Dec. 6, 2020

Everyone for tuning in online. I know that you're out there even though we can't see you we trust that you're out there. So God bless you guys. Glad you could join us open up your Bibles to Acts chapter 14 Acts chapter 14. I just wanted to draw your attention to some of the changes that have happened here at Calvary Chapel Half Moon Bay. And I know that probably most have you noticed right off the bat that things are different here and they will be ongoing for the next couple of weeks. I got a new shirt. And you know if there's one thing about coming to the same church for a while, you know, you realize the limits of my wardrobe and so did he wear that shirt last week and the answer the answer is no, this is a new shirt. I got three new shirts and I'll be rolling them out in the coming weeks for you to enjoy and so so much for the changes here at Calvary Chapel.

Where in heck was that one of those moments where you go white? Why did he even say that went? What's even the point Acts chapter 14 the title of the message this morning is those who suffer strengthen those who suffer strengthen now? It's a unique passage of scripture. Not that there isn't it isn't unique because I think one of them we're going to dig into this morning, which we talked about a fair amount here at the church of suffering and nobody really wants to deal with it and certainly no one wants to experience it. But but we will and and I think And this is what got me going on this subject is there's nothing in life that demonstrates the equality of all people and their experience like suffering suffering levels the playing field for all of humanity. I don't think it is very few things in life that does that I mean, we've talked a lot about the foot of the cross being level ground and that's true. Everybody is completely and utterly equal in the eyes of God, but in our human experience, it's suffering that really levels this out doesn't matter how much money you have or how much money you don't have at some point of the other you're going to suffer something yet for the entire history of the world and all the philosophies and theories invented by the human mind. Nothing comes close in my opinion. Nothing comes close to the profound exploration of suffering. Do we can find in the Bible not only the exploration of it but explanations for it again suffering levels the playing field of humanity, but our view of suffering then I'm level the playing field. What I mean is is what we're all going to suffer everybody suffers one thing or the other but not all suffer. Like one one man suffering may be another's Cakewalk for the believer though it anybody that's been born again by the spirit of God. The subject of suffering is also the subject of God himself. Let me explain what I mean by that and Isaiah chapter 53 verse 3 God's word says this about Jesus the coming Messiah. He said he is despised and rejected by Men A Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. So to study Christ is to study things like sorrow and grief and and things like that a repeated throughout scripture Luke chapter 22 verse 15 Hebrews chapter 13 verse 12 1st, Peter chapter 2 verse 23 or 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 18 that's on the handout. It's on the jumbotrons up here. Whichever way it. Is that way. Okay for the Jumbotron here in the corner of your screen. See God knows suffering and more importantly the reason for it but since suffering is one of the great commonalities of Human Experience, what makes a Christian suffer differently and is there any purpose to it that we can know Acts chapter 14. We're going to pick it up in verse 19 read to the end of the chapter verse 28 follow along with me Acts Chapter 14 verse 19. Then the Jews of Antioch or from Antioch and Iconium came there. I'll explain that in a minute and having persuaded the multitude. They stoned Paul and drag him out of the city supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the City and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby and Wednesday and preach the gospel to that City and made many disciples. They returned to lystra Iconium and Antioch. Strengthening The Souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. So when they had appointed Elders in every church and pray with fasting they commended them to the Lord and whom they had believed and after they had passed through pisidia, they came to pamphylia now when they preach the word in for a girly went down to atalaya from there. They sailed to Antioch where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had completed now when the income and gathered the church together, they reported all the Godda done with them and they open the door Faith to the Gentiles and they stayed there for a long time with the disciples now Lord. We just pray for you it illuminate our understanding help us to understand but also to apply the things that we learned directly from your word where we all need to hear something from you. Pray that we will have open ears and teachable hearts this morning. So bless us as we look into your word in Jesus name. Amen. Now the Apostle Paul now is beginning. A lifelong experience of suffering traveling around and Faithfully preaching the gospel, which is what he was doing and short doing exactly what Jesus told us all to do you would imagine that God would blessed and that he would protect and provide for those who obey his commands and he does but somewhere along the line Christians have hatched the idea that if you do everything right you won't suffer. The polls in Tire life will prove that theory wrong. In fact. Told him through ananias back in Acts chapter 9 verse 16. God said he's going to show Paul how much he must suffer for my name. Look there's nobody that tries to avoid suffering more than me. I don't like suffering. I like learning from other people's mistakes, you know, it's like watching those fail videos, you know on YouTube where you see the guy and he's on the bike and he's going to go down the ramp and you can see it. You see as soon as he goes over that jump he's going to hit that wall, you know it and he goes down and he goes off the Jump and he hits the wall anything if it's so obvious to us. Why isn't it obvious to him?

