Finding Strength in Times of Suffering
I Peter 4:12-16
A year ago on September 11th every American was in a state of shock when war came to America in the form of the Terrorist Attacks on the World Trade Center. Since then many individuals and families have suffered and grieved due to the loss of thousands of lives. How due you deal with war and times of trauma in life? How do you find strength in times of suffering?
Peter gives several teachings on the subject of Christians who suffer.
I. Don’t Be Surprised at Suffering - I Peter 4:12
James 1:2-8
John 16:33
To understand suffering you need an adequate view of God and His creation.
God is our creator. God is not limited to time or space. God is Love and in Him is a complete absence of evil. Ever since the beginning of creation when Adam and Eve disobeyed God the human race has been permanently infected with a tendency toward sin and rebellion.
God in love gave humankind the gift of free will. Every person created by God has the ability to choose their eternal destiny. Free will means that God will not force you to go against your will or force you to follow Him.
God created the first family – Adam and Eve and they had two sons, Cain and Able. Because of free will God did not intervene when Cain murdered his brother Able.
As residents living in a Fallen World we have to adapt to a world in rebellion against God.
Human Suffering is the result of living in a sinful world.
Last Sunday evening I concluded the study of the book of Revelation. The risen Lord gave John a vision of the end times. Do you want to know how human history ends? Read Revelation. Revelation gives an explanation for evil and suffering in this present world.
Rev. 12:7-12
Prior to the creation of the first family, Adam and Eve, there was war in heaven. Lucifer- Archangel like Michael – was not satisfied to be under the authority of God, his creator. Lucifer want to be like God and in control of the entire creation of God.
Lucifer – Ancient Serpent – was present in the Garden of Eden and tempted Adam and Eve to disobey their God. The first family yielded to the Serpent’s temptation and disobeyed God and sin entered into the human race. Since the creation of humankind, Satan, the devil, has been creating havoc and turmoil on earth. Satan is the god of this world.
Satan’s time is short. A day is coming when he will be sealed in the pit of Hell forever and ever. Hell was created for Satan and his demons angels. The devil knows his doom and destiny is sealed.
As long as we are living in our human physical body we will be under the attacks of Satan. We will experience pain and suffering, but a day is coming when God will give us a new spiritual body that will be like the resurrected body of Jesus and we will suffer no more. There will be no more pain or sorrow or heartache.
We are to expect suffering in this world. (John 16:33) But I am the first to admit that there is a mystery about suffering.
I don’t know why my mother died at an early age of 62? I know she is with the Lord but she didn’t have the opportunity to get to know her 13 grand children. Her vital faith continues to be an encouragement to me.
I don’t know why a pastor friend, Mendal Daningburg at the age of 37 was struck with cancer. We were studying together at Asbury Seminary for our Doctor of Ministry. From time to time early in the morning we would play racquet ball and in the afternoon after classes play tennis. On occasion Mendal said he had a heavy feeling in his chest. Later that year the doctors found a large tumor that was cancerous. He died the following year and left a wife and two children and the Fredonia, NY FMC without a pastor.
Years later I worked with his son in several times of training. His son is now serving as a Free Methodist Pastor in NY.
There is a mystery to suffering but we know that God understands suffering and pain. Jesus experienced suffering and pain beyond human understanding when he died for our sins and took on himself the sins of the world. Through His shed blood we are forgiven of sin an set free from the bondage of Satan’s grip and have the hope of eternal life and a day when all suffering and pain will be over.
When Peter wrote that Christians can expect to suffer for the cause of Christ he knew what he was talking about. He saw firsthand what happened to Jesus: how he had been arrested, convicted, mocked, beaten, and put to death. He and the others knew that because of Jesus’ name, they could expect the same kind of treatment from the world! Yet, they also saw Jesus rise from the dead and ascended into heaven, so they stood up boldly and testified to the entire world. They weren’t afraid of those who could hurt the body. They rejoiced in their suffering and trusted in God. With this attitude, Peter was inspired by God to write the words we read today. First Peter was intended to be circulated among several different churches: some would only experience persecution in the future, some were just beginning to experience persecution, and some were already right in the middle of it.
As a Christian don’t be surprised when suffering comes your way.
The Apostle Peter gives a second teaching in this passage:
II. When you suffer Your participate in Christ’s Suffering – I Peter 4:13
Not all suffering participates in Christ’s suffering.
There are some who say that for the Christian all suffering comes from God. They say God is in everything that happens. But, just because God is all knowing doesn’t mean that God causes every pain.
As Christians we don’t believe or sing: “What will be will be, the future’s not ours to see.” That attitude of fatalism is not part of God plan.
