Sermon
1/8/12
Philippians 1:12-14- How To Enjoy Life
Audio Sermon
How To Enjoy Life
by Pastor Chad Lucio
(Audio by Pastor Ron Beckham)
“I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear” (Philippians 1:12-14)
We suffer because sin has entered the world. We even cause it before we’re born. Your mom will agree; whether it was morning sickness, pains, acid reflux, etc, let alone the delivery. One third of the Psalms, which are songs to be sung in praise or thanks to God, are songs of lament where God’s people groan, struggle and suffer. Whole Books like Lamentations deal with deep mourning. Every prophet in the Bible except Haggai has at least one lament. Jeremiah was the “weeping prophet.” Human suffering is so real and raw in the Bible that there are those who despite their love for God, question why they suffered. Maybe you can identify with them. Maybe you wonder about yourself: “Why was I ever even born?”
Suffering may make you uncomfortable and you avoid it. You don’t like certain TV programs or websites, certain books, magazines because, “I will hear of suffering. I would like to live in a world where I am fine, the people I know are fine and things are fine.” You and I can only handle so much, and consider what it must be like to be God. Every moment He sees all injustice, evil, sin, atrocity, pain and suffering. God always hears those who are weeping, wailing, screaming, shouting, crying, moaning in agony, and pain, and suffering. We are overwhelmed, but for God it is continual, relating to every human being on earth.
The question is not, “Will I suffer?” but, “How will I suffer? Will we do it in a way that is purposeful so God might do something in and through us, or will it be purposeless? Paul was a man who experienced tremendous suffering. Here are his words: "…five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times… beaten with rods; once… stoned; three times I was shipwrecked … in perils of waters… of robbers… of my own countrymen… of the Gentiles… in the city… in the wilderness… in the sea… among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst… in cold and nakedness – besides… my deep concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).
Paul understood suffering. Let me set the stage of Philippians Chapter One. Paul was a man who had gone to Philippi, a regional city like Los Angeles. He faithfully preached the Gospel and some, primarily women, became the core group of Christians. He was imprisoned and beaten, but God delivered him. Paul cared for them and they cared for him. The church matured for about 11 years. He started other churches, hadn’t been there for four years, and was in prison for preaching the Gospel. The church in Philippi heard about their beloved pastor and were concerned for his health, his very life.
They collected and gave a generous offering to a trustworthy man named Epaphroditus and said, “Go find Paul in prison. Tell him we love him, we care for him, we’re concerned for him. Give him this money so that he can have whatever he needs even though he’s in prison, and bring us a report of how our pastor is doing.” Along the way, Epaphroditus became sick and faced the possibility of his own death. They grieved because of the potential death of not only their pastor, but their fellow church leader who was to report back. God miraculously healed Epaphroditus, allowing him to continue on his mission and he found Paul in prison, giving Paul the generous gift. In response, Paul sat down in his dirty jail cell and wrote this letter. What did he write? - How to have joy in suffering while facing the possibility of death.
Paul doesn’t tell us his circumstances. We don’t know if he was hungry or well fed; if he had broken bones; if he was sick; if he slept on the floor or in a bed. We don’t know if he had a blanket or if he shivered at night. All he said is, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me… advance(d) the Gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole palace guard.” Paul showed us suffering can be purposeful and not purposeless.
As Christians, we choose how we will suffer. Will you do it in a way that God does good through you? It’s called “sanctification,” where in suffering, hardship, pain, mourning, loss and strife, we become more like Jesus Christ. Or will our stubbornness prevent that good? Times of suffering can become an excuse for sin: “I am suffering, so I have right to do this or that.” It becomes an occasion for bitterness, anger, for mourning in an unhealthy way. It becomes our identity, rather than an identity in Christ. Some become bitter as if God was unjust and did us wrong. Will you suffer in such a way that God, through Jesus Christ, will grow you in love, mercy, patience, kindness, faith, humility and Christ-likeness? In your suffering will you love Jesus more? Will your suffering purify you? When we go through suffering, the impure and wrong motivations for faithfulness to Jesus can be stripped away. Paul is a great example. He had no freedom; he had nothing to gain in all of this. His motives were pure. It was all for Jesus.
