Sermon Outline By Steve Mays
Where: Faith Baptist Church
When: April 16, 2000
Title: Suffering...

Text: Colossians 1:12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

In the passage Paul deals with his, (the believers) sufferings and the Lord's sufferings.

May I say this morning the Lord suffered and you will too..

A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears. - Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592)

I owe more to the fire and the hammer and the file than to anything else in my Lord's workshop. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. When my schoolroom is darkened, I see most. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but for scars. - Elbert Green Hubbard (1856-1915)

This morning I want to focus on suffering, It has tremendous value, we need to understand it. God is allowing suffering in our lives to form something in us.

Pearls are the product of pain... a precious, tiny jewel conceived through irritation, born of adversity, and nursed by adjustments. Some oysters are never wounded and those who seek for gems toss them aside, fit only for stew.

I. The Suffering of Christ

26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Misery

29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

In our text we read...

Col. 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Mockery

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

He went through this because of my sin!

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Message

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

What A Savour!

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

Constrain.. to hold together lest it fall to pieces or something fall away from it

II. The Suffering of Christians

One of the worst things ever disseminated from the TV preachers was that, "If you live right you'll not have any problems". That preaches good, and sounds nice, but there is not an ounce of truth in it..

Turn with me to James 1:1-5

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Develops Patience -

Vr. 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

By Definition - In the NT the word "patience" speaks of the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings

The more you endure, the more you'll be able to endure.. We say, "God take this problem away, this burden away," but God has put it there to form Christ in us and strengthen us for the days ahead.

It is nonsense to say that suffering makes saints; it makes some people devils. - Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

Develops Perfection - Maturity

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

God is going to make some of us suffer because that is the only thing that gets our attention

Suffering will shut up a gossip..
Suffering will get you to tithing..
Suffering will get you to church..

One thing about the suffering lessons.. If you don't pass, be sure that you'll retake them until you do.. Suffering will make you bitter or better...

Develops Praying

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

God is very interested in you and I having a close walk with HIM.

Sometimes it's going to take suffering to get our attention. Who knows what this year has in store. May it all draw us to Christ and a closer walk..

Develops Prices

1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

No one truly knows happiness who has not suffered. -- Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821-1881)

Develops Pastoral Care

A man who has not suffered, what does he know? - Henry Suso (1295-1366)

-- God is going to let you hurt
so that you can help others





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