Purpose: To describe all the benefits that suffering can produce.
Aim: I want the listener to view suffering as a gift from God.
INTRODUCTION: Last week we focused on the depths of Christ's suffering on the Cross. Today we are going to explore the suffering that you and I face and the connection there is between our suffering and our joy.
Our challenge is to think more like God thinks: Isaiah 55:8--9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." (NAS)
What did the 16th century church leader John Calvin mean when he said: "You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy"?
Our human thinking never views our personal suffering as a way to bring joy. In fact, suffering threatens to tear down the faith we do have in God's love for us. How many of us have experienced excruciating pain--whether physical or emotional--and wondered (maybe even out loud) how could God allow such pain and still love us? Even David struggled with this question in Psalm 13:1: How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (NAS)
The answer lies in understanding how God works out His good plan for our lives. Paul said that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28 NAS), so how does God do that?
The answer is through suffering, but one of the biggest mistakes we can make is to look for ways to numb the pain that suffering brings. When life gets painful the only answer the world has to offer is to deadened the pain. That can be done through drugs, entertainment, or powerful distractions like working harder or thrill seeking.
Dr. Ed Welch warns us against turning to drugs--legal or illegal--to lessen our pain because, "...psychiatric medications could numb us to the refining benefits of suffering. There is a worthwhile point here. Although it may sound strange or even unloving to those who don't share a biblical position, there can be real benefits from having our faith tested and strengthened through trials." [1]
If that is true, then how does God use suffering to bring us joy? Let's take the next few minutes to explore nine ways that suffering leads us to joy.
Rom. 5:12 I. Suffering Helps us to Hate Sin
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (NAS)
The immediate cause of all suffering is sin. Before Adam and Eve fell into sin they experienced no suffering. Death and suffering began with Adam's sin and continues today because of our sin.
Sin is what caused the curse: Genesis 3:16--19 To the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face You will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, And to dust you shall return." (NAS)
Paul also said that creation is suffering because of sin. Romans 8:20--22 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (NAS) We can hear creation's groans in an earth quake or see creation's groans in a hurricane.
Every time we see a disaster or experience pain it should remind us of the awfulness of sin and our need of a Savior to rescue us from it.
1 Pet.1:6-8 II. Suffering Assures us of our Salvation
1 Peter 1:6--8 In this [the joy of one day being with Christ] you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 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; and though you have not seen Him,#1 you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but #2 believe in Him, #3 you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (NAS)
Peter explains that trials prove that we are Christians and they will bring Christ great glory IF we continue to #1 love Him, #2 believe in Him, and #3 rejoice in Him.
"That which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God; our suffering has meaning and purpose in God's eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good." Jerry Bridges [2]
When the joy of forgiveness outweighs our temporary discomfort that proves that our hearts have been transformed by grace.
Sometimes God makes life harder in order to teach us how to live joyfully. Hebrews 12:5--8 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (NAS) Hebrews 12:11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (NAS)
2 Thess. 1:4-5 III. Suffering Allows us to Display our Love for Christ
Sometimes God allows others to make our lives difficult so that we can display our love for Christ to them. 2 Thessalonians 1:4--5 therefore, we ourselves 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 endure. This is a plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering. (NAS)
Others will know that we really love what Christ did for us on the Cross when we still love Him when other blessings are withdrawn.
If we only love Christ when life is easy then we are only doing what any unsaved person can do. Worldly people can rejoice when life is easy; believers, though, have all the resources needed in order to rejoice when life is hard.
James 1:2-4 IV. Suffering Produces Staying Power
James 1:2--4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NAS)
We all have our ups and downs as Christians. Our desire is to be more consistent in our love for the Lord and our love for others, but how can we do that? The answer comes through suffering.
Charles Spurgeon said: "Those who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls."
James encourages us: James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (NAS)
We should see suffering as a pathway to a consistent walk with Christ.
2 Cor. 1:9 V. Suffering Corrects our Priorities
Paul understood why he endured so much suffering: 2 Corinthians 1:9 indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; (NAS)
Prosperity is a potential trap. Deuteronomy 6:10--13 "Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land ... to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied, then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. (NAS)
When we continue to trust the Lord during hardships then we will learn that God is still good: 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. (NAS)
"But pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." C.S. Lewis
1 Thess. 1:6-7 VI. Suffering Encourages other Believers
In suffering we band together and bond together. 1 Thessalonians 1:6--7 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. (NAS)
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (NAS)
1 Corinthians 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. (NAS)
Philippians 1:12--14 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that #1 my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and #2 that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. (NAS)
If we do NOT endure suffering with joy we could be leading other believers into discouragement.
2 Cor. 1:3-4 VII. Suffering Teaches us how to help other Believers
2 Corinthians 1:3--4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (NAS)
The best person to encourage you is someone who has learned how to remain joyful during a similar trial that you are experiencing.
Phil.3:8, 10 VIII. Suffering Brings us Closer to Christ
Philippians 3:8, 10 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; (NAS)
Galatians 6:17 From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. (NAS)
Matt. 5:11-12 IX. Suffering Increases our Enjoyment of Heaven
Matthew 5:11--12 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NAS)
Romans 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. (NAS)
1 Peter 4:13 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. (NAS)
2 Corinthians 4:17--18 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (NAS)
CONCLUSION: "What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them. We must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly." A.W. Tozer
The suffering that Jesus sends to His followers is always for the best.
John Piper: "Joy in God in the midst of suffering makes the worth of God -- the all-satisfying glory of God -- shine more brightly than it would through our joy at any other time. Sunshine happiness signals the value of sunshine. But happiness in suffering signals the value of God." [3]
How much do you value God?
[1]
[2]Trusting God by Jerry Bridges, 1988, p. 32.
[3]Feed My Sheep, ed. Don Kistler, Soli Deo Gloria Ministries, 2002, p. 256.
