Light Affliction
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Our Light Affliction
Our Light Affliction
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
We had our first service on August 27, 1996, and it was only a short time after that that my wife Debra met Sister Walker and invited her to our church.
It was apparent almost immediately that she was an exceptional woman. I can’t tell you how blessed we were to have her amongst us, and how sorely she will be missed.
Introduction:
Seriously? What doe Paul mean by saying, “our light affliction?”
The bible says that we should be instant in season and out of season, and I can tell you that she always was.
Some of us are going through heavy affliction; where do you come off calling it light?
Some of us are going through heavy affliction; where do you come off calling it light? Paul is writing under inspiration and knows whereof he speaks. Whatever your affliction, it is really light. Here are seven reasons why that is true:
I know people who are struggling with real issues, some life and death, some desperate. Light?
Yet Paul is writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit and knows whereof he speaks.
Somehow, referring to all of our afflictions as “light affliction"
Whatever your affliction, it is really light. Here are seven reasons why that is true:
I. Your affliction is light when compared with that of many others.
I. Your affliction is light when compared with that of many others.
Every week that she was present, when there was an opportunity to give testimony, or exhortation, Sister Walker had an appropriate word of exhortation, encouragement or praise.
She was always ready to share a Psalm, or Proverb, or other Wisdom from the Word of God.
No matter how heavy, there are others with worse.
Consider our Brothers and Sisters in Christ in other parts of the world
Consider those less fortunate than us even here
Paul was not suggesting that Christians did not struggle with afflictions
in fact the bible says “many are the afflictions....”
Earlier in this chapter he put his statement in the proper contect by recognizing this:
For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
1cor4.7-11
I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—
always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
So then death is working in us, but life in you.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
2cor4.7-14
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
Paul endured incredible afflictions—he speaks from experience.
B. Paul endured incredible afflictions—he speaks from experience.
I personally was always edified and challenged as she would give me encouragement and feedback after every service. And she wasn’t afraid to give feedback, and it was always welcome and appreciated
He wrote of some of his own afflictions in
From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;
in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
Surely not many of us can compare our afflictions with those of Paul and so many others
II. Your affliction is light compared with your deserts.
II. Your affliction is light compared with your deserts.
On the occasions when Mrs. Walker preached at Fountain of Life, I can tell you that she had an amazing ability to bring the Word in a way that connected with the audience. She could bring a message based on sound doctrine while at the same time remembering to include humor that would have people laughing and keeping their interest.
Whenever Mrs. Walker
While we celebrate her life and the fact that she is on Glory today, we are so sad to see her gone, and concerned that so few people of our generation are rising up to fill the shoes of the great saints like Sister Walker. She will be sorely missed at Fountain of Life Church.
It is unworthy to be compared to the woes of the lost (slightly revealed in story of rich man and Lazarus).
No matter what afflictions we suffer here, we can be sure it is “light” compared to the torments to come, as Lazarus and the rich man saw
B. You actually deserve the woes of hell (and would have them were it not for the grace of God in Christ).
You actually deserve the woes of hell (and would have them were it not for the grace of God in Christ).
tells us that the whole world is guilty before God. We are all guilty of sin and deserving of eternal affliction in hell
I have at times found myself crying out “I don’t deserve this”, but in fact there is only one person in history who was treated worse than he deserved to be. Jesus
III. Your affliction is light compared to that of your Lord.
III. Your affliction is light compared to that of your Lord.
He drained an ultimate cup of woe.
He took upon himself the wrath we deserved - far more than the nails alone
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
isa
Thus the One who regulates our afflictions knows exactly what afflictions really are.
Thus the One who regulates our afflictions knows exactly what afflictions really are.
IV. Your affliction is light compared with the blessings you enjoy.
IV. Your affliction is light compared with the blessings you enjoy.
It is important to keep things in perspective and “forget not His benefits”
Most of us, if we are honest, even when we are struggling with some particular affliction are still enjoying so many, many benefits
excellent example of this in Abraham Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving proclamation.
Our “afflictions truly are “light” when they are compared to the manifold blessings that most of us enjoy, even the poor among us
and in most cases we needn’t even look beyond the natural realm to prove this, however when we look at the whole picture, it becomes irrefutable:
We possess:
Salvation. - you have been translated from the death to life - from darkness to light
Righteousness. - we have a new nature, old things have passed away
Adoption. - whereas once we were enemies of God through wicked works, now we are children who cry Abba, Father!
The privileges of the children of God. - if Children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ!
The assurance of future glories.
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1cor2.9
No amount of affliction can take these blessings away (or outweigh them either).
No amount of affliction can take these blessings away (or outweigh them either).
V. Your affliction is light in comparison to its benefits to you.
V. Your affliction is light in comparison to its benefits to you.
It proves the power of sustaining grace.
How our faith has grown through some of the afflictions we have overcome
It is designed of God to make changes in you.
being pressed into the place where you must rely on God alone through faith (or not), will always change you
It can drive out sin.
It can develop character.
It can deepen your walk with God.
We can come to the place where we simply are not moved by these afflictions
Where, like Paul, we can say “none of these things move me”
It is through these “light afflictions” that we really learn of the eternal weight of glory which outweighs and overpowers them.
VI. Your affliction is light because of its relative brevity.
VI. Your affliction is light because of its relative brevity.
VI. Your affliction is light because of its relative brevity.
“Which is but for a moment”—it is not lasting.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
It must be viewed as relative.
It must be viewed as relative.
Compare it to the overall span of life.
when we’ve been there 10,000 years . . .
Compare it to the reach of eternity.
VII. Your affliction is light in comparison to the glory to be revealed.
VII. Your affliction is light in comparison to the glory to be revealed.
Paul refers to “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
Not that you afflictions aren’t real, not that they don’t matter, but when placed in the scales, they are so far outweiged
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Handling the affliction right can increase the weight of glory.
It can make us more what God wants us to be.
It can increase the weight of the reward awaiting us.
God cares about your Afflictions
God cares about your Afflictions
Having said all the preceding, I want you to know that whatever your affliction, and however light, God cares for you
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Jesus said that in the world we would have some tribulation - but that we can be of good cheer because He has overcome the world
There is nothing you cannot talk to Him about
So, even as we keep these afflictions in proper perspective as to their relative lightness, we can boldly look to God for help and deliverance also
Heb4.1
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
heb4.18-21
Hebr
Conclusion:
Handling our afflictions correctly can be much a matter of focus.
Focus on the afflictions, and they become heavy.
Focus on what God is doing through them, and they lose weight.
Whatever it is that you are going through, will you see it through God’s eyes?
Or will you see it as some heavy weight?
Paul says, “For our light affliction which is but for a moment,” and we should agree with him.