Series:
Why Does God Allow His People To Suffer?
#3
THE ESTABLISHING BENEFIT OF
SUFFERING
1 Peter 5:10
(First Baptist 6/7/06)
Outline
I. KEEP US LIVING FOR JESUS
a) The Life That Is Proper for the Christian
b) The Life That Is Produced in the Christian
II. KEEP US LABORING FOR JESUS
a) Service That Is Required by God
b) Service That Is Restored by God
III. KEEP US LOOKING FOR JESUS
a) The Longing That Is Commanded
b) The Longing That Is Created
1. The English writer, Somerset Maugham, once told the story about a
janitor of the St. Peter’s Church in London.
One day they discovered that the janitor was
illiterate and fired
him.
Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny shop. His
business prospered and he expanded by opening up another shop. In time
he ended up with a chain of stores worth several hundred thousands of
dollars.
One day the man’s banker said to him, “You have done
well for
someone who is illiterate, but where would you be if
you could
read and write?” The man replied, “Well, I would be
the janitor of
St. Peter’s Church.”
2. I wonder where we would be if not for certain things that happened
in our life.
What we often call tragedies actually serve to
produce triumphs in
our life.
The thing that we think will break us, often serves to build us.
3. No one likes to suffer.
No one enjoys going through the trials of life, but
oftentimes it’s
the dark clouds of suffering that bring the greatest
showers of
blessings.
4. We can look back and say, “If it hadn’t been for what I went
through, I wouldn’t be what I am and where I am.”
5. We are thinking about why God allows His people to suffer.
In 1 Peter 5:10, we’re given four reasons why God allows His people to
suffer.
In our last sermon we saw that suffering has a perfecting or restoring
work in our life.
Tonight I want us to think about how suffering has an establishing work
or benefit in our life.
6. Peter says “after we have suffered a while, make you perfect,
stablish….you.”
The word “stablish” is found often in the New
Testament and
means “to set, fix firmly.”
God uses suffering to ground us, to anchor certain things, fix firmly
certain things in our life.
7. Looking at other occurrences of the word in the Scripture, I want to
point out three areas in which we’re to be established or firmly fixed.
First, let me say a word about how God uses suffering to:
I. KEEP US LIVING FOR JESUS
1. One thing that God wants firmly fixed in our life is the
matter of living for Him.
This is indicated in 1 Thessalonians 3:13: “To the
end he may
stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God.”
We have our word “stablish” in Paul’s instruction and it involves the
matter of living for God.
As we look closer we see:
A) The Life That’s Proper for a Christian
1. Paul speaks of being established in a life that’s “unblameable
in holiness before God.”
Paul is speaking of the kind of life that should be
lived by
Christians.
It’s a kind of life that’s proper for
a person that is saved.
2. Paul speaks of it as a sacred life.
The word “holiness” speaks of that which is sacred.
Holiness speaks of a separation and consecration.
There’s a separation from the world and a consecration to God.
3. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, “For God hath not called us
unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
4. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:24 that we are to “put on
the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.”
5. Paul also speaks of it as a spotless life.
The word “unblameable” speaks of that which is
without blemish
or spot.
We’re to live a clean life before both God and the world.
God shouldn’t look on the inside
and find something there
that isn’t proper.
Neither should the world around look on the outside and find something
there that isn’t proper.
6. The Bible says in Philippians 2:15, “That ye may be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”
7. I read about a pastor who had a dream that he died and was met at
the gates of heaven by St. Peter. Peter began to give him a tour of
heaven.
One immediate observation the
pastor made was that on the
celestial walls were thousands
and thousands of clocks.
All of these clocks were ticking away but at different rates.
The pastor also noticed that under each clock was a
name. He asked what the clocks meant and St. Peter told him that each
clock was designed to keep track of an individual on earth.
Each time the person on earth, represented by a
clock, committed a sin, the hands of the clock made a complete
revolution.
On closer examination the pastor noticed the names of some of his
members.
He noticed that some rarely moved, while others
moved more than he expected. He began looking for the clock of Fred
Hefner. He couldn’t find and asked St. Peter about it.
He replied, “Oh, his clock! Well we moved it into
the office and
are using it for a ceiling fan.”
8. I guess there are several whose clocks could be used as a fan.
As Christians, there’s a life
that we’re to live that’s proper
for one who is a Christian.
Furthermore, I am mindful of:
B) The Life That’s Produced in a Christian
1. Notice with me 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, who
shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.”
Once again we find our word
“stablish.”
Notice that it’s God who “stablishes” or fixes firmly the life that’s
proper for a Christian.
God wants us
to keep from evil, and He works in
our life to
keep us from evil.
2. Now think about what Peter said about suffering.
He spoke of being “stablished” as a result of
suffering.
God often uses the trials and tragedies, the storms and sorrows, the
adversity and affliction of life to stablish us in the life we should
live.
Suffering is
often the means whereby God keeps us
living for
Him.
