The Role of Suffering in Sanctification

It's been a crazy crazy morning. I'll have to tell you later. Other future object lessons just from this morning. My name is Johnny Byrd, and I'm one of the deacons here at Christ Fellowship. It's my privilege to come before you on Sunday mornings about once a month or so at this time. I want to dismiss the younger kids to Discovery Club. And wildly while they make their usual Stampede out the back door. You can turn with me to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1.

Where we will begin a new study today.

I won't quite be introducing Paul second letter in the same detail that we did first. Thessalonians says this second letter in some ways Builds on the first letter. How many common traits shared between the two books but there are also a number of contrasting items the first letter deals with the church primarily II with the world the first tells of Christ coming in the air the second of his coming to the Earth. The first letter teaches us about the Rapture or the second letter teaches us about the day of the Lord that is the period from the tribulation through the second Advent of Christ. And the first letter Paul spent a good portion of the letter reminding us Thessalonian Believers about what he had taught them while in the second letter. He spends much time correcting false teaching. They had heard, you know, one of the things that blows me away about these two little letters. Is it just about all the essential truths of the Christian faith are covered. Nearly every major doctrine of faith is represented in these two small letters. Today we are going to be in chapter one where Paul cover some similar ground to the first letter and how he encourages the Thessalonians to continue to be in the midst of great persecution and affliction. Right here in 2nd Thessalonians. He takes an even deeper dive on these subjects. It's likely that the persecution they were injuring head ratchet it up and intensity. And was among the news brought to Paul that led to in writing the second letter. So in addition to encouraging them Paul wants to make sure the Thessalonian Believers grasp. The significance of what is going on in their lives when they are persecuted and a flick that is our subject for today. Today. We are going to begin a two-part study here in chapter 1 about suffering. Why do we suffer and have pain and struggles in this life? Why is it life a bed of roses for us once we come to know Christ?

What purpose does suffering serve? And how are we to respond to it? Is there anything good for us that comes out of suffering? How are we to pray? When we or others are in the midst of it. Answers to these questions are not easy to embrace. understanding suffering and its role in God's plan for our lives is not an easy exercise. It's difficult. In part because suffering is difficult. You can rock us to the Core. Challenges make us question everything we believe. Suffering can feel to us like a contradictory experience to God's clearly expressed love and favor for us through Christ. The truth about suffering the doctrine of suffering if you will. It's not an elementary principal. Today's message is not a spiritual meal. Like an infant's milk is Hebrew for says it's solid food for the mature because of practice have their senses trained to discern Good and Evil. So the first thing we need to do is stop right now and pray for wisdom and discernment as we consider the role of suffering in sanctification spray.

Father we come before you this morning as we consider a difficult subject suffering. Help us to be sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit within us so that we can make an honest Endeavor to wrestle with the scriptures we study today. With the end in mind that has the power to transform Our Lives into the image of your son Jesus our savior. It's in his name that we ask these things. Hey, man.

alright follow along with me and your Bibles as I read all of 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 give me Paul and Savannah send Timothy to the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace from God the father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are always to give thanks to God for you brother. And that's his only fitting because your face is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater. therefore we are cells speak proudly of you among the Churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions, which you and your This is a plane indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God for which you for which indeed you are suffering for after all. It is only just forgot to repay with Affliction those who was like you had to give her Leaf to you who are afflicted not to us as well. When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. Dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of Eternal destruction away from the presence of God and from the glory of his power when he comes to be glorified in his Saints on that and to be marveled at among all who have believed. For our testimony to you was believed. To this end. Also we pray for you always that our God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of Faith with power so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you and you and him according to the grace of our God and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now I'm going to jump around a little bit In this passage today and the next time in part 2 as I try to give some structure or progression to how we might best get a good handle on the doctrine of suffering. And in so doing we're going to encounter some other Bible doctrines that we will touch on briefly as well. Look with me first as verses 3 and 4 where Paul is thanking God for the Thessalonians and telling them that he is boasting in the Lord about them to other churches for their perseverance and faith in the face of persecutions in Affliction, which they are enduring. Right now all I want to make sure you see here's the context for Paul's comments in this first chapter is plainly surrounding the special only in Believers situation, which is that they are suffering enduring Affliction persecution. Now we're going to come back to verses 3 and 4 and a little bit but in case you have not crashed fully previously how exceptional the Thessalonian church was from our study of 1st Thessalonians. And from Paul's praise here at the beginning of 2nd Thessalonians think for a moment with me about something that I think it's amazing. Paul's boasting in the Lord about the Thessalonians brought to mine for me. The Lord's boasting about Jobe to Satan. remember that have you considered my servant job for there is no one like him on the earth a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. That was before Jobe entered into his time of testing via suffering. and we know that in the working out of it all Joe did send by making prideful accusations against God of Injustice and unwarranted silence, and he was on the receiving end of one of the most memorable rebukes and all of scripture in my estimation when God said well, where were you when I laid the foundation of the Earth ouch

