Text: Matt 26:69-75, Acts 2:14, 23, 36, 4:13-20, 5:27-32, Title: Suffer Better, Date/Place: NRBC, 11.18.12, AM
A. Opening illustration: Young college student the other week telling me about his suffering at the hands of his
father, abuse, neglect, etc. Then he said that he thanked God for it in hindsight and wouldn’t have done it any
other way.
B. Background to passage: Marks of growing disciples: increasing ability to suffer well. So we are going to look
at Peter’s example of fear to boldness to thanksgiving.
C. Main thought: As you grow in Christ, following in His steps of suffering well will
A. Peter’s progression
1. Even though Peter’s personality was usually bold and forthright, when persecution because of Jesus
came to him personally, Satan got the upper hand. In Matt 26:69-75 Peter folds under the pressure of
identifying himself as a follower of Christ. Three times is promised onlookers that he did not know the
man. After weeping, repentance, and a seashore chat with Jesus, he was prepared for battle again. Then
in Acts 2 he preached the boldest evangelistic sermon to that date among the crowds of Jews in Jerusalem,
telling them that they were responsible for the crucifixion of the Messiah. Then several chapters later in
Acts 4, Peter told the Sanhedrin (the same body that got his Master killed) that he couldn’t help to speak of
Jesus after they threatened them and told them not to preach anymore. Then in Acts 5, after a stint in the
slammer, Peter and his buddies rejoiced that they were counted worthy to be beaten for Christ.
2. Argumentation
3. Illustration: Joseph Damien, and you’ve probably heard his story before, but it bears repeating. A Belgian
priest, he was sent in 1873 to minister to lepers in Hawaii. As soon as he arrived on Molokai, he began
trying to build friendships with the residents of the leper colony, but they rejected him. He poured himself
into this ministry, building a small chapel and holding worship services. But hardly anyone came.
After 12 long years, he gave up. While standing on the pier about to board the ship that would take him
back to Belgium, he looked down at his hands. The white spots he saw could mean only one thing. He had
contracted leprosy. So instead of going home, he returned to his work in the leper colony.
The news of the missionary’s disease spread through the community within hours, and soon the lepers-
-hundreds of them--had gathered outside his hut. They understood his pain and despair. The following
Sunday when Damien arrived at the chapel, the small building was filled to overflowing. That was the
beginning of a long and fruitful ministry.
What made the difference? Now the lepers knew that he understood their condition. There was no question
about whether he cared or not.
4. Probably need to note here that failure is not always bad. “God had another plan for Brainerd. Instead
of a quiet six years in the pastorate or in a lecture hall followed by death and little historical impact for
Christ’s Kingdom, God meant to drive him into the wilderness that he might suffer for his sake and
have an incalculable influence on the history of missions.” –Piper. But note the progression in Peter’s
life: shrinking back (denying Christ) to preaching boldly to standing up to the Sanhedrin, then finally
to rejoicing to be counted worthy to be beaten for Christ. We are all to expect suffering, persecution,
hardship, pain, difficulty, rejection, loss, attack, and tribulation, and often we cannot change it. But the
mark of a growing disciple is to have an increase in our ability to suffer well. Suffering well may be one
of the best evangelism strategies in relational evangelism. This is another reason that it is so important.
Like most things in the Christian life, growth in ability should increase. Especially with the frequency of
suffering that comes to everyone’s life, you should handle it better and better. Is your ability to suffer well
increasing?
B. Evaluation
1. As part of this series, I have been trying to help you evaluate where you are on these issues. So let’s see if
we can get a handle on how we are doing? Let’s think about the last significant trial that you have had. It
doesn’t have to be life-defining, or world altering, but it could be. Think external first. Did you sink into
a deep depression that showed forth? Now don’t read too much into this statement. Some of us are more
prone to depression, and it is not necessarily a sin, but it can become one. Did you turn within, and begin
to distance yourself from relationships? Did you stop gathering to worship with other believers? Did you
get cranky with those around you? Now think internally. Were you angry with God? Did you question
His judgment or His plan? Again, don’t read too much into this. I think it is natural and normal to do it,
so don’t feel automatic condemnation if you had a few days like this. That’s also a good evaluation point,
most of these we speak of are general patterns rather than isolated bad days. Did your discouragement
linger, or transform into self-pity? Did you seriously consider suicide, divorce, or homicide? Did you
think about quitting? Again, remember, Paul had days like this. Did it cause you to pray more or less?
