LEARNING TO SUFFER - PART IV

LEARNING HOW TO SUFFER - Part IV SCRIPTURE: 2 CORINTHIANS 12.1-10 CONCEPT: SUFFERING GIVES GOD THE ACCESS, CONTROL AND THE GLORY IN OUR LIVES! WE COME TO THE END OF A FOUR PART SERIES ON LEARNING HOW TO SUFFER. WE HAVE ENDEAVORED TO GIVE BELIEVERS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ALL OF US MUST DEAL WITH SUFFERING IN OUR LIVES. AND SUCH, WE MUST ALL KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH SUFFERING. IN PART I WE TALKED ABOUT DEALING WITH OUR FEELINGS AS WE SUFFER. TO HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE, TO AVOID BECOMING PROUD AND FEELING LIKE YOU RE ALL ALONE AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD USES OUR SUFFERING TO MAKE US BETTER. IN PART 2 WE EXAMINED ACTIONS AS WE SUFFER AND CONCLUDED THAT WHAT WE THINK OR OUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE SAY OR OUR PROCLAMATIONS AND WHAT WE SEE OR OUR PERCEPTIONS ALL AFFECT HOW WE SUFFER. LAST SUNDAY, WE TALKED ABOUT OUR SUFFERING AND OTHER PEOPLE. WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE MUST BE CAREFUL WHO WE LISTEN TO, WHO WE FOLLOW AND WHO WE RELAX AROUND ALL AFFECTS HOW WE SUFFER.

THIS MORNING I D LIKE TO DEAL WITH OUR SUFFERING AND GOD, OR SIMPLY GOD IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING.

IN OUR TEXT THIS MORNING IN 2 CORINTHIANS 12, WE ENCOUNTER PAUL THE APOSTLE. THE MAN WHO WAS SO ZEALOUS, SO COMMITTED AS A JEW AND PHARISEE THAT HE WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN LOOKING FOR THESE FOLK WHO CALLED THEMSELVES IN THE WAY. CHRISTIANS. AND AS A JEWISH LEADER HE TOOK UPON HIMSELF TO STAMP OUT THIS NEW RELIGION. THIS NEW CULT. HE TOOK IT AS HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM WAS KILLED. HE WENT FROM TOWN TO TOWN AND HAD THEM STONED TO DEATH. HE WAS A VERY EDUCATED JEW. AN EXPERT IN THE WORD - PHARISEE. ONE DAY PAUL WHOSE NAME WAS SAUL, FOUND HIMSELF ON THE WAY TO DAMASCUS TO KILL MORE CHRISTIANS, WHEN JESUS MET HIM ON THE WAY THERE AND AS A BLINDING LIGHT, AND ASKED HIM, WHY ARE YOU PERSECUTING OR FIGHTING ME. HE BLINDED SAUL AND CHANGED HIS NAME TO PAUL AND MADE HIM ONE OF THE GREATEST APOSTLE S IN THE

BIBLE. PAUL TRAVELLED MORE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER DISCIPLES. HE WROTE OVER HALF OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. HE EXPANDED THE KINGDOM OF GOD FAR BEYOND JERUSALEM AND THE MIDDLE EAST. THIS SAME MAN IN THE 12TH CHAPTER FINDS HIMSELF HAVING TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF. FALSE PROPHETS AND APOSTLES GOING FROM TOWN TO TOWN, CHALLENGE PAUL AND MAKE HIM HAVE TO JUSTIFY HIMSELF. HE CALLS IT BRAGGING ON HIMSELF. IN THE 11TH CHAPTER, HE TALKS ABOUT HAVING TO BE A FOOL AND FOOLISHLY JUSTIFY HIMSELF BY TELLING THE PEOPLE HIS CREDENTIALS, SACRIFICE AND EFFORTS TO BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. IN THE 12TH CHAPTER, HE SAYS THAT EVEN THOUGH HE COULD BRAG ABOUT HIM SELF HE CHOSE INSTEAD TO BRAG ABOUT A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE HE HAD. ONE THAT TOOK HIM TO WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS THE THIRD HEAVEN. I GUESS TO SAY HE MET GOD ON A LEVEL HE COULDN T EXPLAIN. IN HIS VISION, HE SAYS THAT HE HAD VISIONS AND REVELATIONS OR HE SAW AND HEARD THINGS THAT HE COULD NEVER BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN OR SPEAK ABOUT.