Say you walk across Meridian on your way to church and get run over by a car. Like a cartoon figure you jump up and brush yourself off and say, “Thanks I needed that. I’m glad that’s over.”
The belief that says, “When your number is up, it’s up. Wherever you are when it’s your time to go – you’re gone.” Everything in the universe is controlled by some unknown source. You have no choice in the matter of your life or death.
God gives everyone the freedom to choose – freedom to abuse your body and die prematurely; Freedom to walk across the road and get hit by a drunk driver. God is not to blame. The Drunk Driver chose to get drunk and you happened to be in his way.
Rather than blame God you jump up and brush off the tire marks and say: “How stupid of me not to watch where I’m going. Part of the responsibility is mine. I should have looked.” Much of the suffering that people go through is of their own doing.
It’s not God’s will for unborn babies that have not choice to be aborted and die.
You might ask: “But what about Romans 8:28 that says, ‘All things work together for good?” I like the commentary by David Augsburger on this verse: “All things work together – in everything – what ever may come – whenever we may choose, however it may occur. God works for good with those who love Him and answer to His call to order their lives according to His purpose. That is not a guarantee that nothing will happen to us but what is going to produce good in the end. It is a promise that God can work good out of anything that happens to us if we ask, ‘How can this difficulty be turned into a new opportunity, how fan this weakness become a strength, how can this tragedy turn to triumph?”
In every time of suffering we participate in the purpose of becoming more like Jesus.
Jesus Christ was tempted and He suffered in all ways like us so that we could be confident that He can identify with our struggles. This life is not the way God intended. God indeed knew beforehand that this world would fall to sin, but that does not mean that He desired it to be corrupted by sin. The Bible tells us that suffering, sickness and death are the results of sin.
God did not give us cut and dried rules for human suffering. You do have the promise that God is with you in every situation and God can bring good out of evil. God give you hope to look beyond the suffering to a better day. Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Because of Christ love for us and because he suffered on the cross for each of us, we should return our love to the Lord by living and following Him regardless of the challenges and hurdles we have to make.
Keith Leenhouts in his book, “A Father, A son…and a Three Mile Run” tells the story of a father and son’s love. Jerry, the son, was attending a small university. He loved football and during his four years he never missed a practice. In spite of his love for football Jerry couldn’t make the varsity starting team. He just occasionally would get to go in as a substitute.
The coach admired Jerry’s loyalty to the team and also marveled at his love for his father. The coach had observed Jerry and his father walking together around the campus on many occasions. But the coach had never met the father or talked with Jerry about him.
During Jerry’s senior year and a few nights before the most important gave of the season – one like Stanford against Berkley – in intensity – Jerry knocked at the coach’s door. When the coach opened the door he saw Jerry with tears in his eyes. “Coach, my father just died. Is it all right if I miss practice for a few days and go home?”
The coach said he was very sorry to hear the news and Jerry was free to go home and not hurry back. If he missed the game he would understand.
But on Friday night, the night of the big game, Jerry was back and stood in the coach’s doorway. “Coach, I’m back and I have one request. May I please start the game tomorrow?”
The coach tired to tell Jerry the importance of the game, but Jerry was relentless in his request and so the Coach finally consented against his better judgment. The coach had visions of Jerry in the game, fumbling and lousing up plays. The opposing team was favored to sin. The coach needed the best players the entire game. He wished he had not consented to let Jerry start the game, but he had promised.
The time for the game approached. Jerry stood at the goal line awaiting the opening kick-off. The coach thought, “the ball probably won’t go to him anyway. Then his team could run a series of plays using other halfbacks and then take Jerry out of the game.
The ball was kicked off and “Oh no” the coach groaned. It floated end over end right into Jerry’s arms. The coach closed his eyes –it would be a sure fumble—but instead of fumbling, as the coach expected, Jerry hugged the ball tightly, dodged three onrushing defenders and raced to middle field before he was finally tacked.
The coach had never seen Jerry un with such agility and power. The next play Jerry ran for another twenty yards. Several plays later he carried the ball across the goal line. The favored team was stunned. Who was this kid? He wasn’t even in the scouting reports. Jerry was a real inspiration to his team. At halftime the team was two touchdowns ahead. When the final gun sounded Jerry’s team had won.
In the locker room the players were ecstatic. The coach went to Jerry only to find him sitting quietly with his head in his hands. “Son, what happened out there? You played better than I have ever seen you play. What happened to you?
Jerry looked up at the coach and said softly, “You see, coach, my father died and he was blind. This is the first game he ever saw me play.”
