It Will Be Worth It All

It Will Be Worth It All

Romans 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Two elderly women were out driving in a large car -- both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stop light was red, but they just went on through. The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself, “I must be losing it, but I could have sworn we just went through a red light."

2. After a few more minutes they came to another intersection, and the light was red again, and again they went right through. This time the woman in the passenger seat was almost sure the light had been red but was really very concerned that she was losing her mind. She was getting nervous and decided to pay close attention to the road and the next intersection to see what was going on.

3. At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was definitely red, and they did go right through it! She turned to the other woman and said, "Mildred! Did you know we just ran through three lights in a row? You could've killed us!" Mildred turned to her and said, "Oh, am I driving?"

B. TEXTS

1. "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Rom. 8:18

2. "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:17

C. THESIS

1. Many of us face trials and temptations that sometimes seem overwhelming. God doesn’t want our vision to grow dim, lest we yield to temporary desires.

2. I want us to look tonight at why “It will be worth it all" to surrender worldly goals and monetary gain in order to serve the kingdom of God. What can we do to help bring our suffering into proper perspective?

I. COMPARING OUR TROUBLES TO OTHERS’

“There once was an oyster whose story I tell,

Who found that sand had got under his shell;

Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain,

For oysters have feelings although they’re so plain.

Now, did he berate the working of Fate

Which had led him to such a deplorable state?

Did he curse out the Government, call for an election?

No; as he lay on the shelf, he said to himself,

"If I cannot remove it, I’ll try to improve it."

So the years rolled by as the years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny -- stew.

And this small grain of sand which had bothered him so,

Was a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow.

Now this tale has a moral -- for isn’t it grand

what an oyster can do with a morsel of sand;

What couldn’t WE DO if we’d only begin

With all of the things that get under our skin.”

A. OUR AFFLICTION IS LIGHT COMPARED TO OTHERS

1. We complain if our food isn’t tasty, but we forget the pangs of hunger millions of refugees feel every day in Darfur (Sudan) and in North Korea.

2. Some of us have minor aches and pains, but think of the many who’ve never known what it’s like to be healthy.

3. Even if we’re called to suffer pain, let us thank God that we haven’t lost our minds, like the mental patients at the State hospital at Rusk. “God, thank You that, however poor or sick I am, that You’ve allowed me to keep my sanity.”

4. How thankful we all ought to be that we are not in prison! Friends, if not for the mercy of God you and I might be wearing white ourselves!

B. OUR SUFFERING COMPARED TO THOSE IN HELL

1. “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” If the Lord had given us what we deserve, we’d be down with the rich man in Hades begging for a drop of water to cool our tongues!

2. As for our sufferings, they’re not only light, but miniscule in comparison to the damned in Hell. Be thankful that Hell is not your destination! If you’re not saved tonight, you need Jesus to save you before you leave here tonight!

C. OUR SUFFERING COMPARED TO WHAT JESUS SUFFERED

1. Do we complain about how difficult our life is? Then take a few minutes to compare it to what Jesus has suffered!

2. There’s no greater comfort for an afflicted child of God than to contemplate how terrible were the sufferings of Jesus.

a. Remembering the AGONY & BLOODY SWEAT OF GETHSEMANE have often dried up the sweat of terror upon the anguished brow of the believer.