SUFFERING
2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10
Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations [vs. 1-6], for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me – to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. [NASB]
INTRODUCTION
The context surrounding this text finds Paul defending himself as being a legitimate Apostle before the Corinthian church. In this defense, we see Paul bragging about just who he was and his qualifications as an Apostle. And as a part of this boasting, Paul spoke of his vision and revelations he partook of in the third heaven. Because of this vision and revelation, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment him – to keep Paul from exalting himself. Due to this, Paul sought the Lord three times to remove it and was told that the Lord’s grace was quite sufficient for Paul. Consequently Paul states how he has learned to rely on Christ instead of himself.
1. What of us today?
Are we like Paul, here in our text, suffering from some calamity over which we cannot escape?
Are we crying out to the Lord, “Take away this physical pain & suffering; take away my soul’s heartache; take away this misery that has surrounded me – Oh Lord, I beseech you, take it away!”
No normal person enjoys pain and suffering – no matter what type it is:
▪ Physical - Sometimes our bodies just wear out and we suffer physical inabilities.
▪ Mental – Sometimes occurrences take place which never fade into obscurity.
▪ Emotional – Sometimes scars are etched for a lifetime and never smooth over.
▪ Spiritual – Sometimes memories of past actions haunt us and never relent.
There are times that no matter what we do or what someone has done for us can we find relief.
When this happens to us we can be like those of Israel of old and end up murmuring against God (Exodus 15:24; 16:2 & 12; 17:3) when things are not going our way or we can become like Paul here in our text and learn to be content trusting the Lord, no matter the weakness (vs. 10).
2. Cause of Suffering
Ultimately – Part of the curse from the fall – Genesis 3:17-19.
۰ When God created the heavens & the earth and all things pertaining to them, He pronounced them good –
Genesis 1:1-2:3
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good … He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
۰ Through Adam’s sin all was cursed –
Romans 8:20-23a
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope and 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. And not only this, but also we ourselves …”
Romans 5:12
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned -”
** Whether your suffering is heartache or a heart attack, pain of grief or groaning from pain – whatever the source of your suffering, it is something that we all become partakers of through out our lives.
3. Purpose of Suffering
۰ Result for Sin
Numbers 12:1-15
“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses … And the Lord heard it … So the anger of the Lord burned against them and He departed. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold Miriam was leprous … Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us” … Moses cried out to the Lord … But the Lord said to Moses … So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days …”
1 Corinthians 11:27-30
“Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.”
** How many of us are today paying for the results of sin in our lives? We satisfy our every desire in life and then when the consequences come we ask. “Why me Lord, what have I done to deserve this?”
۰ Discipline of a Loving Father
Hebrews 12:5b-11
“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. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they discipline us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for good, so that we may share His holiness.”
** Break the rules of the house – discipline in love corrects and prevents it from happening again. This is true whether earthly or heavenly.
۰ To Display the Works of God
John 9:1-38
“As He [Jesus] passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him …”
John 11:1-4
“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha ... So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.’ But when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
** God sometimes displays His grace by healing when nothing on this earth can explain why. Such miracles cause doctors to become befuddled, scientists to be amazed, and Christians to rejoice.
۰ To Test Our Faith
Job 1:8 & 2:3
“The Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil.”
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.”
1 Peter 1:6-7
“In this [born again – vs. 3-5] 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.”
** The sufferings of this life are nothing compared to the glories that we will participate in and behold when we are in heaven. By faith we do not look to this temporal time, but we keep our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith – Hebrews 12:2.
۰ To Witness to Others
Philippians 2:14-15
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.”
** Everyone suffers calamities. It doesn’t matter if it is sickness or hardship we all have our problems in life. Therefore, as believers, when we are suffering, the way we handle it speaks volumes to others around us of our faith in a sovereign God who allows situations to come into our lives – Romans 8:28.
CONCLUSION
Are you suffering today?
Physically – Run to Jesus Christ, He is the great Physician (Luke 5:31).
Mentally – Run to Jesus Christ, He knows the thoughts of all men (Luke 5:22).
Emotionally – Run to Jesus Christ, He knows the depths of anguish (John 11:35).
Spiritually – Run to Jesus Christ, He knows the despair of souls (Hebrews 7:25).
John 6:35 & 37b
“Jesus said … ‘I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he believeth on me shall never thirst … him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” [KJV].
What hinders you from coming today?
Bruce Allen
Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church
bea0210@hotmail.com
August 17, 2003