Whether or not Jerry’s father could actually see him or not Jerry was motivated to give his best. We know that Jesus sees our every move and knows our every thought. We should be motivated to give Jesus our best and know that when we suffer Jesus understands our suffering.
III. Make Sure You Suffer According to God’s Will – I Peter 4:14
I Peter 1:14-16
Anytime a person suffers for the cause of Christ we know that person is suffering according to God’s will.
Christians in China are persecuted for their Christian faith. When eight from our Church took a trip to Hong Kong and China two years ago we met Samuel Lamb, pastor of a house church. He had spent twenty plus years in prison for preaching the gospel. When he went to prison there were a couple hundred people in his church. When he got out of prison there were 2,000 attending his house church. His house church has three floors and holds 500 people and they hold four services a week. Pastor Samuel Lamb said, persecution is good.
Jesus said that in this world you will have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer He has overcome the world and he will give you inner peace when surrounded by strife and turmoil. It is often in times of testing and struggle that you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. One famous writer was asked the secret to his success. He replied, “The rubber eraser on the end of my pencil.”
Resistance is often a blessing. Without resistance some things would not operate. Have you ever tried to fly a kite on a windless day? It’s resistance that causes the kite to soar to the heights.
#There is the fable of an old grandfather clock that had stood for several generations. No one knew just how old it was, but there it stood faithfully ticking off the seconds, minutes and hours in that old, old house. Instead of a mainspring to keep it going, there was a heavy weight that had to be pulled to the top occasionally. One day a kindly man looked a the clock and thought: “What a pity, that such a very old clock should have to carry that ponderous weight. So he took it off the chain, and immediately the old clock stopped running.
“Why did you take off my weight?” the clock asked. “Because I wanted to make it easier for you to run,” the kind man replied. “Please put it back,” the clock pleaded. “Without it I cannot run at all.”
The Apostle Paul encouraged Christians to stay true to the Lord even during times of suffering. As Paul said to Christians going through suffering he would also say to you: “When you are about ready to call it quits and give up, remember me…remember my sufferings, what I have gone through for the cause of Christ, beaten, imprisoned, stoned and left for dead, and shipwrecked. I am staying true to the Lord, I have joy in my sufferings.
Hawa Ahmed was a Muslim student in North Africa. One day, she read a Christian tract in her dormitory and decided to become a Christian. Her father was an Emir (Islamic ruler), so she expected to lose her inheritance because of her conversion. She was completely unprepared for what happened. When she told her family she had become a Christian and changed her name to Faith, her father exploded in rage. Her father and brothers stripped her naked and bound her to a chair fixed to a metal plate with which they wanted to electrocute her. Faith asked them to at least lay a Bible in her lap. Her father responded, "If you want to die together with your false religion, so be it." One of her brothers added, "That will show that your religion is powerless." Although they had bound her, she was able to touch a corner of the Bible. She felt a strange peace, as though someone were standing beside her. Her father and brothers pushed the plug into the socket—and nothing happened. They tried four times with various cables, but it was as though the electricity refused to flow. Finally her father, angry and frustrated, hit her and screamed, "You are no longer my daughter."
Then he threw her into the street, naked. She ran through the streets, humiliated and in pain. People looked at her, curious rather than shocked. Shaking and tearful, she ran to a friend. Her friend let her in, clothed her, and gave her shelter. The next day, her friend asked neighbors what they had thought when they had seen Faith running naked through the streets. "What are you talking about?" they asked. "The girl had a wonderful white dress on. We asked ourselves why someone so beautifully clothed had to run through the streets." God had hidden her nakedness from their eyes, clothing her in a beautiful white dress. Today, Faith is a full-time evangelist with Every Home for Christ.
Some of you have recently purchased the book by Lisa Beamer titled, “Let’s Roll.” These were the last words spoken by Todd beamer before meeting his Lord on September 11th, 2001. His last know action was helping lead a passenger revolt against terrorists that hijacked United Flight 93 that was headed for Washington, D.C., probably to hit the White House.
In her book Lisa Beamer tells how she handled the news of her husbands death. She said she felt as though time had come to an abrupt halt, and she no longer existed. She was numb and for days struggled to deal with the shock. She writes: “And yet in that dark moment of my soul, I first cried out to God. I knew without a doubt that my hope wasn’t based on Todd or any other human being. Nor was it based even on life itself, when I got right down to it. My faith wasn’t rooted in governments, religion, tall buildings, or frail people. Instead, my faith and my security were in God.”
You really don’t know how you will handle suffering and tragedy until it happens to you – personal suffering, death of a loved one, a national tragedy. You can do as Peter says in I Peter 4:19, “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
Closing Chorus: “Through It All”
