Transcript Slide 1

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 –
– 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's
power may rest on me. 10That is why, for
Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.
• World's Way......
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God's Way.....
Live for today.............................Live for the Great Day
Follow your heart.......................Obey the Word
Put yourself first.........................First will be last
Seek to be served......................Live to serve others
Be Happy!..................................Be Holy !
Career first.................................Live for the glory of God
Love your own…………………..Love your enemies
Seek material things……………Seek first the kingdom
Hope for Those Who
Suffer
www.suffering.net
1. The Gospel and Suffering
2. A Biblical Response to
Suffering
The Gospel and Suffering ….5 Points….
1. God did not create suffering, evil and death
2. Even though suffering is never good, God can and
does use it to accomplish good
3. We decide whether suffering in this life will harden
us or soften us
4. Any suffering we experience in this life will pale in
comparison to what God has in store for His
followers
5. The day is coming when suffering will be ceased
and evil will be judged
Lee Strobel
1. God did not create
suffering, evil and death
• The source of evil is not God’s power but
mankind’s freedom to choose sin!
• You can’t have a world where there’s real
choice, while at the same time no possibility for
man to choose evil.
God is sovereign over evil…
• Acts 2:23
23This man was handed over to you by God's set
purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of
wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
• Acts 4:27-28
27Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the
Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire
against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
28They did what your power and will had decided
beforehand should happen.
Sovereignty of God
Child of God, never forget this…..
All that you are suffering of any
sort or kind, comes to you from
the Divine hand.
Charles Spurgeon
Sovereignty of God
Nothing happens unless
the Omnipotent wills it to
happen; He either permits
it to happen, or He brings
it about Himself.
Augustine
Sovereignty of God
The sovereignty of God is the one
impregnable rock to which the suffering
human heart must cling. The
circumstances surrounding our lives are
no accident: they may be the work of
evil, but that evil is held firmly within the
mighty hand of our sovereign God.
Margaret Clarkson
2. God can and does
use suffering to
accomplish good
The Cross
The very triumphs of His foes he
used for their defeat. He compelled
their dark achievements to sub
serve His ends, not theirs. They
nailed Him to a tree, not knowing
that by that very act they were
bringing the world to His feet. They
gave Him a cross, not guessing
that He would make it a throne.
James Stewart, Scottish Theologian
The Cross
When NT writers speak of hard times, they
express none of the indignation that
characterized Job, the prophets and many
of the psalmists. They offer no real
explanation for suffering, but keep pointing
to 2 events - the death and resurrection of
Jesus.....
Yancey
And we know that in all things
God works for the good of
those who love him, who
have been called according
to his purpose.
Rom 8:28
• The most important message is that God
has a tremendous purpose for the
suffering that you are going through right
now;
– If you don’t see the purpose now – that’s
ok – you’re not God
• God deserves our trust………….
A Biblical Response to Suffering……Step A
TRUST
3. We decide whether
pain in this life is going
to harden or soften us
In our lives – will suffering be
a stepping stone or a
stumbling block to our faith?
We decide…….
In times of trouble say :
First - He brought me here; it is by His will
that I am in this difficult place; in that I
will rest.
Next - He will keep me here in His love,
and give me grace in this trial to behave
as His child
Then - He will make the trial a blessing,
teaching me the lessons he intends me
to learn, and working in me the grace
He means to bestow
Last - In His good time He can bring me
out again - how and when He knows.
Can you see ANY WAY
God can take that pain in
your life and make
something good out of it ?
Suffering, with dignity, may
enable you to mark more lives
for Christ than anything else
you say or do for Christ.
Bill Hybels
The cross gives us ultimate
meaning to our suffering
because it means we don't
have to suffer alone. Jesus
suffers along with us. He offers
to walk us through the pain
4. Any suffering we
experience in this life
will pale in comparison
to what God has in
store for His followers
God is preparing us to live
forever - - We must realize
that He probably won't do
this through a peaceful and
comfortable life here on
earth.
• I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed
in us (Rom 8:18)
• For our light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
them all (II Cor 4:17)
• For our citizenship is in heaven…. (Phil 3:20)
A Biblical Response to Suffering……Step B
ETERNAL
PERSPECTIVE
TRUST
When God calls us into
suffering, He is not
calling us away from joy
but into joy
Our Source of Joy !
 We have the creator of the universe as
our Lord and friend !
 We have the written and inerrant Word
of God
 We have the Lord Jesus Christ praying
for us in the heavenlies !
 We have an inheritance in the Kingdom
of God !
 We have the riches of glory stored up
Our Source of Joy !
• We have the Holy Spirit overflowing!
– Signifies a new birth and life in Christ (John 3:8)
– He will be with us forever! (John 14:16-17)
– Convicts us of sin and righteousness (John 16:7-8)
– Controlled by the HS; not our sinful nature (Rom 8:9)
– Intercedes for us in prayer and weakness (Rom 8:26)
– Deposit; guarantor of our inheritance (2 Cor 1:21-22)
– Transforming us to his likeness with ever increasing
glory (2 Cor 3:18)
– Varying gifts !!! (2 Cor 12:4-11)
– Incredible fruits !!!! (Gal 5:22)
A Biblical Response to Suffering……Step C
ETERNAL
PERSPECTIVE
TRUST
JOY
“Rejoice because your names are written
in heaven!” Jesus to his disciples (Luke 10:20)
5. The day is coming
when suffering will be
ceased and evil will be
judged
The day….
• If God has the power to eradicate evil
and suffering why doesn't he do it? - - -- - - - - He will !!!
• He's holding back the curtain of the
close of history so that some might be
touched by His love, that some may put
their trust in Him, that some may come
to a relationship with Him and spend
eternity in heaven with Him.
What Love !
The Lord is not slow in keeping his
promise, as some understand
slowness. He is patient with you, not
wanting anyone to perish, but
everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
A Biblical Response to Suffering……Final Step
B
ETERNAL
PERSPECTIVE
A
C
TRUST
JOY
D
DAILY
PERSPECTIVE
The Goal
1. The Gospel and Suffering
2. A Biblical Response to
Suffering
The Gospel and Suffering ….5 Points….
1. God did not create suffering, evil and death
2. Even though suffering is never good, God can and
does use it to accomplish good
3. We decide whether suffering in this life will harden
us or soften us
4. Any suffering we experience in this life will pale in
comparison to what God has in store for His
followers
5. The day is coming when suffering will be ceased
and evil will be judged
Lee Strobel
A Biblical Response
B
ETERNAL
PERSPECTIVE
A
C
TRUST
JOY
D
DAILY
PERSPECTIVE
Christian !
• Look!
– The power of God and the life of his Son are manifested in
your weakness.
• Look!
– The life of Jesus is flowing through your suffering into the
lives of other people.
• Look!
– God sustains you in your afflictions and will not let you be
destroyed.
• Look!
– Your afflictions will not have the last word; you will rise from
the dead with Jesus and with the church of God and live in
joy for ever and ever.
Christian !
• Look!
– Your afflictions are momentary. They are only for now, not
for the age to come.
• Look!
– Your afflictions are light. Compared to the pleasures of what
is coming they are as nothing.
• Look!
– These afflictions are producing for you an eternal weight of
glory beyond all comparison....
John Piper
Hope for Those Who
Suffer
www.suffering.net