AND THEN IN THE 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure (BIG HEAD - MSG; CONCEITED - NIV; FULL OF PRIDE - NLV; BECOME PROUD NLT) 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

NOTICE THAT PAUL WAS MADE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THE GREAT MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE HE HAD. JESUS WAS BAPTIZED ONE DAY AND THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME DOWN LIKE A DOVE AND HIS FATHER SPOKE TO HIM FROM HEAVEN AND THEN THE NEXT DAY HE WAS LED INTO THE DESERT. JESUS ON ANOTHER OCCASION WAS ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP AND GLOWED LIKE A BRIGHT LIGHT AND TALKED WITH MOSES AND ELIJAH AND THEN THE NEXT MOMENT HIS IN THE VALLEY DEALING WITH FOLK WHO ARE FUSSING WITH HIS DISCIPLES. SO OFTEN, WE FIND OURSELVES AFTER HAVING MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCES FINDING OURSELVES HAVING TO SUFFER. PAUL SAID THAT TO KEEP HIM FROM GETTING THE BIG HEAD OR BECOMING PROUD OR CONCEITED, HE WAS GIVEN A THORN IN THE FLESH (TROUBLE IN MY BODY - NLV; THE GIFT OF A HANDICAP - MSG). IN OTHER WORDS, HE WAS MADE TO SUFFER SO THAT HIS

GREAT EXPERIENCE, HIS AWESOME BLESSING; WOULDN T GO TO HIS HEAD. TO KEEP HIM HUMBLE HE WAS MADE TO SUFFER. THE SCRIPTURES DON T SAY WHAT THE AFFLICTION WAS. COMMENTATORS SUGGEST MANY THINGS. BUT IF THE TRUTH BE TOLD, NO ONE ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THIS THORN, TROUBLE IN THE FLESH OR HANDICAP WAS. BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE. THE BIBLE SAID IT WAS SO BAD THAT HE PRAYED THREE TIMES ABOUT IT. AND GOD TOLD HIM, MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. IT S ALL YOU NEED. MY STRENGTH IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS! BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GOD USES OUR SUFFERING . LIKE PAUL, WE CAN, IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL BECOME BIG HEADED OR OVERLY PROUD. SOMETIMES, THE WORSE THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO A PERSON IS TO GET BLESSED. SOME PEOPLE ALLOW A BLESSING TO DESTROY THEM OR TO CAUSE THEM TO LOSE SIGHT OF THEMSELVES. GOD ALLOWED SATAN TO CAUSE PAUL TO SUFFER SO THAT HE WOULD NOT BE EXALTED ABOVE MEASURE. SO THAT HE WOULDN T BECOME CONCEITED. JOHN 15 SAYS, EVERY BRANCH IN ME THAT BEARETH FRUIT HE PURGETH IT OR CUTS IT BACK SO

THAT IT BEARS MORE FRUIT. PAUL SAID, IF I M GOING TO BOAST OR BRAG ABOUT ANYTHING, LET ME BRAG ABOUT MY WEAKNESSES. HE SAYS IN V10, I TAKE PLEASURE OR JOY IN INSULTS AND PERSECUTIONS, HARDSHIPS AND MY WEAKNESSES, BECAUSE WHEN I AM WEAK THEN AM I STRONG.

PAUL REALIZED THREE THINGS ABOUT GOD IN THE MIDST OF HIS SUFFERING THAT I WANT TO BRIEFLY SHARE TODAY. GOD USES OUR SUFFERING AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THREE THINGS IN OUR LIVES. TELL SOMEBODY OUR SUFFERING IS GOD S OPPORTUNITY. FIRSTLY, IT GIVES GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FULL ACCESS. SOMETIMES WE CAN GET IN GOD S WAY. WE CAN GET THE BIG HEAD AND THINK THAT WE CAN DO THINGS ALL BY OURSELVES. OTHER TIMES WE CAN BECOME CONCEITED BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN GREATLY BLESSED AND BEGIN TO TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED. WHEN WE SUFFER WE BEGIN TO CRY OUT TO GOD. AND WHEN WE DO, AS WE STRUGGLE WITH SUFFERING, WE GIVE GOD ACCESS TO OUR LIVES. WE CALL OUT TO HIM. WE CRY OUT TO HIM. WHEN

WE REALIZE THAT WE CAN T FIX WHAT S BROKEN AND CAN T CHANGE WHAT S WRONG, WE SEEK GOD. AND THAT GIVES GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE FULL ACCESS TO OUR LIVES. THE SUFFERING DRIVES US TO OUR KNEES AND THERE GOD GETS ALL OF OUR ATTENTION. TELL SOMEBODY OUR SUFFERING IS GOD S OPPORTUNITY. NOT ONLY DOES IT GIVE GOD THE ACCESS, BUT IT ALSO GIVES GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE CONTROL.

WHEN WE SUFFER, WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO LET GO AND LET GOD. WHEN WE SUFFER, WE FIND OURSELVES AT OUR WEAKEST POINT. OUR WEAKNESS ALLOWS GOD TO HAVE HIS WAY. SO OFTEN, GOD WANTS TO DO THINGS IN US, THRU US AND FOR US; BUT SO OFTEN WE GET IN GOD S WAY AND TRY TO DO THINGS ACCORDING TO OUR WILL AND NOT HIS. BUT WHEN WE SUFFER, OUR WEAKNESS GIVES GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CHARGE. OUR SUFFERING IS GOD S OPPORTUNITY TO BE GOD IN OUR LIVES. TO LEAD US AND TO GUIDE US. TO MOLD US AND TO MAKE US.