some people create their own suffering And it doesn't really have to be that way God told ananias that Paul is going to suffer. We try to avoid that. We do everything we can to stop a but suffering is unavoidable up and there's a variety different kinds of suffering to some people seem to invite it like the guy some people seem to invited by their lifestyle everything they do seems to encourage greater suffering in their lives and the lives of those that are round and look if it's a huge topic. It's not going to get dealt with in one message at all on this many times. You can go to the website and find even more messages on suffering there. I've never done a message on on your suffering listening to my sermons on suffering. And I think maybe I should touch on that at some point or the other what you guys have to go through or maybe you should come up and testify what you have to suffer through to attend to attend this church. One thing is sure we will suffer and God has plans for Point number one point number one hits on the Jumbotron and that is why me why me verse 19 the juice from Antioch and Iconium came there and having persuaded the most of the day Stone Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead. So after Paul's experience and lystra back in the earlier part of Chapter 14 verse 8:18 and Iconium and verses 1 through 7. It may have felt like Paul was kind of escaping the city's kind of by the skin of his teeth. It's like the crowds were getting riled up against them many people were believing but there was a lot of opposition from local religious authorities and it and it seemed like Every city he was getting out just ahead of the violence and finally now the violence catches up with him when they reached Derby which is about 60 miles from Lister about 80 miles from Iconium their troubles followed them their the Jews. These would be religious experts or religious authorities who were Jews from Antioch and Iconium came, they came down to Derby. So again, they had to travel as much as 80 miles to find Paul just so they could beat him up. Now that's that is a commitment to persecution in a place like just like, you know, I don't know what you are thinking in your head. It's like let's Caravan all the way down the Derby, you know, if you're on foot or on Horseback or on donkey back, you know, that's that is a long multi-day trip just so we can find Paul and and and trouble him. I just mentioned this idea, you know, do you know anyone that trouble just seems to follow them. Do you know anybody like that or trouble just seems to follow them and honestly, you look at him and it's like why do you keep doing this to yourself? But but I think maybe we all know people like that and then there's other people that you look at and you think man, they just can't get a break. They just cannot get a break and yet and you think they they don't deserve what they're going through. They they just need a break. Maybe maybe that's you. and maybe maybe for you if you're watching online. Have you ever felt like no matter what you do? Nothing seems to work out, right?

There's physical suffering as well as mental suffering emotional suffering spiritual suffering in the Book of Job. You can see all of those things all of them. I talk to you the Book of Job and all the sermons are available on the website. Now this brings up what may be the Eternal question. Why do the righteous suffer? Why do the righteous suffer now we can make a case for why people generally suffer men and governments and ideologies and religion and power off what becomes human suffering just like Madness your or evil or drug and alcohol abuse or certain forms of mental derangement or a mental illness. Lots of things fuel human suffering, but the question remains Why do the righteous suffer or a why does there have to be any suffering at all? Couldn't God create a world where there is no suffering in the answer that is of course, he could have done that and and he actually kind of did and then he gave it to us and we're the ones that invited suffering into the world. When we come to the pages of scripture. We see God's people suffering for the reasons. I stated above and more when we come to passages like Philippians chapter 1 verse 29. We're God's word says for to you. It has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake will I I like the part about it's been granted on behalf of Christ to believe in him. I I like that part that the suffering part. I'm not all that thrilled about in 1st Peter chapter 4 verse 19. It says therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him and doing good as to a faithful Creator something. Wait a second. It's possible that my suffering is God's will and I and I keep praying Lord deliver me from this suffering and my prayers not being answered. Now I'm concerned about the fact that my prayers are being answered. Well, that's not the problem. The problem is my prayers are being answered. This suffering is God's Will and he's not going to answer my prayer for deliverance. Nana Nana. We're not going to go around this thing. We're going to go through this thing. Yay, though. I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. You know, I'm I'm looking on my GPS and I'm seeing the Valley of the shadow of death on there and I'm like, you know reroute reroute. I'm going around that. I don't want to go to that pathway. I'd rather go somewhere else. That's me. We tremble. At the sound of these verses because we don't want to suffer.

