Christ: The way of suffering
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Who said it was going to be easy?
Who said it was going to be easy?
We have seen the way of Christ is many things over the last few weeks, and we are drawing to an end of the series, Lord willing, next week. But we need to address a topic that some try to avoid, the Christian and suffering.
(opening illustration) benefit packages when considering a job, etc. - don’t change the slide until i say God’s benefits package please.
(Insert: God’s benefits package picture here)
Benefits to the way of Christ:
He is the way to God; to eternal life
He is the way to know truth and to have peace
He is the way of love, joy and forgiveness
That led to application of prayer, forgiveness of others, bearing fruit and serving.
Man that sounds like a good benefits package to me, an eternally good one in which we can have hope in. But wait there are some counter things to it and many want to avoid talking about them (it) for it is not a great selling point. - - - - suffering.
Consequences of Christianity: Suffering
Christ did not hide the necessity of even his own suffering (Lk24:25-26)
25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?”
Jesus wanted the apostles and us through the apostles to know that the way of Christ includes the way of suffering if needed, and there will be some, so don’t be surprised by it. So this morning I want to draw on two things and a conclusion.
The way of suffering was taught
The way of suffering was manifested
Conclusion: The way of suffering will be worth it, eternally!
The way of suffering was taught
The way of suffering was taught
Who likes to suffer raise your hand. OK, I know that is a rhetorical question, though Paul said he was ready to suffer and even die for Christ (Act21:13). Jesus was willing to suffer and to die for us, we can learn from the scripture about Christ the way of suffering.
13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Jesus taught, warned and promised results from suffering (Jn15:18-20; Jn16:33; Mt5:10-12)
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Jesus warned the apostles that they would be hated and even persecuted.
Did you know that not all bible promises seem good on the surface? Check this out.
33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
The promise was tribulation, the encouragement was peace in Christ and to have courage because He has overcome the world.
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Jesus told them they are blessed if they are persecuted for the sake of righteous, how blessed? Blessed for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Then Jesus went on and told them what to do, how to handle it.
12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The promised reward, great is your reward in heaven!
(Transition): We know what James has to say about tribulation (Jm1:2-3) but what about the apostles and suffering? For while they both can have some hard impacts but positive results I want us to continue to focus on suffering.
Apostles warned people to expect and prepare for suffering
Paul warned the new Christians to expect it (Act14:21-22; Php1:29-30; 2Tim3:12)
Put the slide up, do not read the scripture, just paraphrase it as written below.
21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
As you may know Paul on 2nd and 3rd missionary trips went, preached and stopped at previously established churches to strengthen the disciples and said that it is through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Oh no, Paul says here it has been granted, a grant that is something freely given, it is freely given for you to suffer for Jesus sake.
There is in (2Tim3:12) another confirmation that there will be persecuted when you live for Christ.
Peter wrote to prepare (1Pt2:20-23, 4:12-16, 5:8-10)
20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
Hey if you suffer for doing what is right, know you have been called for this purpose, so be ready to patiently endure it for this finds favor with God.
I think you will find that the book of first Peter deals with the topic of suffering a lot, take the time and read the book when you get a chance see the reality and the hope in and through suffering that is to be found. Let me give you another example
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
Suffering as a Christian? Don’t be ashamed it is for the glory of God!
You could read on in (1Pt5:8-10) about that old crafty devil. But know that the suffering experienced you were not alone (Peter writing to the disbursed church that was under persecution). I will come back to those verses in a little bit.
(Transition) To the suffering Christians in the first century they were accustomed to suffering, Jesus taught it, the Apostles did too. They knew very well the way, so may we look at the way from the scripture and see what we can learn?
The way of suffering manifested
The way of suffering manifested
Manifest, manifested good word, according to KJV Bible dictionary it means “1. Plain, open, clearly visible to the eye or obvious to the understanding; apparent; not obscure or difficult to be seen or understood. From the testimony, the truth we conceive to be manifest.” So this section is make it clearly visible through the scripture the way of suffering.
Manifested in the early church
The apostles were beaten, threatened, suffered hardship (Act5:40; 1Cor4:9-13)
Just after the birth of the church the apostles were threatened, and they were beaten (ref: Act5:40)
Look at what Paul said to the Corinthians
9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.
11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;
13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ (2Cor11:23-28)
(insert Paul suffering for Christ picture here)
What a list Paul laid out to the Corinthians about the suffering that he had endured.
More labors, more imprisonments
Beaten without number; in danger of death often
Beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked
Dangers from rivers, robbers, countrymen, Gentiles, in the city in the wilderness, at see and, well, false brethren too.
labor in hardship, sleepless nights, hungry, thirsty, without food, in the cold, in the exposure and then I have to give you one verse from this
28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
He was willing to endure for Christ all the manifested things, because of his love and care for all the churches. Hey we know that he was imprisoned and history tells us that Paul was finally beheaded as tradition puts it in about AD64 under the hand of Nero.
Christians in the early church suffered much (Act7:54-60, 8:1-3, 9:1-2)
They suffered much by the hands of the unbelieving Jews and the Romans too.
The unbelieving Jews with Stephen, stoning him to death in (Act7:54-60)
Paul agreed to the death and look how it impacted him.
1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
and then
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
(Transition) I think we can learn much more even regarding how they, the early church, the apostles, dealt with suffering.
The suffering attitude of the early church (Rom5:3-4; 1Pt4:16; Rom8:35-39)
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Rejoice in suffering, hum, really? Yep, James mentions it to (Jm1:2-4) too.
check out this.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
They knew, and we too can know, believe and step in faith in knowing we are more than conquerors. We cannot deny the fact, Jesus taught, it, the apostles warned to expect and to prepare for it, that there is suffering that was coming to them (early church), but now what about in our time?
Manifested suffering in our time:
In Muslim and Hindu nations
Much of the middle East
In Communist nations
Like China and North Korea
How about in the USA, do you think there could be suffering?
Rejected by family members, passed over for jobs
Ridiculed by people, alienated by many
(Transition) I think that there are some biblical reminders we find in the New Testament that we can carry away with us regarding suffering.
Remember the words of Christ (Jn15:18-20)
If they hate you, they hated Christ first
Jesus said they persecuted Him, they will persecute you (spoken to the apostles)
and in the end of (v.20) it says in James paraphrase, press on, stay the course, they believe in me, they will believe in Me through You!
Remember the words of Paul (2Tim3:12)
We read it before but may we remember. “indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Remember the words of Peter (1Pt4:14, 16, 19)
You are blessed if reviled for the name of Christ, the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you
It is to glorify God in the name of Jesus when we suffer and are not ashamed.
But the suffering we are talking about is that in line with God’s will, not the suffering we can bring on to ourselves because of our rebellious fleshly nature at times, look at this verse.
19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.
(Transition) - Suffering has some consequences, to some it is death as we know from the Apostles, and Christian martyrs through the years. but what about us, here in USA today?
Suffering can have a purifying effect (1Pt1:6-7)
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Suffering, enduring suffering can make us worthy of the kingdom of God (2The1:3-5)
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,
5 which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer;
And just one more word of encouragement from the scripture before we close.
10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
(Invitation slide- no longer a slave to sin)
Are you living in this world as if everything is OK? Are you betting your eternal life on it? - Bible tells us we are separated, condemned, without our sins being forgiven, we are slaves to sin. (expand be free today; remember your freedom today)
(Song) (Prayer) (Exit)