OUR WEAKNESS, OUR SUFFERING IS GOD S OPPORTUNITY. IT GIVES HIM ACCESS AND ALLOWS HIM TO BE IN CONTROL. GOD CAN ALWAYS IMPOSE HIS WILL, HE CAN BREAK INTO OUR LIVES AND IMPOSE HIS WILL AND TAKE CONTROL. BUT HE INSTEAD WAITS FOR US TO LET HIM IN. TO LET HIM HAVE ACCESS, NOT TO TAKE IT, BUT FOR US TO GIVE IT TO HIM. TO LET HIM TAKE CONTROL AND HAVE HIS WAY. WHEN WE SUFFER, WE GIVE GOD THE PERMISSION. COME ON GOD! COME HOLY SPIRIT, COME HEAVENLY DOVE COME WITH ALL YOUR QUICKENING POWER. IT S ONE THING TO SAY THAT. BUT WHEN WE SUFFER. WHEN OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN, WHEN WE ARE SICK AND CAN T GET WELL WE TURN IT OVER TO JESUS. CAUSE ONLY JESUS, CAN MAKE IT RIGHT. OUR SUFFERING IS GOD S OPPORTUNITY.

DON T MISS THIS. PAUL PRAYED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, UNTIL GOD FINALLY TOLD HIM. MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR YOU. OR I M ENOUGH, MY LOVING FAVOR IS ALL YOU NEED. THEN HE SAID, MY STRENGTH IS PERFECTED IN WEAKNESS.

WHAT S THE POINT. THE THIRD THING THAT GOD DOES IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING IS HE IS GLORIFIED. OUR SUFFERING GIVES GOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE GLORY IN OUR LIVES.

SO OFTEN, FOLK THINK WE GET WHAT WE GET OR DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE OR WHERE WE LIVE OR HOW MUCH WE MAKE OR THE EDUCATION WE HAVE OR THE FAMILY WE RE IN. BUT WHEN SUFFERING COMES, NONE OF THAT MATTERS. WHEN YOUR HEART IS BROKEN OR YOUR BODY IS RACKED WITH PAIN OR YOU ARE GOING THRU GREAT TRIALS OR TRIBULATIONS, NONE OF THAT MATTERS. BUT WHEN GOD BLESSES US IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING. WHEN HE GIVES US PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM OR JOY IN THE MIDST OF OUR SORROW OR STRENGTH IN THE MIDST OF OUR WEAKNESS, IT GIVES HIM GLORY. HE GETS ALL OF THE HONOR, ALL OF THE GLORY! BECAUSE IN OUR BROKENNESS, IN OUR PAIN, IN OUR STRUGGLES, WHEN WE LET GOD IN AND ALLOW HIM TO HAVE CONTROL HE SHOWS THAT HE IS GOD ALL BY HIMSELF. HE USES IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY! HIS

STRENGTH IS PERFECTED IN OUR WEAKNESS. HIS LIGHT SHINES BRIGHTER IN OUR BROKENNESS. GOD USES OUR SUFFERING AS AN OPPORTUNITY! ROMANS 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

GOD ALLOWED SATAN TO BUFFET JESUS. PUT A THORN IN HIS HANDS AND A THORN IN HIS FEET AND THEN PLACED THORNS AROUND HIS HEAD. HE LET THEM TAKE HIM TO THE WEAKEST PLACE A MAN COULD GO. HE CRIED OUT LET THIS BITTER CUP PASS, HE CRIED OUT MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY... BUT HE TOLD HIM MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. HE CRIED OUT IN THE GARDEN, NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE. HE CRIED OUT FROM THE CROSS, INTO THINE HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT.

HE PUT HIMSELF INTO GOD S HANDS AND GOD HAD FULL CONTROL. HE WAS TOO WEAK TO DO ANYTHING. BUT LOOK WHAT GOD DID, EARLY ON A SUNDAY MORNING, HE WOKE HIM UP AND GOD WAS GLORIFIED IN THE

SON AND THE SON WAS GLORIFIED IN THE FATHER. IN HIS WEAKNESS GOD WAS GLORIFIED.

GIVE GOD THE GLORY! LET HIM USE YOUR SUFFERING AS AN OPPORTUNITY. AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR HEART, CONTROL OVER YOUR SOUL SO THAT HE CAN BE GLORIFIED IN YOUR LIFE.

I LOVE HIM, BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED ME. I TRUST HIM BECAUSE HE DIED FOR ME. I FOLLOW HIM BECAUSE HE S MADE A WAY FOR ME. I M GOING WITH HIM, BECAUSE HE S PREPARED A PLACE FOR ME. I BELIEVE HIM BECAUSE HE GOT UP FROM THE GRAVE FOR ME.

AIN T HE ALRIGHT!

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER, ALL TO HIM I FREE GIVE. I WILL EVER SERVE AND TRUST HIM. IN HIS PRESENCE DAILY LIVE. I SURRENDER ALL...