Yep, one inescapable fact of human life is suffering in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11, the Apostle Paul write something that's kind of hard to wrap our heads around. Anyways, I think because we just live in a different age and a different country in a different place and he writes in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11. I'll give you a chunk of this starting verse 22. He says are they Hebrews? So am I are they Israelites? So am I are they the Seed of Abraham? So am I are they Ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool. I am more in Labor's more abundant in Stripes above measure in prison for more frequently in deaths often from the Jews five times. I received 40 Stripes minus one. That means he was flawed 39 * on five separate occasions. Foggy wants to be the end of me three times. I was beaten with rods once I was Stone.

How many times do you have to be Shipwrecked before? You don't get on a boat anymore three times? I was Shipwrecked a night and a day. I've been in the deep that mean he floated in the ocean in the middle of the water holding onto something for a day and a night. You wonder why I don't like book in Journeys often in Perils of waters and Perils of robbers in Paris on my own countrymen in pairs of the Gentiles Imperials on the city and pearls on the Wilderness in Perils of the sea in perils among false Brethren and weariness and toilet sleeplessness often and hunger and thirst and fasting is often in cold and nakedness besides the other things what comes upon me daily my deep concern for all the churches who is weak and I'm not weak who is made to stumble on I do not burn with indignation that was written about halfway through his career. There was more suffering to come even after that. Paul writes about the things that he had suffered but asking why me serves no purpose other than self-delusion. Why me why not me? Why do I suffer? Why does everybody suffer cuz everybody does? So the question really is not why me question is what do you want me to learn Lord? That's the question number 2 that is looking past the pain looking past the pain Point number two again sewing verse 19 these religious authorities. And those that were opposing the work of a Paul preaching gospel. They came down to Derby. They persuaded the multitude. They stoneport they dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead now. Those who have followed Paul and Barnabas to Derby stirred up the locals to such an extent that they thought killing Paul was the thing to do, you know, this guy saying things that we don't like so we're going to kill him. I'm not saying that's happening in this country, but it kind of feels like we're gravitating that direction very quickly, you know people no longer in this country know how to disagree and and disagree agreeably, you know, can we just say hey, you know what? That's your opinion. You're welcome to your opinion. God bless you for this was my view. This is your view hate going to look just you know understand that we're all going to have different views. You don't get to do that anymore. Unfortunately, but they these people came to to Derby specifically to kill the Apostle Paul. This is slightly ironic it if you think about it because number one stoning is a brutal way to die absolutely brutal and the interesting thing is too and I was just This up this week as I Was preparing for this stoning is still legal under Sharia law in a number of countries in the world today and I was even able as along what you do when you look up things like this you occasionally get pictures that you don't want to see David and in a lot of countries today where they still practice Sharia law. Are they very the person up to their neck. So the only their head is visible above the surface of the ground and then they Stone them to death and in the first century Paul would have either stood or knelt while everybody around him pelted with stones and Thinking about human nature the way that I do. I'm thinking they're not all using big rocks, you know, they want to make this last and this is entertainment and this is Sport and so they're going to make it last as long as they possibly can. It is a horrible horrible way to die. Now the irony of it is we are first introduced to Saul of Tarsus when Acts chapter 7 at the stoning of Stephen. So there's Saul holding. Everybody's could you want to Stone this guy? Let me hold your coat. Let me hold you here here. I'll hold it check check your garments overheat, check your garments over here for the stoning holding everybody's so they can throw the rocks at Stephen and out here. He is being stoned. Something that was not lost on Paul the Apostle as he grew in his knowledge and in his walk with the Lord something that was not lost on me was how useful suffering would be to his life. Now, I wrote this down. It's in my note. It's on the Jumbotron. It's on the handout suffering is a petri dish for theology. Suffering is a petri dish for theology. Now. If you know what a petri dish is a petri dish has a small glass dish used in the laboratory for growing moles or spores or bacteria is or something like that. That's what they use it for now suffering is a petri dish for theology. It is here in The Crucible of suffering that grows the deepest faith. CS Lewis wrote the real problem is not why some Pious humble believing people suffer, but why some do not? That's really the question. The question is not why do we suffer the question is? Why do some people seem to not suffer? Or as J C Ryle the great Bible commentator put it. He said there are no gains without pains.

