Suffering
- Read 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
As you know, we have been going through Genesis. I was looking forward to the next couple of weeks. I was planning on preaching 4 sermons around the life of Abraham. I dug books out of my library. I ordered one, I thought I had and couldn’t find. I went to Georgia this week for a conference and on the way through town, even went by my brother’s house and stole a book I had given him that had information on Abraham. I was looking forward to this morning and the next couple of weeks. Then Thursday came.
Late Thursday morning I got a phone call from Connie, telling me that my friend, Jessie Whitten, her husband, a member of FBC Lake Monroe, had died. My plans changed.
Mr. Jessie was a graduate of West Point, the Army military academy. I sometimes listen to Family Comedy on Sirius Radio, and there is a comedian on there who jokes that he attended West Point for 1 year. It is supposed to be a 4-year program, where you cannot buy admission. It is tough.
After graduating from West Point, Jessie went to flight school, where he learned to fly fixed-wing aircraft, and he was shipped off to Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he flew low-altitude, night reconnaissance missions, trying to figure out where the bad guys were. In addition to having to worry about the weather, and the night vision limitations, and the low altitude; there were many nights when he would return to the base with bullet holes in his aircraft. He flew so low doing recon and taking pictures, that it was almost possible for farmers to damage his airplane with pitchforks. There were times he was sent out in his low altitude prop plane, to fire rockets to mark the location of the bad guys, so fast-flying jets, that no one could see in the dark, could come and bomb.
After Vietnam, Mr. Jessie came back to the states, where he qualified for rotary-wing aircraft. In other words, he learned to fly helicopters. He served in the army reserve until he retired. Then he worked as an engineer for a number of small Texas towns, who couldn’t afford their own engineers, until he retired a second time.
Jessie, married and divorced, met a lady on-line named Connie. They conversed back and forth for a while. Imagine her surprise when he called her one day and asked where she was. She told him, and he told her that he had driven from Texas to Debary to meet her. They met, dated, and they got married.
Jessie had known the Lord as a child, but had gotten away from him as he grew up. I’m not sure if it was in Texas, or when he was in Debary, but he decided that he and the Lord needed to get back together. Jessie started walking with the Lord again, and somehow, by the Lord’s direction, he ended up at Lake Monroe.
Over the past several years, I have gotten to know Connie, Jessie’s wife; but even more, I have gotten to know Jessie. Jessie and I share an attraction to Louis L’amore, a western writer. Jessie owned the whole collection of Louis L’amore books, leather-bound, that he would lend me as I finished them.
He had a few guns, he brought and showed me. I admit, I liked them. The greatest thing Jessie and I shared, however, was a love for the Lord, and a love for each other. I respected the heck out of the man; and even more, I loved him.
Shortly after he started attending the church, he started telling me he loved me. Now, I’m not very demonstrative, especially in public. I love Gladys, but it was only after we were married several years, that a youth caught me squeezing Gladys’ backside as Gladys got onto the church van. We Gregorys aren’t known for our public displays of affection.
Jessie started telling me he “loved me”, each week as he would leave church. At first I didn’t say anything but, “Thank you.” After a while I started telling this war-hardened, Vietnam vet, “you too.” Eventually I started saying, “I love you.” What a difference that makes. In this society, in this country, at this time, a Florida cracker, an Enterprise redneck and this Vietnam vet, standing near the door to the church each week, looking at each other and saying, “I love you”, to one another.
But, I believe that’s the way it’s supposed to be in the church. When you can find acceptance, admiration, and affection no where else, you should be able to find it in the church.
In our world, and in our country, and sadly, in many of our churches, there is so much anger, and bitterness, and vitriol. Is that what Jesus said we would be known for? Anger? Bitterness? Hatred? Daniel served in Babylon, after having been taken from his homeland, many of his people having been killed, and he wasn’t known for his anger. Paul served during the reign of Nero, yet he wasn’t known for his anger and bitterness. As a matter-of-fact, it was Paul who wrote, in Romans 13:
> Romans 13:1-10 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Love Fulfills the Law Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[a] and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Love is the fulfillment of the law.
No. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you. You are to love one another as I have loved you. By this may all men know that you are My disciple, that you have love one for another.”
I got word this past Thursday, that Jessie had died. I have lost my friend. Immediately after receiving word that my friend had died, the Lord brought this passage to mind.
In verse 7 we read, “We have this treasure in clay jars”. In other words, I would like you notice with me this morning, the frailty of life.
I. THE FRAiLTY OF LIFE
We hold this treasure in clay jars.
Oh my friend, in the history of the world, has there ever been anything like the past 18 months, to remind us that the lives we live, are in clay jars? Has there ever been, anything to remind us of the frailty, the temporary nature of life, like the past 18 months?
It seems that every day we wake up to counts of how many people have died in the past 24 hours, in the past week, in the past month, or a count of how many people have died since Covid began. We wake up to reports of over-flowing hospitals, and children’s ICU wards filled to over-flowing.
Every day we are reminded of the temporary nature of life, and we are reminded of how little control we have over the outcome or the timing.
Yesterday morning, I had breakfast with my mother and my uncle at the Waffle House, in Dinsmore, a community in Jacksonville, Florida.
While I was waiting on my mother so we could leave, I met an elderly black gentleman sitting in a chair outside the Waffle House. He was wearing an “Airborne” ball cap. I said, “You were airborne”? He answered, “Yes.” I said, “Thank you for your service.” I asked, “When?” He said, “’52 to ’73.”
