Untitled Sermon

The Gift and Gifts of G-d Amidst Pain and Suffering

Intro:

: “Man is born unto trouble ...”

Christ was born into trouble -

Financial trouble - turtle doves

Residential trouble - no room at the inn

Political trouble - Antipater Herod

Theological trouble - five factions

International trouble - Parthian threat

Social trouble - Mary accused of fornication

Legal trouble - had to move to city of birth

Christ was born into suffering on many levels.

We’ve seen seven levels of suffering into which Christ was born.

Into what kinds of suffering we born?Into what were you born? Unto what were you born?

The Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger described a wise baby, who upon being born, was able to speak, and say he’d rather never have been born, and wanted to go back in utero!

: “man is born unto trouble.”

What’s the point? We are all born to suffer.

Job cursed the day of his birth … because when we are born, we are born in to suffering. Job 5.7

On the day of Christ’s birth we were blessed.

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Ill: Our L-rd was born into an era of great artistry. Large blocks of granite would be taken and the sculptor would chisel away at the block of stone … made into the image designed by the creator.

¿ Do you feel like you being chiseled? Do feel the sharp tip of the chisel upon you?

: “For whom he did foreknow he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

The key phrase is conform us to image of his dear Son.

Christ suffered for us, that we may become like him. We suffer, because our Savior suffered, and suffering makes us more like him.

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