The fact is there are many many reasons in life. Just suffer. And one of them is that many lessons in life can only be learned one way. Think about it for a minute. How did you ever learn what the word hot mint? Will you touch something it was hot, right or cold or sharp or pain or hurt or any of those things you learned because you experienced it, right? That's the way that it works. In the great plan of life for his children. God has said some very specific things about it. This is a passage that we quote in this church on awful lot Romans chapter 8 verse 28 and verse 29. We're God's word says this and we know why do we know? How do we know we know because God's word says so That's how we know we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and to those who are the called according to his purpose for whom he foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed into the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. All things work together for what do you think? God meant when he said all I need him at all. Right Thru me say before what is it now, what is it meaning Greek all Hebrew all what does it mean in Chinese all means all And that includes suffering suffering hardship difficulty struggle. Paul writes about the things that he had suffered some of them and again the list that I gave you is only about halfway through his career. So asking why me serves no real purpose whatsoever. God has answered the question all things work together for good why because he is molding you and shaping you into the image of his son. God has ordained suffering as one of the many Tools in his toolbox. Who is Randy Alcorn who famously said in his book? If God is good, which is a really good book. If you've never read it. I bought many copies that book and just and it amounts to people to really good book by Randy Alcorn said in that book. You said God never wastes our pain. I love that. I've never forgotten that God never wastes our pain. I believe it's true. You you think about what Paul's experiences had taught him as a result. What what would he say as a result of all the things that he suffered, you know, you might expect at least you'd expect it for Me Maybe not Paul, you might expect at some point. If you have the Apostle Paul says, you know what I've had it. I'm done with this, you know that the suffering thing. I just it's just not worth it anymore. I just can't I just can't do it anymore, but in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 Verses 7 to 10 the Apostle Paul write this and to me just on first blush. I read a thing like this and I think this guy's diluted. You know, this guy's you use Mental. So he says he says 2nd Corinthians 12 starting verse 7. He says less I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of Revelation a thorn in the flesh was giving me a messenger thing to Buffett me lest. I be exalted above measure concerning this thing. I pleaded with the Lord three times that I might depart from me. And God said no.

Paul says he'll me and God says no verse 9 you said to me my grace is sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in weakness you don't get the strength without first having the weakness there for the Apostle Paul says here's the diluted part therefore most gladly I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ May rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in needs and persecution in distress is for Christ's sake for when I am weak then I am strong You don't get that strength without the weakness first. It's not an easy thing to see past the pain to the purpose, but the fact is God has said there is purpose not won a purpose many different purposes. Paul was stoned and left for dead. What's the purpose in that point of the three that is embracing the purpose embracing the purpose. So inverse 20, what did he do? They call them out of the city supposing him to be dead. Some people think he was actually dead and that God wrote him up from the dead and they think that 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 verses 1 to 6 is Paul's account of that. I can't dispute that, but I got no proof of it. It says the dragon up supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him he rose up and went into the city.

You know, that's that's right where you go can you know, but you know Paul was never the sharpest tool in the shed, you know a back into the same place. They just stoned him and drag him out of the city and left him for dead. And he goes back into the city. That's not the brightest thing to do. So he wasn't God restored him to lie for healing or whatever. But the fact is he got back up and went right back into the city. He went right back to where he was brutally attacked and possibly killed. He went right back to preaching the gospel. Now, what would be his reception now? After he's already been Stoned by the people of the city and now he walks back into the City and he says another thing. What what what were they thinking it's like is this guy stupid? Or is he Brave? What is that it would make him suffer like that, but keep doing the same thing. What what what what would people think about seeing that I cannot help but think and we can see some of the results here. Did somebody said? Okay. Alright. Alright. Maybe I better listen to what this guy has to say because if he goes through that and comes back to tell me the same story again. I'm going to listen to what this guy has to say. one thing seems clear Nothing would stop him from doing what the Lord commanded him to do. nothing He's not in it for the results Izzy. He's not in it for like okay if I can build a really really big mega church and have my own cable TV program and my own plane. That is success. Stoned and dragged out of the city and Left 4 Dead. That is not 6s.

