pursue him above all else. and don’t follow the proscribed norms. They don’t define themselves by their belongings and their prestige.

Rather than place something in place of God. These people place Jesus before everything!!!!

We see a great example in the Apostle Paul.

Look at Paul. The government just could make him toe the line.

Stop preaching Christ and the fact that you believe he rose from the dead.

“How can I, for me to live is Christ”

They throw him in prison. That’ll make him shut up about Jesus.

“Thanks, now I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

( ESV)

“Fine then we’re going to kill you”

“Ah, but for me to die is gain”

MAN!!

Paul lived with perspective.

He knew that trials were present, but he also knew whose story he was living in.

That’s the reason we won’t give up on preaching Jesus as the big deal (as Mark said last week) is that He is the big deal.

And we do not do you any favours, we don’t do those seeking salvation and freedom any favours by offering you a glossed over version of Jesus.

You see, people do not need slick ministries, with t-shirts and catchy slogans...They need Jesus.

Marriages very well might need counselling, and lots of it. But ultimately they need Jesus.

There is nothing wrong with making a church current in its music, its message, in its look but we can never do so at the expense of the gospel.

Without Jesus we have nothing.

Because

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

( ESV)

SLOWLY

It is all about Jesus. And when we make others out to be our Savour we will find trouble, and sadness. Even if it is our spouse. Our kids, our church.

Whether it be our reputation or a twisted affection for a pasty white mimbo vampire who consistently moves in slow motion with no shirt on.

When we place something else in place of God, they will eventually fail (maybe today, maybe in a decade, but they will fail) because they are being asked to fulfill something they were never meant to fulfill.

So, Who is your savior? Not in word, but in practice?

PAUSE

The bible also makes it pretty clear that sometimes

C. We suffer as a means to maturity.

do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

( ESV)

Now there is a word we don’t like.

But only because it has been tainted.

Biblically, discipline implies a moving toward a better outcome.

It is correction in hope that the object of discipline will learn to act and behave, and believe in a certain way.

That;s why James can say in

2 eCount it all joy, my brothers,2 when you meet trials fof various kinds, 3 for you know thatg the testing of your faith hproduces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be iperfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Ever met a child whose parents had no discipline in place?

Ever met an adult who has no discipline in place?

Discipline is not fun for either party.

When Lalainia and I have to discipline our children we take no pleasure in it.

It can be difficult and uncomfortable.

BUT IT IS LOVE THAT MAKES IT BOTH MANDATORY AND PAINFUL.

God finds no pleasure in our suffering.

For the Lord will not

cast off forever,

but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion

according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

for he does not afflict from his heart

or grieve the children of men.

( ESV)

Meaning he doesn’t do it because he finds pleasure in our suffering, he does it because as a God of Love, HE MUST.

And the purpose (the Goal) is a return to God. A repairing of relationship with our maker. A lifting up of our hearts and mind off the temporal and on to the eternal.

SLOWLY

Often God seeks to mature us, sanctify us, by allowing us to walk through difficult times.

Causing us to rely more fully on Him.

PAUSE

Another reason we may find ourselves going through difficult times is

D. Simply because we live in a fallen world.

And this one is the hardest to take.--Even those who live righteous lives, who serve God faithfully, will still suffer simply because we live in a fallen world.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly (WE SUFFER, WE CRY OUT) as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

( ESV)

In other words, life hurts.

And calamity happens, and relationships aren’t easy, and beyond that we are effected deep within.

Even when most things seem to be fairly pleasant around us, many of us still find ourselves living in darkness and depression that we cannot shake.

And the falleness of creation and the groanings of the human heart for relief is not simply a theological concept.

You find yourself like Jeremiah broken and confused. Looking at the world around you, and your immediate circumstance and wondering if God is even listening to your prayers.

If that’s you, I would like to encourage you in a few things.

Do not carry it alone. Surround yourself with brothers and sister in Christ that will pray for you and check in on you, and walk with you through this.

Get your life group to walk with you through this.

Take advantage of our times of prayer before and after the services.

(that is two sided- we need people in pain willing to reach out and people willing to take their hands.)- people who are willing to walk across the room to offer a hand.

And maybe beyond that you need to prayerfully consider professional counsellors or medication.

Yes, I believe that the same God who through His grace and mercy orchestrated the creation of Coke Zero, also orchestrated the creation of medications that can help individuals cope with the depression thrown on them from a fallen creation.

If someone has a heart problem, I would implore them take their heart medication.

If you have a depression stemming from physical problem that causes a deep depression, I would expect you to take medication to balance yourself out.

BUT whatever you do do not walk the valley alone.

And please be encouraged by the fact that.......

II. Our God is near.

Speaking through the prophet Isaiah in , God says

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

There is an intimacy to this statement. it is not some abstract metaphor.

He is not simply near.

He is with you. There is a sense that he is involved in the suffering you endure.

Isaiah’s original readers may not have understood this fully,

You see, Only Christianity makes the audacious claim that God would allow himself to be vulnerable to pain and death.

But the fact is Jesus, God in human flesh, God with us

A. Jesus understands your suffering.

Who suffered more than Jesus?

Are you suffering unjust accusation; Jesus suffered through the same.

Are you suffering loss of friendship, rejection by those close in your time of need, Jesus suffered the same.

Have you cried out God where are you??

Jesus cries from the cross--Father, why have you forsaken me.

Are you facing pain and darkness and death; Jesus our Savior has been there. Sweating drops like blood, asking his Father if there might be another way.

We do not serve a God who is unsympathetic.

