2 Corinthians 12:9-10

1
(No Transcript)
2

• 2 Corinthians 129-10
• 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.

3

• World's Way......
  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 thingsSeek first the kingdom

4
Hope for Those Who Suffer

• www.suffering.net

5

• The Gospel and Suffering
• 2. A Biblical Response to Suffering

6
The Gospel and Suffering .5 Points.

• 1. God did not create suffering, evil and death
  
• 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
7
1. God did not create suffering, evil and death
8

• The source of evil is not Gods power but
  mankinds freedom to choose sin!
• You cant have a world where theres real choice,
  while at the same time no possibility for man to
  choose evil.

9
God is sovereign over evil

• Acts 223
• 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 427-28
• 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.

10
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

11
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

12
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

13
2. God can and does use suffering to accomplish
good
14
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
15
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

16

• 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 828

17

• The most important message is that God has a
  tremendous purpose for the suffering that you are
  going through right now
• If you dont see the purpose now thats ok
  youre not God
• God deserves our trust.

18
A Biblical Response to SufferingStep A
19
3. We decide whether pain in this life is going
to harden or soften us
20

• In our lives will suffering be a stepping stone
  or a stumbling block to our faith?
• We decide.

21

• 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.

22

• Can you see ANY WAY God can take that pain in
  your life and make something good out of it ?

23

• Suffering, with dignity, may enable you to mark
  more lives for Christ than anything else you say
  or do for Christ.
• Bill Hybels

24

• 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

25
4. Any suffering we experience in this life will
pale in comparison to what God has in store for
His followers
26

• 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.

27

• I consider that our present sufferings are not
  worth
• comparing with the glory that will be revealed
• in us (Rom 818)

• For our light and momentary troubles are
  achieving
• for us an eternal glory that far outweighs
• them all (II Cor 417)
• For our citizenship is in heaven. (Phil 320)

28
A Biblical Response to SufferingStep B
29

• When God calls us into suffering, He is not
  calling us away from joy but into joy

30
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 for us in
  the heavenlies !

31
Our Source of Joy !

• We have the Holy Spirit overflowing!
• Signifies a new birth and life in Christ (John
  38)
• He will be with us forever! (John 1416-17)
• Convicts us of sin and righteousness (John
  167-8)
• Controlled by the HS not our sinful nature (Rom
  89)
• Intercedes for us in prayer and weakness (Rom
  826)
• Deposit guarantor of our inheritance (2 Cor
  121-22)
• Transforming us to his likeness with ever
  increasing glory (2 Cor 318)
• Varying gifts !!! (2 Cor 124-11)
• Incredible fruits !!!! (Gal 522)

32
A Biblical Response to SufferingStep C
Rejoice because your names are written in
heaven! Jesus to his disciples (Luke 1020)
33
5. The day is coming when suffering will be
ceased and evil will be judged
34
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.

35
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 39

36
A Biblical Response to SufferingFinal Step
B
A
C
D
37
The Goal

• The Gospel and Suffering
• 2. A Biblical Response to Suffering

38
The Gospel and Suffering .5 Points.

• 1. God did not create suffering, evil and death
  
• 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
39
A Biblical Response
B
A
C
D
40
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.

41
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

42
Hope for Those Who Suffer

• www.suffering.net