The Shape of Suffering (Acts 25:1-12)

Intro: in 1940s? A German Christian wrote these words-- “When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die” (ref. Lk 9:23)

This man went on to write a book called The Cost of Discipleship. In 1943 he was picked up by the Gestapo, spent two years in a German prison and concentration camp, and was hanged on April 9, 1945.

That’s the story of Deitrich Bonhoeffer. His bio by Eric Metaxas is with the labor.

Bonhoeffer saw the Christians life through the lens of suffering; without some measure of suffering there is no Christianity.

—Suffering comes in various shapes and sizes:

Suffering that comes to all mankind (everyone faces accidents, sickness, loss, bereavement, setback)

Suffering directly tied to our sin or the sins of another

Suffering that is distinctly tied to being a Christian

—That’s the suffering Bonhoeffer spoke about and the Bible teaches:

1 Peter 4:13–16 ESV

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.

—sharing the sufferings of Christ; insulted for Christ, suffering as a Christians

**This is the shape of Paul’s suffering in Acts 25.

—This is not general calamity, or suffering for bad choices…this is tied to his gospel hope and service.

We will look at the shape of suffering this morning:

The length of suffering (1,12)

Suffering is tolerable if it’s acute.

You can poke me with a needle for a few minutes I won’t like it, but can tolerate. But if someone poked us with a needle day after day, hour after hour…that’s torture.

The “three days” of v1 is misleading if we think that Paul’s suffering is less than half a week.

Jumping back to Ch 24:27--Paul spent two years under house arrest while Felix was governor of Judea.

Festus takes over for Felix arrives in Jerusalem (25:1)—where the Jews request him to have Paul brought to trial again.

In Ceaseara, Paul faces a new trial before Festus; concerned with a miscarriage of justice in Jerusalem, he makes his appeal to Caesar (v12)—twice the word “favor” is used (Acts 25:3, 9)

His appeal means one thing: prolonged hardship (Acts 26:32)

One of the keys to navigating the ebbs and flows of life is to know things unfold seasonally (Eccl 3)

Often the cry of Lament— “How Long, O Lord.”

(Ps 6:3-6; Ps 13:1)

How long reminds me of the road trip questions. We used to have 20 plus hour road trip. Our kids were great travelers. But the question was unavoidable: Are we there yet?

That question can only come with a hope that the trip will end.

Psalm 30:5 ESV

For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

The picture is an overnight guest who leaves in the morning.

Or, if you have ever stayed in hotel that’s subpar (bed is uncomfortable, room is dirty)—you can endure because it’s only for a night.

Friends, the season of suffering may be long…but it will not last forever.

The breadth of suffering (2-11)

Suffering can be very a very broad category.

The text comes at Paul’s suffering from 2 angles

Planned out (2-3). The Jews have been plotting for 2 years to have Paul killed. They are persistent.

Yet, let’s take a step back—wind the clock back in Acts.

Recall when Paul met Jesus.

Acts 9:16 ESV

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

*Yet Paul is not an anomaly—

When Christ calls us, he bids us come and die

Luke 9:23 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

There is a planned out path of suffering for every disciple.

2. Innocence (v8)

As Paul argues his case before Festus, he defends his complete innocence.

Acts 25:8 CSB

Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”

The CSB translation reflects the original the best—Paul claims he has not sinned against God’s law…and he follows rule and order of Roman law.

Paul’s life is modeled after Jesus....

1 Peter 2:21–25 ESV

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Gospel: Acts 25 shows that sometimes Christians will suffer innocently.

Yet the truth is, as we see in 1 Pet, only One who can claim total innocence.

Note the confidence that Paul shares in facing death—(v11) “I do not seek to escape death”

Ironically Paul stands before the “Beama” seat of judgment. It’s the same word used to describe Christ’s judgment seat in 2 Cor 5:10

“We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ”

Apply: That’s the judgment seat that we should all fear.

If you were standing before Christ’s seat of judgment today? Where would your hope be? Would you try and defend yourself? What hope that you would be acquitted?

The only hope before the judgment seat of Christ is to have hope in the judge…to trust that “He himself bore your sins in his body”

The depth of suffering

We saw how Jesus had a personal call on Paul’s life that included a plan of suffering.

**But Paul is not the exception in this regard.

—The Bible shows that suffering is the normal experience of God’s people.

If I were to highlight 5 or 6 main verses to get the overall gist of Acts, one would be Acts 14:22

Acts 14:22 ESV

strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

—It’ is necessary: Called the divine necessity. Meaning that God has ordained it.

The depth of suffering: in some mysterious way, suffering pushes into the deep purposes of God.

TO GO Deep with God, he often calls us to go deep in suffering.

The depth of a relationship can often be based on the level of suffering

E.G. We sing about the deep, deep love of Jesus. Close to our heart is how he suffered on the cross for our sins

Or,

A man loves his bride on their wedding day. But decades later when he has to walk with her through crippling sickness that his love deepens.

We go deep in love when we go deep in suffering

Apply: My assumption is that a lot of you want to go deeper in God. I was encouraged by someone from TRB Family who told me recently that 2020 was a year of great spiritual growth.

That’s in a year that has been hard on many.

Going Deep in Suffering

Going Deep in Suffering

1. Go deep in the goodness of God

This is the starting point to going deep in suffering. Suffering will either draw our hearts to more confidence in God’s goodness, or cause us to question.

God’s goodness def: the perfection of his nature and moral excellence

Laying the foundation of God’s goodness helps prepare us for the path of suffering

E.G. Ps Ps 73:1, 28—God is good to his people of pure heart,…for me it is good to be near God

Ps 34:

We would trust a surgeon who we know is good, and his motives are good—to bring healing. How much more can we trust one who has been eternally good!

2. Go deep in discipleship

Discipleship is following Jesus and obeying his commands; it’s abiding in Christ, being transformed more into his image.

This is the invitation Jesus gave Lk 9:23

Apply: Going deep in suffering will shape and strengthen our discipleship better.

3. Go deep in joy and hope

The final question we may ask in suffering: What is God doing?

Every situation is unique—so no one size fits all.

But scripture gives us a framework to think about suffering

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

The word “suffering” in Romans 5 is the same Greek word in Acts 14:22—tribulations (thlipsis)

Two things this verse stresses

When we go deep in suffering we do so with joy (Rom 5:3)

When we go deep in suffering we develop hope (Rom 5:4-5)

Rom 5—show us God’s deep purposes in suffering. And one purpose (v5) is to go deeper in his love.

The final reminder Rom 5:5 God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

To go deep in suffering is finally to go deep in God’s love

We often think that the best life is one of comfort, security, and safety--

The best life is a life deep in God’s love…and it often through suffering we experience that.

Conclusion: I’ve been told more than once, usually by a Dr. that I’ve been out of shape. At one point I was 25lbs heavier than I am now. I still have a ways to go.

For some of us, we are out of shape when it comes to suffering.

How do you know if you are out of shape? When our reaction to suffering is total unhappiness and little or no hope.

The founder of Voice of the Martyrs. Richard Wurmbrand spent years of his life in a Romanian Communist prison, tortured simply for his faith in Christ.

“If the heart is cleansed by the love of Jesus, one can resist all tortures”

Which means the way to get back in shape of suffering is not to fix our eyes on suffering, but fix our eyes on Jesus.