Will your suffering redirect your priorities toward Jesus? You and I can so easily get off the message of His Word, not focused on His will for our lives but instead on our problems, our pain. It’s an opportunity for Jesus in and through us, to know Him better, love Him more and be closer to Him. Suffering clarifies our focus and redirects our priorities. Don’t waste it. Your tears, hardship and your struggle will not be in vain, but instead a God-ordained opportunity for Him in and through your life. Unfortunately, many have a wrong concept of it. Here are five ways in which suffering is taught incorrectly:
First, "You can avoid suffering if you just have a lot of faith." They basically say, “If you have enough faith, you won’t get sick and you won’t be broke. You’ll be healthy and wealthy.” For those who believe that, when they see a Christian suffer, rather than comforting, they rebuke them.
Second, “Suffering automatically makes you a victim.” For some, when they hear messages on suffering they simply declare, “I am suffering. Therefore, I’m like Jesus.” No, you’re not. Jesus was sinless. You and I have sin and we can suffer because of it. For example, to disrespect your boss is to suffer unemployment. If you’re cruel to your spouse, you’ll suffer divorce. Eat and drink too much and suffer physical ailments. We reap what we’ve sown.
Third, "Suffering is a punishment for sin.” There is not always a correlation between suffering and sin. In the New Testament a man was born blind and some followers of Jesus asked Him, “Is he blind because of his parent’s sin or his sin?” Jesus said, “Neither. He’s blind that the glory of God might be revealed in him.” His suffering was purposeful. It was not the consequence of sin.
Fourth, “Suffering is to be avoided at all cost.” Decisions are often based upon, “What will be the path of least resistance? What will cause the least pain and suffering? God might call us to hardship, to suffering. Had Jesus chosen the path without suffering, we would be dead in our sins. One author said, “I would rather have a bumpy ride to Heaven than a smooth ride to hell.”
Fifth. “Suffering is atonement.” God does not make us pay Him for our sin, for our debt. Some believe, “I’m suffering now in life because God is punishing me for all the sins I committed when I was young.” Jesus died for ALL your sins. He’s was punished in your place. God is not making you pay it back. We don’t believe in karma, penance or purgatory. We believe in Jesus.
Why is the topic of suffering so flawed in churches? Look with me at Philippians 1:15-18 - “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” Sometimes when people teach the Bible it’s not about the glory of God and honoring Jesus. Sometimes it’s about rivalry, jealousy, and selfish ambition. When Paul went to prison, some were glad and rejoiced. Some teachers said, “Why follow Paul? He’s sick and I’m healthy, he’s poor, I’m rich; he’s in prison and I’m free; he’s dying and I’m living. Who do you think God’s blessing resides upon? Obviously, not that man.”
In suffering, the key is to rejoice, which is different than happiness, an emotion that comes and goes. I can be happy after eating a good meal, happy the sun is out or happy a good TV show is on. Joy is more. You can’t say to someone who is suffering or in pain, “Be happy.” It would be cruel. Joy is a choice for each of us. Throughout the Scriptures, particularly in Psalms, we’re told repeatedly, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice!” Joy is a choice, a lifestyle, and is possible in suffering. We don’t rejoice because we are suffering. We rejoice because suffering is opportunity for God to do something great; that we will trust Jesus more; that others will become better as Christians through our suffering. Let’s not waste our hardship, our tears, our pain or sickness, but rejoice in everything, knowing that Jesus will be glorified. One person put it this way, “Christians are like nails. The harder you hit them, the deeper they go.” When life hammers you, rejoice; not in the pain of the strike, but in the depth of its effect. You will go deeper in Christ because of your suffering. You don’t rejoice because of the suffering. You rejoice because God will drive you deeper into the living Christ through the blows you have suffered.
Father, let our suffering bring glory to God and others to Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen.
This sermon is by Pastor Chad Lucio, who was born in 1979 and went to be with the Lord on 10/18/11, after a long battle with cancer. This was his last sermon. Pray for his young widow and for his children. The audio is by Pastor Ron Beckham.