Well here in 2nd Thessalonians the boasting by Paul is taking place while the suffering has already been going on for an extended period of time. I think that is quite remarkable. Even in the midst of their suffering the Thessalonian church was steadfast in the face a model body of Believers and Paul can't speak enough undiluted praise to God about them. All right, before we go back to verses 3 and 5. 2nd Thessalonians. We need to digest some of what is in verses 6 through 10 Paul goes into considerable detail hear about the justice of God and about judgment that awaits the unsafe. He says that in righteous judgement. God will repay with Affliction those who now or afflicting the Thessalonian Believers when the Lord Jesus returns from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. He will punish these wrongdoers. Notice how the roles will be reversed. The Thessalonians will receive relief from their suffering and their persecutors who now have it easy will in that they suffer the penalty of Eternal destruction. Which Paul describe to us in verse 9 is being away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. Quick side note hear the Greek word translated destruction means ruin not Annihilation as in the destruction of a being ending its existence. Means the destruction of well-being ruin in so far as the purpose of its existence is concerned. Pair with destruction the word Eternal in the destruction described is endless. There's no appeal from it. It's not temporary butts final. And the shows again is Paul expresses explicitly that the purpose of this judgment is not remedial. but retributive Paul says God will deal out retribution on those who don't know him and to those who do not obey the gospel. Any clearly describes the punishment this eternal destruction as a revocable banishment from the presence of the Lord. Who dwells in unapproachable light. Elsewhere into outer Darkness where Jesus said in Matthew 25, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When I was 6 years old, I told you guys a story last time and imagine that the day when I got home and read the gospel handout. I was giving it a field trip to the Fayetteville Market house. I knew I didn't want any part of weeping and gnashing of teeth and I gave my life to the Lord right then and there.

How does concept of Retribution? The Paul describes Harkins all the way back to Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden where God dispenses retaliatory Justice to Adam and Eve to send by eating the forbidden fruit and in turn would struggle to eke out a livelihood in order to eat. Eve who manipulated Adam wouldn't turn be Mastered by him. And a serpent who destroyed the human race would intern himself be destroyed. Why do we have suffering and pain and struggle in this life? One reason is because it's the fruit of sin. both passed as in Genesis 3 and present we are sinful creatures. Man is born for trouble as Sparks Fly upward short-lived and full of turmoil. No matter how hard we try to improve our world as a whole making medical advances and using computers to try to make our lives easier. We still toil in labor women still have pain in childbearing that was another consequence of sin in Genesis 3 and we will all experience death unless we are living at the time of the rapture. We are sinners living in a fallen sinful world and suffering is often the fruit of scent. but

God who is perfect and knowledge and understanding and love and grace. Uses suffering for purposes that align with his attributes other than Justice alone. Suffering isn't always retributive as it will be one day for the unsafe persecutors in 2nd Thessalonians 1 or as it was in Genesis 3 and continues to be for us today in light of Genesis tree. Think back with me again to Joe. Remember how the book ends? I know you remember that there was Joy on the other side of suffering that the Lord restored job and increased all that he had to fold. But you know what it says there that you might have had slip by you when that happened when he Jobe prayed for his friends. Why don't you need to pray for his friends? Because God had a pointed job as the intercessor for three of job's friends eliphaz bildad and so far because God had said to them you have not spoken of me. What is right as my servant Joe Pass?

What did they say about God that was so wrong?

Let me give you a big one. Maybe the big one over and over again. They took turns accusing Joe saying that he was suffering because he must have sent. He must have done something wrong in God's eyes and God was punishing him for it. But they were wrong. They were limiting God Sovereign ability to use suffering for other purposes than punishment. Listen, it's so easy for us to make the same mistake as jokes friends when we are in the midst of suffering and say. What is it now Lord? What have I done wrong? Why have I fallen out of favor in your sight? I make a mistake. There's a place for soul searching when water flicted. God can respond to our sin with physical afflictions and trying times and suffering as a corrective means to get our attention and get us back on track where we need to be in our relationship with him, but he can also use it in our lives when our relationship with him is already in a good place. It's in our human nature to tend towards being legalist.

