Coming Up Sonday September 20, 2015
Philippians 1:12-18. Suffering Suffering & Trouble Makers
Read Acts 16:24-25; Philippians 1:12-14
How do you cope with trying or difficult times? How do you endure through times of suffering? What’s your “normal” mode of existence when life goes sour? These are vital questions if we are to grow and develop a dangerous faith.
Paul endured many prison sentences. We read of one such imprisonment in Philippi on Paul’s first journey to that city. After driving out a demon from a slave girl and removing the owners’ means of making money Paul ended up in gaol. Even though this is not the gaol sentence he refers to in Philippians 1:12-14, it clearly exemplifies his attitude towards suffering. While Paul is in stocks in gaol he, together with his fellow prisoner Silas, prays and sings hymns to God. Paul’s prayers and hymns are not whispered prayers or prayers of the heart but rather are loud enough for all the prison to hear! Paul unashamedly bellows out his prayers and songs to the Lord. Do you and I unashamedly pray and sing to the Lord in tough times?
As Paul writes to the Philippian church he’s again in gaol. This time it’s more than likely a Roman gaol. Paul’s letter could have been filled with the injustices he has suffered. It could have contained a prayer for legal help. But rather than any of these Paul looks for reasons to praise God. And being gospel minded, Paul rejoices that the gospel is advancing by his being in gaol. Do we look for reasons to praise God in our trials and tough times?
There are two gospel results flowing out from Paul’s imprisonment. Firstly, Paul praises God that the entire palace guard and everyone else knows that’s he’s in gaol for the gospel. He’s not being punished for being a thief or a meddler or even for being a murderer or extortionist but for being a Jesus-follower. As such, many in the palace guard and many throughout the region/city would have been challenged to think seriously about following Christ Jesus. Do we rejoice as people see us suffering for the Lord?
Secondly, those in Christ Jesus have been emboldened and spurred on to preach the Word more courageously and fearlessly. If Paul is suffering for the gospel we can too. If Paul can go to gaol for the Lord, we can too. Our suffering for the Lord almost always leads to a blessed encouragement for others if we stand up under the trial and give glory to God. Do we rejoice that our suffering encourages and blesses others and urges them to be more courageous and fearless in their preaching?
If we are to cultivate a dangerous faith within our Christian world we need to stop looking at ourselves and we need to start looking at Christ Jesus and the effect our suffering has on others. We need to learn to rejoice and to consider our sufferings of many kinds as pure joy.
Prayer:
Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for
Adoration:
Confession
Thanks
Supplication:
· Spend time praising God for the good He brings out through our suffering.
· Pray for the people in your congregation who may be suffering in some way. Pray that they would be Jesus focused and able to praise God through this time.
Discussion Questions For Families and Groups
1. Consider how you might be able to encourage Johan who is a member of your church. Recently he got kicked off the local football team because in a controversial penalty against his team he chose to tell the truth (because of his Christian conviction). His team was subsequently beaten and he was sacked from the team. He now has no chance of making the state and national teams.
One on One
Sarah was unexpectedly “arrested” in China for producing a Christian newspaper. She was interrogated for unduly long periods and was humiliated and treated poorly because she loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
Throughout her ordeal she was ordered to sign a document that incriminated both herself and her fellow believers. Refusing to sign the document caused much fear and heartache for Sarah. At one point her feet were chained with a heavy chain like a murderous criminal and she was ordered to walk around the cell for the entire night, even though her ankles and feet were deeply lacerated. She walked in her own blood for most of the night.
Reflecting on her ordeal Sarah said, ‘I think of Christ and how he was beaten before walking to Golgotha, how he must have also left a trail of his own blood. He also was hated by this world. In a small way I now suffer for him. I am not alone. I am with Christ who walked this path for me and this gives me the courage to go on.
Sarah never signed the document and was imprisoned for 6 years.
You can watch Sarah’s Story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUpp-M4ECBs
If we are to suffer suffering well for Jesus’ sake and if we are to endure trouble makers without retaliating like the world does then we have to take Colossians 3:1-2 seriously.
Since then you have been raised with Christ set your heart on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.
By taking Colossians 3:1-2 seriously we resolve to meditate upon Jesus’ work for us at Calvary and His victorious ascension to the right hand of God the Father. We need to know deep within ourselves that Jesus suffered for us, shed His blood for us and died for us even while we were His enemies. We need to know and appreciate that Jesus’ love has been fully given to us, even though we were undeserving of His love.
But this mediation and setting of our heart and mind cannot be something we resolve to do when life gets tough. It’s something we must do daily, consistently as we journey through life. If we were asked to run a 30km marathon tomorrow, most of us would fail. So too with suffering. We have to be prepared and ready. Focusing our heart and mind on things above is training for the day of suffering. It is marathon training.
Only in Christ will we endure well. Only in Christ will we show love and compassion to our enemies. Only in Christ will we be victorious.
You can and will endure. You can and will walk through the fire but only as you live in Christ Jesus.
Sarah was unexpectedly “arrested” in China for producing a Christian newspaper. She was interrogated for unduly long periods and was humiliated and treated poorly because she loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
Throughout her ordeal she was ordered to sign a document that incriminated both herself and her fellow believers. Refusing to sign the document caused much fear and heartache for Sarah. At one point her feet were chained with a heavy chain like a murderous criminal and she was ordered to walk around the cell for the entire night, even though her ankles and feet were deeply lacerated. She walked in her own blood for most of the night.
Reflecting on her ordeal Sarah said, ‘I think of Christ and how he was beaten before walking to Golgotha, how he must have also left a trail of his own blood. He also was hated by this world. In a small way I now suffer for him. I am not alone. I am with Christ who walked this path for me and this gives me the courage to go on.
Sarah never signed the document and was imprisoned for 6 years.
You can watch Sarah’s Story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUpp-M4ECBs
If we are to suffer suffering well for Jesus’ sake and if we are to endure trouble makers without retaliating like the world does then we have to take Colossians 3:1-2 seriously.
Since then you have been raised with Christ set your heart on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above not on earthly things.
By taking Colossians 3:1-2 seriously we resolve to meditate upon Jesus’ work for us at Calvary and His victorious ascension to the right hand of God the Father. We need to know deep within ourselves that Jesus suffered for us, shed His blood for us and died for us even while we were His enemies. We need to know and appreciate that Jesus’ love has been fully given to us, even though we were undeserving of His love.
But this mediation and setting of our heart and mind cannot be something we resolve to do when life gets tough. It’s something we must do daily, consistently as we journey through life. If we were asked to run a 30km marathon tomorrow, most of us would fail. So too with suffering. We have to be prepared and ready. Focusing our heart and mind on things above is training for the day of suffering. It is marathon training.
Only in Christ will we endure well. Only in Christ will we show love and compassion to our enemies. Only in Christ will we be victorious.
You can and will endure. You can and will walk through the fire but only as you live in Christ Jesus.
Personal Questions
1. How’s your prayer life?
2. Describe your current thought life?
3. How’s your relationship with your spouse or your parents?
4. Discuss how and if you’ve struggled with sin/temptation this week.
5. How are you worshipping God through work, family and social networks?
· for endurance and guidance for those who are suffering for the gospel.
· pray for those like Sarah in jail for their faith, that they may endure and make many disciples for Jesus even while in jail.
1. What will setting your heart and mind on things above look like in your life?
2. List 5 things you can be doing every day to refocus your heart and mind on Christ Jesus?
3. If you find yourself being distracted by life, by busyness and by other things, what can you do?
4. List 2 other people you can encourage this week to endure through tough times and pray for a meaningful way to encourage them.
No comments:
Post a Comment