And he goes right back in there. Nothing would stop him from doing what the lord of command him to do because because obedience to the Lord is always the right thing to do regardless of the outcome. We experience with me. Obedience. The Lord is always the right thing to do regardless of the outcome experience. Paul was stoned to death didn't matter didn't matter. This is what the Lord has told me to do. And I'm going to keep doing what the Lord told me to do until y'all kill me and they ultimately did. It doesn't matter how people respond. It doesn't matter. What I think is successful or unsuccessful. It doesn't matter what matters is doing what the Lord told me to do regardless of the outcome that we experience when I first moved up here and in launch this church

I remember it wasn't too long after we launched we're coming up on 20 years now. It'll be 20 years in January. We'll have to do something. I'll have a taco party or something socially distance while wearing masks.

Maybe we'll do it virtually online virtual taco party online. But I remember you shortly after we launched the church. The very first night that we launched we started off doing Sunday evening services at a hotel up here on the highway and we have like there was like 70 people there for the launch and then the next week there was like 20 people and then the week after that there was like 10 people and the week after that there was like eight people on there like 12 people when they're like 10 people on like You know, I got to do something I have to do something. We we've got to get people to come to this church. We've got to get people in the door and it didn't I don't know. It's maybe a couple weeks of that kind of mental gymnastics why I stopped and I said, okay, I'm being an idiot. It's not my job to bring people in the door to my job to preach the gospel. It's my job to teach the word. God will bring in whoever he wants to bring in. Whoever's on line right now. Whoever happens to aimlessly of wandered into this building this morning. It wasn't me that brought you here, you know, it was it was the Lord. That's why you're watching this right now. Look, there is no promise in the Bible that says if we do what is right, we will never suffer. There's no promise like that. But it was out of experiences like this at the Apostle Paul would write later in Philippians chapter 1 verse 6 being confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Will it be September 6th or Philippians chapter 2 verse 13. It is God who works in you both to Will and to do for his good pleasure another uncomfortable verse or this passage from 2nd. Timothy chapter 1 verse 12 where the Apostle Paul writes with his for this reason. I also suffer these things nevertheless. I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I've committed to him until that day. The word copy doesn't matter what happens the Lord's got me what? What kind of security? Is it that we can experience as Christians? If you've been born again by the spirit of God experience the kind of security that says I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I've committed to him until that day. It doesn't matter. He's got me. I'm good. No matter what no matter what I'm good and pot the Apostle Paul that experienced the no matter what the experience to no matter what in such a way that will never experience. You're probably not going to be Stone. I probably shouldn't put it quite like that because many of us have been over the years. That's a whole different thing. That's not what I'm talking about. The osteons are the odds say it was a long time ago. It was a long time ago.

And I have very little recollection of any of it. So but but most of us haven't been Shipwrecked. I'm pretty sure that none of us have ever been scourged once much less five times. Maybe some of us have been beaten up or beaten with rods or something. I've never I've never been beaten to a pulp. I've never been beaten to I've been punched a few times not that I didn't deserve it but never been beaten or maybe some of you have been actually beaten to a pulp and you probably don't want to experience it again. Look these statements about suffering that the Apostle Paul makes considering his experiences. These are incredibly deep and Powerful statements that can only be realized in The Crucible of suffering. We can read these a thousand times these versus but until you are in that Crucible of suffering, they're impossible to comprehend their only words on the page. It's all theoretical. It's all intellectual and you can say oh, yeah, so that's a powerful verse Oh, yes. Those are that's a deep subject. Those are great word. But man when you're right in the middle of it and you're the one That is doing the suffering. It's a whole different ball game that number for my last point do sus?

those who suffer Strengthen those who suffer strengthen here's what I mean in verses 21 to 28. What do they do when they preach the gospel in that City and made many disciples sets the city where the Apostle Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city and Left 4 Dead. So what did they do went right back into that City and preach the gospel to that City and made many disciples and then they return to the previous cities Lister and Iconium where they've been persecuted there as well. Let's just go wherever there's the most troubles. Let's go back there. We're we're just about killed. Let's go back there. I mean I can almost see the look in his eye. Yes. We're going back there. No Paul. No, pause the gospel of those people who just tried to kill us somebody somebody in that company of people that was traveling with him is like, please know why do we have to do this? It's funny. I know a guy that the pastor of on Kauai if you've ever been a kawaii, it's one of the most beautiful places on the entire planet, and I I know gossip after they're in and he born and raised there and he left any move to New York, and he got a call to come back and password and he didn't want to do it. He didn't want to go back to Kauai and be a pastor there these coasts and but he answered the Lord's call it and he went back and I'm like dude, dude. Why didn't you call me if you if you don't want to go there?

