2Corinthans 1:3-7
Suffering Saints (1)
Some teach that Christians are not to suffer. Sadly, although the idea sounds
good and might make for some lofty preaching, it is not true. The Bible teaches
both by doctrine and example that God’s people will suffer - and sometimes in
great measure.
To prove that point, I give you the following examples.
1. \\#Ge 39:20-23\\ Joseph did right in refusing the advancements of a married
woman. Instead of being rewarded, he went to prison.
2. \\#Heb ll:24-26\\ Moses refused the luxury of Egypt, standing with the
Hebrews, only to have to flee and spend the next 40 years of his life in the
wilderness.
3. \\#Job 1:20-22\\ Job, called by God a perfect and upright man; yet he lost
everything and most everyone of importance in his life.
4. \\#Acts 20:22-24\\ Paul, one of God’s greatest servants, yet he was arrested
numerous times, finally by Rome, who eventually beheaded him.
5. \\#1Co 4:9-13\\ Paul describes himself and the remaining apostles as despised,
persecuted, defamed, and those who endured hunger, thirst, and nakedness.
History tells us that each of them endured those conditions until they
were martyred for the cause of Christ.
I wonder what Bible these "name it and claim it" preachers are reading? If these
great saints of God suffered, it is not too strange to imagine we will as well.
In talking with someone about their problems the other week, I made a statement
and then, as I often do, I thought about what I had said. (It would be nice if
I could ever get to the place to where I thought about sometime first, then said
it!)
But the statement I made was, "Sometimes life seems to consist of going from one
problem to another." While I don’t want to be a pessimist, I do want to say that
there is a lot of truth to that statement. I suppose the optimist way of saying
that is that life consists of going from one solution to another, but either way,
you get the thought that life has a lot of trouble and suffering in it.
Tonight and next Sunday evening, I want to bring a message to you on how to handle
suffering. The message is entitled, Suffering Saints.
Tonight, I want to give you four important truths about suffering. Next Sunday,
I want to give you some steps on how to deal with suffering.
I. Suffering comes to all.
A. The truth is that everyone suffers.
1. Walk through any hospital, nursing home, funeral home, doctor’s
office, special needs ward.
2. Tour any area after a tornado, a flood, an earthquake, or an
hurricane.
3. Study those left after any war, or severe drought, or infestation.
4. You will see young people, old people, prosperous people, poor
people, white people, black people, American, Asians, males,
females, good people, bad people, saved, and lost.
5. Jesus told us as much in several statements.
Matthew 5:45 …for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and
sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Luke 13:4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them,
think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
B. Even when it comes to spiritual trouble, everyone has more than
enough.
1. We know that the devil takes special delight in tempting and
attacking the saved.
a. It was Satan’s goal to destroy Peter.
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat:
b. May I suggest, if he can, he will destroy you too.
2. However, Satan works over the lost too.
a. There is a reason that the world is constantly filled with
every wicked device and imagination.
b. Satan is walking to and for seeking whom he may devour.
3. The truth is that no one is exempt from suffering.
C. So, if everyone is going to suffer, what is the benefit of being a
Christian?
1. God is with you.
Hebrews 13:5 … for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
2. God is making your suffering accomplish something.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
3. God will not put more on you than you can bear.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye
are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it.
II. Suffering is one of God’s means of shaping and maturing Christians.
A. There are so many lessons we can learn from problems and suffering.
1. I myself have learned most of what I know about my own pride,
about prayer, and about God’s goodness through suffering and
frustration.
2. Paul testified that he had learned through suffering.
2Cor 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of
the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of
Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made
perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in
persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I
strong.
B. Whether we like it or not, life is nothing more than a big class room.
1. Every human being is here for two reasons:
a. To make a decision.
b. To learn how to be more like Jesus.
2. The decision that we must make is whether we will trust Christ or
not.
3. Everything else that happens in this life is for the purpose of
teaching us to be more like Jesus.
a. Have you ever wondered why God left you here after you got
saved? It was so that you could learn to be more like
Jesus.
b. Have you ever wondered why God lets Satan continue his wicked
work? It is so that you can learn to be more like Jesus.
c. Have you ever wondered why God has put you into so many
difficult situations? It is so that you can learn to be
more like Jesus.
C. Both \\#Matt 14:22-33\\ and \\#Mark 6:45-51\\ tells us the story of
Jesus constraining His disciples to get into a ship and sail over
the Sea of Galilee.
1. While the disciples sailed across the sea, Jesus went up into a
mountain to pray and watch.
2. A great storm came down upon that small body of water and the
disciples rowed as hard as they could, but they could not get to
the shore.