We got to talking. After talking for several minutes he found out I haven’t been vaccinated.” He said, “You’re standing that close to me and you haven’t been vaccinated?”
Now, mind you, Gladys and I have both recently had that stupid bug. Yesterday I heard about a study that just came out of Israel. They studied 700,000 people and discovered that folks who have had the bug, are 13 times better protected than those who have only been vaccinated, and that those who have had the bug, receive only minimum additional protection if they are vaccinated.
But here is this gentleman, airborne, he saw combat in Korea, when our troops nearly froze to death, and many came back with combat and frostbite injuries, and he saw combat in Vietnam, where our troops were more likely to have heat stroke; and yet this bug has reminded him of the frailty of life. We hold this treasure in clay jars. We never know when or how, that jar will be cracked, when or how that jar will be broken and the life we have clung to so dearly will escape.
Just last week, a company I do work for told me they had some used lumber they wanted to donate to me. I went to Longwood pick it up. Come to find out, the lumber they wanted to give me, came from a warehouse and showroom they were remodeling. The man who had been renting the building for the past 15 years for a screen printing shop, a man younger than I am, had recently had a stroke and had died. They were remodeling the unit for the next tenant.
The frailty of life. We hold this life in clay jars and we never know when it is going to crack. We never know when it is going to end.
This past Memorial Day, Pam’s daughter came and brought her children. It was good visiting with them. Before they moved a way, the children used to come to Mission Possible Camp.
Anyway, Pam’s daughter brought a friend and after a few minutes I recognized her as well. That young lady had 2 boys we used to pick up with the bus and bring to Mission Possible Camp. 5 Years ago, I preached the funeral for her oldest son, a young boy, who had been killed after a relative backed over him in their driveway; a young boy, younger than 10, now gone.
Those marines and the navy corpsman who were just killed in Kabal. Their average age was 20. Younger than my son. Younger than Tom’s son. Younger than most of your children. Young men who had dreams, and plans, and hopes, and families. Now gone.
Oh my friend, the lives we live are fragile. They are treasures held in clay jars. We never know when they are going to end.
In this passage we not only see the frailty of life, but we also see the certainty of suffering. Look there again please at verse 8.
II. THE CERTAINTY OF SUFFERING
- Vvs 8-9
Paul says in these verses, “We are afflicted, we are perplexed, we are persecuted, and we are struck down.”
In other words, Paul says, we have had some suffering. If there was ever an understatement that’s it. Do you remember in 2 Corinthians 11, when Paul talked about the suffering he endured?
> 2 Corinthians 11:21-29 Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
My word. This is the Apostle Paul. The man the Lord used to plant churches throughout the Gentile world. The man the Lord used to write more than 1/4 of the New Testament, and he says he had issues.
I am afraid that sometimes we get the idea that when you become a follower of Jesus Christ, that the pain, and heart ache, and suffering is going to go away. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything the suffering increases when you become a follower of Jesus Christ, because you have even more concerns.
I told ya’ll, back when we were doing our “Who’s your one” emphasis, about man I knew who had a lot of questionable bumper stickers on his truck. He had one that said, “The only wall we need to build is one between church and state.” He had another one that read, “I’m not afraid of hell.” On and on.
I’ve been praying for him. His name is Bill and I’d appreciate it if you would pray for him as well.
2 weeks ago I met with a man I work with who also works with Bill. He said that Bill had become even more bitter, and that it was grieving him because his friend was lost.
When you become a follower of Jesus Christ, your troubles don’t go away, they increase, for you will will begin to have issues with people because you are a believer, but you will also have issues because you begin to care for people who are lost and you want to see them saved.
Do you remember what Jesus did when He looked out over Jerusalem? He wept. He cried, “Jerusalem, ye city that have martyred the prophets, how I have longed to draw you to My side as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not.
You become a follower of Jesus, your suffering doesn’t go away. It increases.
Notice what Paul says in verse 8.
We are perplexed.
Paul says, “Lord, we don’t understand. You are God. You are all powerful. You can do anything. Why do you let these things happen? Lord, we are perplexed. We do not understand.
III. CHRISTIAN’S REACTION IN SUFFERING
- Read vvs 7-9
We are this, but we are not this . . .
We haven’t quit. We haven’t thrown in the towel. We haven’t given up.
We may be suffering. We may not understand, but we’re in it for the long haul. . . .
Why?
IV. THE CHRISTIAN’S STRENGTH IN SUFFERING
- vvs 7,
We have the extra ordinary power of God in us, in these clay jars.
How do we go on? We have Jesus in us. We have something in us other people do not have. We have Jesus in us.
It is Jesus who gives us the power to turn the other cheek when we want to bust their lip. It is Jesus who gives us the power to overlook an offense. It is Jesus who gives us the strength to go the extra mile.
That is why it is so important that you spend time with the Lord every day.
V. THE REWARD FOR SUFFERING
- 14-18
The outward person is being destroyed, but the inward one is being built.
We spend too much time worrying about the outside, and not enough time worrying about the inside.
Volk shop in Sanford. No brakes. No clutch, but he wanted a sound system installed.
This clay jar is leaving. It’s only what’s inside that going to last.
VI. THE REASON FOR SUFFERING
- v 15
So that God may receive glory
We have forgotten what all of this is for. It is for God’s glory.
What is the chief end of man?
Westminister Catechism,
Man's chief end is to glorify God 1, and to enjoy Him for ever.
To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
1. Glorify God - Living a life that brings glory to God.
2. Enjoy Him forever - Salvation