Do you know what toys that you know, it's always the thing is it's like, you know, you don't you don't want to be where you are. You always want to be somewhere else. You know what I've learned and I'm learning and I continue to try to learn that the best place in the world to be is wherever God put you and doing whatever it is that God calls you to do in LA and I've said this before and it's stupid, but I said it, you know, if God calls you to scrub toilets in Zimbabwe. That's the best place in the world to be scrubbing toilets in Zimbabwe and I hope that you have to call me to do that. nothing Would dissuade them from the work that was set before them the good works that God prepared for them in advance to do the God has prepared for you in advance to do that to the seasons chapter 2 verse 10. So they went back into the city. They preached are they made many disciples because now his suffering had become his testimony now is suffering to become his test. Now what he suffered became an integrated part of who he is as a person in the story that he has to tell in communicating the gospel. Now it's not just this random thing that happened to me now. It's an integrated part in Paul the person as your suffering will become to you an integrated part of who you are and I in a vital part of your story for the longest time not So Much Anymore for the longest time going back 10 years. Now everybody knew me is all you're the pastor's wife died. I can't even tell you how much my experience would become an integrated part of who I was as a person just like all the things that you all have experience in your life. They all are integrated part of who you are as a person. So for the Apostle Paul his suffering became his testimony and I put this in my notes here now his message had teeth to it. Now his message had teeth do it just like somehow as a result of suffering what he suffered the things that he said had a little bit more bite and I've talked many times with many people that were going to the things of I experienced and the words that I said to them had power not because I have power but because we had a shared experience. They had gone through or we're going to the very same thing that I've gone through you guys every single one of you everyone watching online, you've experienced things that I have not And that uniquely qualifies you to share the gospel with people that have experienced the very same thing that you have. And you can reach people with your testimony that I cannot reach with my testimony. Those are the things that God has called you to do not just us to do as a church. But you as an individual person God is going to use you a specific situation where all of your experience and become a part of your testimony your story your communication of the Gospel to another human being. The suffering became his testimony so they left behind an organized Church there verse 23, they appointed elders and every church and prayed with fasting and they commended them to the lift in whom they'd believe so they started churches they organize them and they put people in charge of them and then they moved on to other churches. That's great. So they left an organized Church, they circled back to Antioch and ended up back where they started sharing all that God had done you notice that says that the numbers 27 of them they come and gather the church together. They were boarded all that God had done with them. Paul suffering brought out something in him. That was not there previously. Just like your suffering will bring things out of you that you didn't think we're there again suffering will do the same thing for you and me and as I mentioned suffering is a petri dish for theology. So many things get worked out or as I like to think about it things get worked from our heads down to our hearts something that was theoretical or intellectual now becomes actual it becomes something that works its way out through my hands through my feet and through the entirety of my life because now it is 8 and experience not just an idea does that make sense? That makes sense? It's not just theoretical it's actual and and it's often. You know, what we believe is only theoretical until we have those experiences and Paul uses experience to strengthen others again, notice verse 22, he circled back strengthening the soul. The disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying you think this had some Authority when he said it we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

Yikes Henry Ford. Great Henry Ford Ford Motor Cars 1 said my best friend is the one who brings out the Best in Me. My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me, and we ever seen suffering at something that brings out the best in US. What does suffering bring out in you? Sometimes it brings out the whiny part. I don't feel good.

when we suffer and when we see others suffer, we can be a beacon the draws others to Jesus or we can wallow in self-pity and drive them away. You never know anybody that wallows in self-pity. Woe is me. Everything is horrible in my life. Nothing is Right. Everything is wrong. The whole world is against me. I can't get a break. That's all they talk about. That's all you ever hear and is sometimes you just want to say you don't want to stop being an idiot and your life will improve dramatically.

