Preparing Yourself for Suffering
John Piper spoke at our church, College Park Church, in Indianapolis, Indiana on the topic of Suffering. It was an incredible message on preparing ourselves for suffering. Most surprising was the verses Piper used to help us prepare to suffer - not your typical "suffering bible verses".
To hear the message, click this link or listen below.
Scripture:
"If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
On March 2, 2014, Jon Piper gave a sermon at our church on preparing ourselves for suffering using the verses above.
My initial thought was "how is he going to use "non-suffering verses" to help me prepare for suffering?" I thought Piper had lost it......But then he began preaching, and I learned otherwise......
Piper had 3 observations in this text:
Paul's preparation to suffer
Paul's suffering
Paul's aim (passion, desire, purpose) through suffering
1. Paul's preparation to suffer - vv. 5-6
Paul states his pedigree, which to the Jew is an incredible, incredible pedigree.
His passion is also evident in his persecution of the church.
His righteousness as to the law could not be questioned - a Pharisee of Pharisees - the top guy!
Then in Acts 9, on the road to Damascus, he meets Christ and his whole life is turned upside down. Paul hears Christ say, "Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?" and Paul's life as he knew it, was over.
So, how does Paul then prepare his life for his upcoming suffering? verse 7.........."7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ."
How do you prepare to suffer? Like Paul, you turn upside down your value system!
Has that happened to you? Matthew 13:44 - Hidden Treasure 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."
Only when your mind considers this to be true, will it be true......Jesus said in Luke 14:33, "33 So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up of all his own possessions."
What does it practically mean to regard everything in your life as loss to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus? I mean, I have clothes, a car, shoes and other things, does it mean I give them up? Piper says, practically, it means 4 things:
Whenever I'm called upon to choose between anything and Christ, I choose Christ.
If I'm called upon to choose between a computer and Christ, a movie and Christ, my life and Christ.........I choose Christ always!
I will deal with all the things in the world in a way that draws me closer to Christ or I won't deal with them.
We need to be Christian through and through....... If even a portion of a "good movie" has items that dishonor God, stay away from it. Count it all as loss to knowing Christ.
Deal with things in the world in a way that shows these things are not my treasure.
Do they ask at work - "is it evident what he treausres by how he acts at work?"
Lose any and all things the world offers without losing my joy.
If any person or anything is ripped out of my hand, (by force, choice, or circumstance )it cannot and will not destroy my joy!
v 8 - "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,"
Why does it say "count all things to be loss" and how does that prepare me to suffer?
Suffering is a taking away of something that offers us benefit or pleasure, that is good.
- It could be health, job, child, money, spouse, friends, strength, physical abilities, hearing, sight, sexual life, success.......name it.....
So - how do we prepare ourselves to suffer when we do lose these things??? Well, we count them as loss - TODAY! That's what Paul is saying!
If you count it as loss now in comparison to knowing Jesus, when suffering does come, you will be prepared for it!
2. Paul's suffering - v. 8
v8b - "for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ"
it's not "counting it as loss anymore, Paul actually has suffered the loss of all things per vs 8b......!
3. Paul's aim (passion, desire, purpose) through/in suffering — vv. 7-10
v7-10 - 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
- Each of us was created to know, to love, to admire, to joy - - - the greatest greatness in the universe - Jesus Christ.
- But sin came into the world and destroyed everything - - made us think backward - and as a result, we love (admire, joy) our own accomplishments, ourselves, our pride, our significance...
But Paul explains his position in vv7-10!
like in v8 where Paul says I continue to lose and suffer all things, lose in things the world admires, but I count these things as garbage so that I may gain Christ!
But doesn't Paul already have Christ? Of course, v12 shows this, but Paul wants EVERYTHING that God can give him!
Paul keeps going - showing that he wants all of Christ::
that I may be found in Him.........
that I may know Him.........
that I may know the the power of His resurrection............
that I may know the fellowship of His sufferings..............
that I may be conformed to His death........
that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.................so that Paul could be with Christ forever!
Paul is saying I get more in suffering - - now and in the resurrection.......
So, get ready to suffer, as it is coming for you......
Why get ready? Because of the intimacy factor - God has ordained that you will know Him and know His Son, in a way, more deeply, more sweetly, more satisfyingly, more amazingly, more wonderfully through suffering than any other way.
Photo via Christianity.com