***We serve a Savior who took on shame and torment willingly, to ultimately take torment and shame away for good.***

And it might not be today and it might not be tomorrow, but ultimately the victory is ours, in Christ Jesus.

He suffered everything we have or could suffer and more.

In his poem Jesus, of the Scars, Edward Shillito writes these potent words,

The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;

They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;

But to our wounds only God's wounds can speak,

And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

PAUSE

You see, when we find ourselves rejected, hurt, suffering pain, rather than being far from Christ, we may be closer to him than ever, identifying with our God in a more intimate way then ever possible were we to walk through life with only blessing.

For no God has wounds but Him alone!!!!

B. God has not abandoned you.

It could very well be that He is closer than ever.

And he offer hope.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

( ESV)

As with Jesus, after death came the resurrection.

So with us, after suffering comes hope and deliverance.

There is an after.

The best is yet to come.

It may just be that you and I will suffer from this day until Jesus return.

And in so doing we will have no choice but to humbly rely on His grace and his strength and his sacrifice for your sakes.

But

III. There is hope!

In fact

A. It was hope that strengthened Jesus.

(starting at the second half of verse 1)

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 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.

( ESV)

Endurance come from looking ahead. to the goal. Looking beyond the immediate to the eternal.

PAUSE

When you have a nightmare

For those of you who have nightmares you know the feeling of waking up from a horrific idea. A terrifying debilitating reality, into a new reality.

And as it is slowly revealed to you that the nightmare is no longer present and that everything is OK. Your joy is intensified to a point it wouldn’t have been if you had not had the nightmare.

That is what Paul means in when he says that he is convinced.

that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky says it this way,

“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, …., that in the world's finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, for all the blood that they've shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened.”

Our present suffering will only make our future glory more glorious.

We have hope!

Scripture makes it clear that the future.....

B. The future is not uncertain.

i Peter 1:3(b)-

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ( ESV)

Our future is not uncertain.

God is in control

He is near us, maybe most intimately when we walk through trial.

He offers us hope and a future.

PAUSE

SLOWLY

SO if God is for us and He suffers WITH us, what should our response to be?

If it is not pointless, it is not abandonment, if it enhances our future glory, how ought we to look and respond to our present suffering.

IV. How should we respond?

Jeremiah tells us in Lamentation 3:40-41

Let us test and examine our ways,

and return to the LORD!

Let us lift up our hearts and hands

to God in heaven:

( ESV)

When we walk through times of suffering, times of trial

I believe there are a few questions we need to ask ourselves.

I’ve listed a few in your outlines

1. How am I responding?

2. How should I be responding? Is my response as it should be . Does my response reflect what I hold to be true of the character of God.

3. Am I learning from it? Am I allowing this to be a moment where I am attentive to the voice of God.

4. Does my response demonstrate faith, love for God and for others, and Christ-like character?

5. How can God use this in my life? Many ministries have been birthed out of suffering. Usually it is those who have suffered pain, who find themselves offering counsel and encouragement to others because in their suffering they have walked intimately with Jesus and they have found themselves maturing in their faith because of it.

SLOWLY

And I don’t know where this message finds you today, I don’t know what your situation is today, but if you have placed your faith in the person and work of Jesus I absolutely know what you future looks like.

A future where God’s plans for you are realized, plans for your welfare and not for evil, plans to give you a future and a hope.

( ESV)

So I want to invite you to ask God to speak to you even in these next few minutes, to comfort you, to reveal more of himself to you. To walk intimately with you.

To work in you and through you.

BREAK

It seems fitting now, that we move into a time of worship through communion.

A time of reflection on the cross of Christ his suffering and the future it purchased for us.

During communion we take bread and we take juice and we attach powerful symbolism to them.

Symbolism that Jesus himself attached to them.

He said that when we eat bread together, we should recall his body that was broken for us on the cross.

He said that when we drink the juice together we should remember that our freedom, our forgiveness, our liberty is a result of his spilt blood.

He also said that when we remember, we also should look to the future, when we will eat this meal together with him, when all that was wrong is made right.

When suffering is no more, and peace and justice reign and we find rest for our weary souls.

So as the servers come forward, I just want to say that all who call Jesus their leader and forgiver are welcome at this table.

But is you have not yet come to that point, I would ask that you let the bread and juice pass you by, as it has no significance to you yet.

And I would asks that you consider carefully the person of Jesus, his sacrifice for your sake, the forgiveness he offers and the future hope he will bring about.

So as the bread is passed I would ask that you wait until everyone has received it and then we will eat together.

BREAD

Father, for the extremes you went to to redeem us. To bring us back to you. We thank you and praise you. For a past than can be forgotten and a future hope we thank and praise you, and we eat together remembering the cost of our salvation.

Again I ask that as the juice is passed, you would wait and we will drink together.

Jesus, we remember your humility, we remember your suffering, your love and your forgiveness, and we pray that we would live in the light of the life that you bring. We drink together and look to a future when we will eat and drink face to face.

It is our practise here to take up a benevolent offering each month for those in our congregation that need some financial support so ushers, I’m going to ask you to prepare for that.

Heavenly father, in Scripture you make it very clear that if we want to have hearts that are close to yours, we will have hearts for justice and for those in need. So may we give graciously to help those in our midst that finding it difficult to get by financially right now.

We pray this in your Son’s name,

Amen.

Music

Benediction

[55] “I called on your name, O LORD,

from the depths of the pit;

[56] you heard my plea, ‘Do not close

your ear to my cry for help!’

[57] You came near when I called on you;

you said, ‘Do not fear!’

( ESV)