3. The disciples rowed all night, exhausted themselves, and feared
for their very lives. I’d call that trouble.
4. Eventually, Jesus walked across the sea to carry them to the other
side.
5. What was the point? Jesus was teaching His disciples about
trusting Him not only when they could see Him but also when they
could not.
6. You say, "The disciples could not see Jesus." Yes, but Jesus
could still see them!
7. The boat, the Sea of Galilee, the shore side, the storm, the
mountain—It was all one big classroom.
8. You may have thought you finished school after the twelfth grade or
even after college, but you are still sitting in a classroom.
a. Your life is the classroom.
b. Jesus is the Teacher.
c. The pains and problems of your life is the curriculum.
d. While all of us are in different classrooms, we all have the
same Teacher and we are all studying the same material.
III. Learning takes time.
A. How sad it is that we are so slow to learn!
1. That’s not just true of me or of you. It is true of all of us.
2. The flesh just doesn’t learn very well.
a. Most of the time, we just aren’t getting it.
(1) Sometimes we are looking to the flesh when we need to be
looking to the spirit.
(2) And sometimes we are looking right at the problem and
the solution is right in front of us, but we still don’t
(or won’t) see it.
(a) I have learned that there are some things that you
just have to see. It has to click.
(b) For example - math word problems
(c) All of the explaining in the world will not make a
math word problem any simpler.
(d) And if you do finally understand that one, it won’t
help you one bit when the next one comes along.
(e) Why is that? Some things just have to click.
(3) Applying spiritual truths is like that.
(a) People just don’t get that their problem is
spiritual.
(b) A husband and wife not getting along…
a problem with rebellious teens…
financial problems…
health problems…
(c) These and many others can all be caused by spiritual
problems!
(4) The big difference between math problems and spiritual
problems is that with the Holy Spirit inside of you, you
do have Someone in you who gets it!
(5) It just takes time for us to develop that spiritual link.
b. And then, not only is it hard for us to learn, it is easy for
us to forget.
(1) If I remembered to do what I know I should do, I could
probably live the remainder of my life without sin.
(2) Rest assured. It’s not happening.
(3) Some of us live on a merry-go-round that is not so merry.
(4) We keep having to learn the same lessons over and over
again.
(5) If we had a thousand years, we might eventually learn
something and remember it!
B. This time difficulty is why God used so many in their old age.
1. Moses was eighty when God sent him to Pharaoh.
2. Abraham was seventy-five years when God first spoke to him about
leaving Ur \\#Ge 12:4\\.
3. And even when God used younger people, He often worked on them
for years before He used them.
a. Joseph is believed to have spent at least 12 years a captive.
b. David may have been as young as 12 or 13 when he was anointed
king of Israel but did not rule over the whole nation until
he was 30.
C. It takes time to mature.
1. Understand that time alone will not mature anyone.
a. We have all met wise young folk and foolish old folk.
b. However, if a person will continue to strive for God, will
continue to walk with God, in time, he can be something for
God.
2. I tell us you this so that you will understand why our problems
continue for so long.
a. I wish that our problems could be short-term.
b. I believe that is God’s preference too.
c. But if we must suffer all of our life to be conformed into the
image of our Savior, then let it be so for this is certainly
God’s plan for each of us.
IV. Suffering now entitles us to God’s comfort now and His glory in the future.
A. \\2Cor 1:4\\ Those who suffer are entitled to God’s comfort now.
1. Paul’s point to the Corinthians is that your suffering is not in
vain.
2. Paul gives two truths to these Corinthians.
a. God is comforting you now.
b. You will be able to comfort others who are suffering when your
suffering is past.
3. If you will let Him, God is comforting you now and He does care
about the pain His people endure.
Psalms 56:8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are
they not in thy book?
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his
presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare
them, and carried them all the days of old.
Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
4. In the hours of your darkest pain, if you will let Him, God will
put His arm around you and pull you close to Him and love your
wearied and bruised soul.
B. And then there is eternity.
1. Lessons are over in heaven. It will be time then for rewards.
1Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour
and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
2. Peter told his readers the battered Christian would receive three
things when they saw Jesus.
a. They will receive praise.
b. They will receive honour.
c. They will receive glory.
3. I have often wondered who will give the Christian praise in
eternity?
a. It must be the same Person who gives them honor and glory!
b. That would be Jesus Christ.
C. For those who have suffered and endured faithfully, God has a glorious
reward ahead.
1. Be patient.
2. Be strong.
3. Be faithful.
4. For God’s reward shall certainly be worth it.
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