And we think everything good that happens to us. It's because it's because God owes us a blessing. And anything bad that happens means we must have done something wrong. This is a dangerous direction of thinking. Some people in Christian circles with this kind of performance-based viewpoint on their relationship with God have taken it so far that they believe a Christian has to maintain certain Works to have insurance of salvation. Some have lost sight of the plain truth. A scripture the Salvation is not a reward for the righteous but a gift for the guilty. If you think about it and look around in your life. I'm sure you'll notice that Christians suffer in the same ways that unsafe people do around us. We both lose jobs both get sick. sometimes life threatening illnesses both have broken relationships both have struggles both die. But there's a key difference between the two. Free Christian those things that happen in our lives that we wouldn't choose whether trials or pain or suffering. And whether we've done something that requires correction or not. They all come to us for an entirely different purpose than for the unsaved person. For them, they are getting their just desserts from their state of enmity with God and the fair wages of their sin. But for you and I trials and suffering come to us so that God's grace can be manifest through our lives. And God has given us Grace as Divine enablement to handle the hard things that come to us. That's what Paul was talking about in 2nd Corinthians 12:9, when he wrote that God has said to him. My grace is sufficient for you for power is perfected in weakness. God uses suffering as an instrument of his grace to refine us further to sanctifies. 2 formas into the image of Christ

Last time in our closing session on 1st Thessalonians, we learned about Paul's instruction to us not to quench or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit and you may remember that I showed you a picture of a red-hot sword as it came out of the fire and was about to be quenched. The object lesson was that our hearts are like the metal of a knife or sword that has to remain hot in the fire. So that the Holy Spirit can shape us. Sanctify ass and nobody wants us to be. When you put out the fire. The metal on the blade Harden's just like our hearts harden when we put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.

Will turn with me or if you want to just listen long. It's 1 verse Isaiah 48-10.

Isaiah 48-10

it says behold I have refined you but not as silver. I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Let me read you an excerpt from Puritan author Thomas cases A Treatise on the flexions. The flesh is out Isaiah 48-10 for us. Thomas K. Says Affliction is God's Forge. Where in he softens the Iron Heart? there is no dealing with the iron while it remain us and it's on Native coldness and hardness put it into the fire make it red-hot there and you may stamp upon it any figure or impression you please

melted vessels are impressive to any form. So it is with the heart of man. Naturally. It is colder and harder than the Northern Iron and that native hardness is much increased by prosperity and the patience of God towards sinners. It is the hot furnace only which can make it pliable and impressive to God's council's. And sometimes God is forced to make the furnace seven times hotter. To work out the dross which renders men so uncomfortable to the ministry of the word. powerful words from Thomas case suffering is God's Forge where he softens are iron Hearts so he can sanctify us conforming us into the image of Christ. That is the good that comes out of suffering when we trust God while we are in the trial. And Paul calls that out to the Thessalonians in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 and verses 3 and 4 go back there. If you have a finger over there look back at your Bible. Verses 3 and 4 with me. August real practical very specific and telling us what the fruit of the Thessalonians suffering is. He says it in the midst of all your persecutions and affliction which you and your verse for. Go back to verse three then that your face is greatly enlarged and the love of each one of you toward one another Rose ever greater. as does their perseverance when we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our suffering Are Faith and love grow? And there's even more fruit here. If we pay attention closely. It encourages other Christians it encouraged Paul. And Paul spoke proudly about it to every Church. He's visited or planted because you knew it would encourage other Christians there. They saw that you can make it through suffering and come out blessed increased in the ways that matter most on the other side of suffering.

I want you to look with me at one more passage of this morning about suffering. That is Hebrews 2:10. If you want to turn their Hebrews, 2:10 Hebrews is a book about the superiority of Christ and the Christian faith. And of the Lord's glorious High Priestly Ministry in heaven at the father's right hand Hebrews 2:10 says for it was fitting for him for whom all are all things and through whom are all things in bringing many sons to glory to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. I want you to pay close attention to the word author. hear the word in Greek arcade ghosts means originator or founder and its use implied someone who initiates or originates a plan or program for others to follow.

