Sermon Tone Analysis

Suffering 1 Peter 2:21-24 Sermon

Preached in Leicester Church on 3-13-05 and in Southbridge on 3-20-05

Revised on 4-2-06   Preached in South Road on 4-2-06

*Suffering*

 

1 Peter 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.22

"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."

23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.

Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

*NIV*

* *

*A) Introduction*

           

What do you think of when I say the word “Suffering?” Do you think of pain, hardship, or maybe you in vision a heavy load that is being carried?

Suffering is defined as:

 

*/Suffering/*

*/SUF'FERING/*/, ppr.

Undergoing pain, inconvenience or damage./

/Distress, loss or injury incurred; as sufferings by pain or sorrow; sufferings by want or by wrongs./

You know there were thousands of people who were affected by the Tsunami that hit a little over a year ago.

Many people suffered and died as a result of the Tsunami and many people are suffering now.

They suffer with sickness and disease as a result of the pollution in the water and they suffer while watching their loved ones go through pain and death.

The Hurricane that hit the southern part of our country.

There are many who suffer persecution through out the world.

And we all suffer the day to day trials of life.

We know that people suffer but why do we suffer?

That’s a really good question and one that we ask all the time.

This is a question that people have asked throughout the ages and have answered in many different ways.

There are people who think we suffer because of past life Karma, the idea that when we do wrong we suffer and when we do right we are blessed and we are here to somehow work off our wrongdoings and especially our past life wrongdoings, and there are those who believe we suffer because we haven’t come to a higher level of godness to stop our suffering.

Some people just believe that there is no rhyme or reason to this life that we all evolved from a Big Bang and are all headed for nothing and suffering is just a natural thing that happens as a part of the evolutionary process.

But is it true that we suffer for our past life Karma?

Is it true that there is no purpose to life and so no purpose to suffering except to cause or continue evolution?

No.

The Psalmist says: */Psalm 139:14/*/ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well./

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving creator.

Unlike these other beliefs the Bible tells us that there is a reason and a purpose to this life.

But if that’s true then why do we suffer?

There are two major reasons why people suffer in this world.

*Our sin causes suffering*

The first is that we suffer when we sin.

When we break God’s law we suffer.

Sometimes the suffering is immediate and other times it’s off in the future.

For example if a person goes out one Friday night and drinks, and drinks and drinks and over drinks alcohol and then decides he will drive home and on his way home he hits a tree and is severely injured.

This man now suffers for the next six months or so.

He suffers physically as he goes through surgery and rehabilitation and the pain of his injuries.

And he suffers mentally as he asks himself why he chose to get in that car and why he chose to drink in the first place and he also suffers financially as he now has to pay all these doctor bills.

*Sins of others affect us*

Sometimes we suffer because of what other people do.

The sins of others affect us.

Let’s take the example of the drunk driver again but this time instead of hitting a tree he hits a car full of teenagers on their way home from a youth group rally and they all are injured or killed.

These children did nothing wrong they were innocent in all of this and yet they and their families are suffering because of another persons actions, their sins.

But what about Christians?

Do Christians suffer?

/Churches of Christ through out the area (bordering the Indian Ocean) reported losses from the killer tsunami that followed a massive under sea earthquake near the Indonesian island of Sumatra./

/            Many church families “are suffering from the tidal wave that swept away their loved ones and homes,” said Dennis, a minister in Chennai, in southeastern India./

/            At least 40 church members were killed in the Chennai area, and 105 church families in four area villages lost their homes/.

/The Christian Chronicle/

/Volume 62 Number 2 February 2005/

/ /

Brothers and Sisters in Christ suffering due to the hurricane (Katrina).

We can all see from this news story that Christians do suffer but why is it that Christians suffer?

Shouldn’t we expect God almighty to keep us safe?

We, after all gave up our sinful life and Christ died that we might have a new sin free life.

Why do we as Christians suffer?

*B) Suffering as a way to refine and purify*

 

First of all we have to realize that we as Christians are never told that we will live a life of comfort never suffering.

In fact The Lord said:

 

*/Luke 9:23/*/ And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

/

 

That’s a day by day suffering.

You want Jesus, you have to take up your suffering everyday and follow Him.

 

*/2 Timothy 3:12/*/ Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, /

 

We are never told or guaranteed that suffering will not come to us but are told that we will suffer everyday if we choose to follow Christ.

Don’t fall for this lie that if you’re a Christian you will never suffer that is the farthest form the truth.

But that still doesn’t answer the question of why we suffer.

Let me say that we suffer for two main reasons.

There maybe other reasons you can think about but I want us to take a look at two general reasons why we as Christians suffer.

There are at least two reasons or purposes why Christians suffer.

*Reason One*

The first reason is because through suffering and trials we are strengthened and our faith is built up.

*/James 1:2-4/*/ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, /

/for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

/

 

*/Romans 5:3-5/*/ More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings,/

 

Wow, we rejoice in our sufferings.

Why and how can he say that?

Well, he tells us.

/knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

/

 

When we suffer as Christ suffered we are being built up and strengthened.

*Weightlifter*

Some of you may have heard this illustration before.

The person who wants to strengthen their bodies goes to a place of pain and suffering.

They put heavy pieces of metal on to a long bar and they proceed to lift these heavy pieces of metal over and over again.

If you have ever worked out with weights or in any way gone to a gym then you know that you suffer while exercising, and even after you exercise.

Sore muscles and you are usually fatigued at least at first but after a while you are able to lift that weight more times it is not as painful during or after and you are feeling better physically.

Your body is becoming stronger and stronger and you are able to do the everyday tasks of life and not get as tired as fast.

Isn’t that the case?

It is.

The very same idea is true for the Christian as they suffer.

We are being strengthened and even thought it doesn’t feel like it at the time we are building endurance and we are having our faith built up.

Isn’t that what Paul is saying?

We could take the illustration of a runner and if you know anything about competing in a race it’s hard work and it takes training just like the weightlifter the runner has to train for the race or they won‘t finish.

When we suffer as Christians we suffer and in that suffering we are being built up and strengthened.

*/Romans 5:3-5/*/ More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame,/