Did you lose your desire for Him for an extended time? Did you begin to stop your spiritual disciplines?
One final question: is that better than the time before that? Remember we are starting where you are, and
moving forward, increasing. We should be getting better at handling bad news.
2. 2 Cor 4:7-10, 16-18
3. Illustration: “I was told that I have had a difficult life...but in reality I am thankful for the hardships that I
have had to face. I am surviving and these "strength training courses" have made me a stronger and better
person. So don't feel bad for me...I am ok!! :)” –BJ, Don’t Waste Your Cancer
4. So what do we do to foster the increase. Trust and pray, there is no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to
trust and pray. Remember that we do not “do” the Christian life on our own; it is God who works within
us to accomplish His will and His glory. Any progress you make in the faith is by grace, not works.
So don’t grit your teeth harder (although we must exhibit some determination), but faith and trust must
precede and undergird any effort that we do. So don’t just work harder, but believe better. Pray that God
would increase your faith (which by the way is directly related to your obedience and service to others,
Luke 17-1st sermon). Increase that prayer time in trials, but not just for deliverance or intercession; aim
for intimacy and insight.
5. Second thing is to drown yourself in The Good Book and good books, especially Christian biography
(Brainerd, Cowper, Bunyan, Luther, Judson, Brother Yun, Joni Erikson Tada, . Memorize scripture
regarding suffering. Spent a great deal of time in Psalms. Also try reading 1 Peter. There are many
wise things that have been written about suffering. When God Weeps, Suffering and the Sov of God,
When the Darkness Will Not Lift, When People Are Big and God is Small, even books on spiritual
warfare like The Invisible War. A place that you should go is the website story of Rachel Barkley called
deathisnotdying.com, it describes how this wife and mother of two small children embraced a five year
battle with cancer, and used it as a platform to minister more than she ever could have.
6. Be real with people and have them constantly evaluate your attitude. Your family, your church family, and
your friends need to know how you really are. Only then can they help you.
A. Closing illustration: 29 year, 5 months, 19 days, “"Why has Brainerd's life made the impact that it has?
One obvious reason is that Jonathan Edwards took the Diaries and published them as a Life of Brainerd
in 1749. But why has this book never been out of print? Why did John Wesley say, "Let every preacher
read carefully over the 'Life of Brainerd '"? Why was it written of Henry Martyn that "perusing the life
of David Brainerd, his soul was filled with a holy emulation of that extraordinary man; and after deep
consideration and fervent prayer, he was at length fixed in a resolution to imitate his example"? Why
did William Carey regard Edwards' Life of Brainerd as a sacred text? Why did Robert Morrison and
Robert McCheyne of Scotland and John Mills of America and Frederick Schwartz of Germany and David
Livingston of England and Andrew Murray of South Africa and Jim Elliot of modern America look upon
Brainerd with a kind of awe and draw power from him the way they and countless others did ? Gideon
Hawley, another missionary protégé of Jonathan Edwards spoke for hundreds when he wrote about
his struggles as a missionary in 1753, "I need, greatly need something more than humane (=human or
natural) to support me. I read my Bible and Mr. Brainerd's Life, the only books I brought with me, and
from them have a little support.”-Piper
B. "His response to me was, 'I hung on a cross; you're lying in a hospital bed.... I had nails in my hands. You
get ice chips when your mouth is dry; they gave Me sour vinegar.... You have doctors and nurses to care
for you; I had Roman soldiers to stick spears in Me.... You've got Me to cry out to and you know I love
you; and I cried out, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?' "We always look at cancer and
we say, 'Oh, what a terrible thing,'" Roger said. "I think it's one of the greatest gifts God has ever given
me, because I learned so much about God through the experience." “God can and does use weak, sick,
discouraged, beat-down, lonely, struggling saints who cry to him day and night to accomplish amazing
things for His glory.”
C. Recap
D. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
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Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