And the word perfect here doesn't imply that Jesus progressed from imperfection to Perfection the word perfect rather deals with the accomplishment of a Divine Purpose. Jesus sufferings. This passage says were fitting. Sitting in that they made his intro intercessory priesthood possible for us. Because he went through the suffering and you can relate to our sorrows trials and suffering because he experienced it. His sufferings were fruitful. Because their result is that he brings many sons to Glory by sacrifice. And his sufferings were fundamental to his ministry in perfecting it John Philip said his sufferings are the foundation upon which all his present Ministry rest. Oh Jesus is the originator of this divinely purpose plan to be brought to fruition through suffering. And has modeled it out for us to follow. Then being perfected through sufferings is also fitting for us as we seek to imitate Christ. What an awesome God we serve? Who by his grace would send his son to pay our send it and meet all our needs but you do it by coming down to where we are. Inextricably tied to sufferings brought about by the original sin while we are in these mortal bodies and through suffering accomplish his Divine purposes.

And in so doing his ministry to be are perfected high priest was accomplished and he provides us. With the potential that are natural temporal sufferings of this life can be turned around by his grace is divine and I want to be used to serve God's will. enter produce Everlasting fruit to grow our faith in love to encourage others in the face in their sufferings to draw others to Christ And to perfect our Progressive sanctification so that God's grace and Glory can be shown in and through us his children who he's made partakers of his glory. John Wall border once said this of God's grace in relation to trials and suffering. The greater our burden the greater our sorrow the greater our problem. The greater the pulpit for manifesting God's efficiency.

Well next time in part 2 we are going to consider how we should respond to suffering. Are deliverance from suffering and how to pray in the midst of suffering by looking at how Paul prayed here in 2nd Thessalonians and elsewhere and it how Jesus prayed when he experienced suffering on our behalf. I mean close today. By telling you about the most impactful teaching Sunday. I've experienced this year at Christ Fellowship. with apologies to Jerry and David it was not out here in the main service. It was back there in one of the classrooms during Learning Center on Easter Sunday.

I was filling in for someone as a co-teacher. I wasn't really there to teach heading prepare the lesson. I was more or less there for crowd control, which wasn't needed. the children were captivated by the teacher hanging on every word as was I

my teacher that day not co-teacher teacher

taught me more than I could take in.

The presentation of truth of Christ was simple straightforward and mind you personal. and Powerful kids were asking questions as I learned about the significance of the resurrection and the stone was rolled away.

And receiving answers in the most complete loving patient and kind words.

I didn't answer one question. I dared not.

When the class was over cuz I sat there. moved to tears some of you will think right now that's not hard to do.

I thought Within Myself. for this it's what I want to take out there. to the congregation I want to be able to teach like that.

I said God I want what she's got.

And I thought some time later. Lord I spend a lot of time studying the word how much more Do I need to do what am I missing? Well, I filed that experience away. Pain in the back of my mind. I felt the nudge from the Holy Spirit. You'll figure it out.

And weeks later. I did it. I am really slow. but I just

you see my teacher that day. Was Natalee bravery?

Natalie is well acquainted with suffering. For those of you who don't know. Just a few weeks after her second child birth was born her husband. Matt was in a motorcycle accident. your lie. A miracle he survived. They are rifik head-on collision with a car. He had terrible injuries. Sometimes the worst cars we get in Life or on the inside. It was a long time.

The format was able to come home.

And the next thing you know. Natalie is diagnosed with cancer. A long horrible. Where do you It could have killed her. And we're still praying for advances in medicine while she's in remission.

what I saw on Easter Sunday

And Natalie Brant. Was someone whose faith has been enlarged by suffering?

And like Paul in 2nd Thessalonians 1 I am telling you this story because it's only fitting for me to spend up here and thank God. for my dear sister in Christ because her faith is greatly enlarged and because I'm encouraged. And you should be encouraged. Because her perseverance and faith in the mist of all these afflictions issues in dirt. and isn't during I see you in her a reflection of the Life of Christ. Who is perfected through sufferings? And I'm overjoyed. at the name of Jesus Is being glorified in her?

And She and Him. by the grace of God We should all aspire to know and serve our God better. as a result of our sufferings osprey

father we thank you. For your Mighty word. It is life-giving.

We're thankful for your sacrifice for us. We Praise You In a tribute all glory to you Lord Work in us. We ask father to digest what we're studying about suffering. So that we may grow in relationship with you. And so you may be glorified as your grace is Manifest in our lives. We ask these things in Jesus precious name. I meant