What? What will we do when we suffer? At the end of his life the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy about this and as I was saying a little bit earlier, you know at some point or the other you got to think I'm sick and tired of the whole suffering thing. I'm done with that or you know, this just isn't worth it anymore in the Apostle Paul write this to Timothy at the end of his life one of the last things that he ever wrote as far as we know 2nd Timothy is the last epistle that he wrote any wrote the 2nd Timothy Chapter 4 verses 6 to 8. He says where I'm already being poured out as a drink offering in the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which lower the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all the blood disappearing. I love that I want to be able to at the end of my life whenever that might be. I want to be able to say I have fought the good fight. I finished the race. I have kept the faith. Regardless of what the outcome of my life was regardless of the degree or the amount of suffering regardless of the ministerial success. However, you wanted to find out or my success in life. I just want to be able to say I fought the good fight. I finished the race. I have kept the faith. Things like that are written by people that have suffered. Perspective game through suffering Will change the entire course of your life? Let me leave you with. One last passage from 2nd Corinthians and there's a typo on the handout. If you're looking at the handout there's a typo on it. They should be 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 2nd Corinthians Chapter 4 verses 7 to 11. Tell you about the perspective gained by suffering the Apostle Paul writes this he says we have this treasure. In Earthen vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us we are hard pressed on every side yet not crushed. We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken struck down but not destroyed all is caring about in the body that dying of the Lord Jesus that the life of Jesus Also may be manifested our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Christ's sake that the life of Jesus Also may be manifested in our mortal flesh then drop down to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 16. This is perspective gained by suffering. He writes this therefore because of all these things. He's therefore we do not lose heart, even though our outward man is perishing yet. The inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light Affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory what we do not look at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporary but the things which are not seen are eternal. You like that our light affliction? Being stoned to death. If not light Affliction in my mind being scary five times is not light Affliction in my mind being Shipwrecked three times is not light Affliction in my mind. What is he doing? He's comparing. A far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory is being gained as a result of that suffering. So what is the suffering become nothing more than a useful tool in God's hands in my life. I still don't like to suffer. But what changes my perspective on it now? I know that it's got a purpose. Now. I know as a child of God born again by the holy spirit of God, I know that whatever it is that I go through regardless of how uncomfortable it is how much I don't like it. God has a purpose for it and a use for it in my life as a mold me shape me to the image of his son. Now that is a perspective that can change everything in anybody's life.

When I suffered the things that I must suffer with and most of the time don't we suffer in silence? We don't like to tell other people what were suffering because we're shame the Apostle Paul said of his suffering. I'm not ashamed all glory and I'll tell you all about it. Because when I'm weak that's when the strength of Christ overwhelms me and now it's him that's being strong. Not me. It's not that I'm gaining more strength. He's being strong in me and through me in for me.

And with the suffering that came through Paul's like come those words that encourage Millions throughout history and encourage us today obedience to Christ will keep us from creating needless suffering right? Don't be an idiot. Just do what Jesus says then whatever happens at least, you know that I'm not creating intentionally. I'm not creating my own suffering then whatever suffering comes my way is not because I didn't an idiot because God willed it for his purpose, whatever it may be.

Obedience to Christ will keep us from creating needless suffering. But if we are to suffer we have the opportunity to embrace it and it's valuable lessons and see how God uses us to further his gospel build his kingdom and encourage others in the midst of our suffering and because of our suffering but bright Gracious God above Lord yet, you know I don't like to suffer. It's uncomfortable. I don't like paying I don't like to all of that stuff, but Lord. I trust you. I Trust You Lord and I trust what you said in your word Lord, I pray that we all would not because I've said it Lord, but because you said it in your word help us to trust in that and then to allow your word to mold and shape not only our perspective on suffering but our reaction to suffering. Lord I ain't none of us really want to embrace suffering. But show us how in some relative biblical and eternal way. We can see it the way that you see it light and momentary Affliction which is working for us a far greater weight of Glory. in the Eternal Realm help us to endure patiently. And then Lord in the midst of suffering is the result of suffering let that become an integrated part of our testimony as we share you with the world around us. Wants us encourages users in and through these things we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Good, man. Thank you all for