3. Hebrews 12 speaks of God’s chastening in our life.
Listen carefully to Hebrews 12:11, “Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are excercised
thereby.”
4. At times we find ourselves drifting from God. He often uses the
winds of adversity to draw us back and get us where we will live for
Him.
5. We saw last night that suffering has a restoring benefit in our
life.
Suffering is one the way’s God brings us back to God
when we
stray.
It’s also the instrument by which he keeps us living for God.
Sometimes we’re in and out, up and down, on and off
when it
comes to living for God.
BUT, God wants this matter of living for Him firmly fixed—stablished—in
our life.
Peter tells us
that suffering is a way that kind of a
life is
produced in us.
6. Let me give you a second area where God uses suffering to firmly fix
us.
Secondly, He uses suffering to:
II. KEEP US LABORING FOR JESUS
1. Another occurrence of the word “stablish” in the Bible is found in
2 Thessalonians 2:17, “Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every
good word and work.”
God not only wants the Christian to live for Him,
but also labor for
Him. God wants
to establish us in every good work.
Let’s look at this matter closer we see:
A) Service That’s Required By God
1. As you read the Word of God you find that Christian service is a
requirement that’s been given to every Christian by God.
In Mark 13, Jesus gave a parable of a man taking a far journey.
In verse 34 we read that he gave “to every man his
work.”
2. The lesson that Jesus was giving is that He would go back to heaven,
and when He went away, He’d give to every man a work to do.
3. Each Christian has a work to do, a work that’s been given to them by
God.
4. For me, it may be one thing; and for you another.
Whatever, there’s a work for each
Christian.
5. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord.”
In other words, we’re to be
firmly fixed in God’s work.
6. When we consider Peter’s words about the purpose of suffering we’re
reminded of:
B) Service That’s Restored by God
1. Again notice 1 Thessalonians 2:17, “Comfort your heart, and
stablish you in every good word and work.”
God wants to bring us to a place
where service is a matter
firmly fixed and established in
our life.
2. Suffering can be the means whereby God brings this to pass.
3. It isn’t unusual for a Christian to get out of God’s work.
We let things discourage us or distract us and we
quit serving God.
4. But then, God sends a trial or a time of suffering in our life and
uses it to get us back in God’s work.
5. When General Lee was soundly defeated at Gettysburg, he wrote
Jefferson Davis, “We must expect reverses, even defeats. They are sent
to teach us wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies, and to
prevent our falling into greater disasters.”
6. Suffering is used by God to “call forth greater energies.”
It’s a way that God get us in His work and keeps us
in His work.
Service becomes a matter firmly fixed in our life.
7. I know of many who are serving God because of a trial they went
through.
It may be that God used suffering
in your life to get you
into His work.
Let me give you one more area of our life that God uses suffering to
firmly fix in our life.
Thirdly, God uses suffering to:
III. KEEP US LOOKING FOR JESUS
1. Another occurrence of the word “stablish” is found in James 5:8, “Be
ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.”
2. One of the great promises of the Bible is the return of Jesus.
Jesus will come again just as He promised.
The Bible speaks of the attitude the believer ought to have about the
Lord’s return.
Notice with me:
A) The Longing That’s Commanded
1. The Bible says in 2 Peter 3:12, “Looking for and hasting unto the
coming of the day of God.”
The word “hasting” speaks of a
deep longing for the return
of Jesus.
2. We’re to look for His return and long for His return.
As Christians, we’re to live each
day in anticipation and
expectation of the Lord’s return.
3. We’re to be watching and waiting for the Lord to return, as
Peter said, “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of
God.”
4. The Bible says in Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, and
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”
The Lord could return at any day.
He could return this very day, SO
we ought to watching and
waiting, looking and longing for
His return.
Now in light of Peter’s words about the purpose of suffering I think
of:
B) The Longing That’s Created
1. James said, “stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord
draweth nigh.”
The Lord wants our looking and longing for the
Lord’s return
firmly fixed in our hearts.
2. He doesn’t want an occasional anticipation or expectation, but a
constant looking and longing for His return.
3. Through suffering God creates in our hearts a longing for His
return.
Many a saint on the sickbed has longed for the
Lord’s return.
4. The burdens and trials of life have often turned the eyes and heart
of a person toward heaven with a longing for the return of Jesus.
5. James Dobson, in one of his film series, told about a five-year-old
boy that was dying of lung cancer. His lungs would often fill with
fluid making it difficult to breathe. His mother, a Christian, stayed
at his side every moment. She would cradle him in her lap and talk to
him about the Lord. Instinctively, she was preparing her son for the
final hours to come.
One day a nurse walked into his room and she heard the little boy say,
“Mommie, the bells are ringing. I can hear them mommie.”
The nurse thought that since he was so near death that he was
hallucinating. She left and returned a few minutes later and again
heard him talking about hearing the bells ringing.
The nurse said to the mother, “I’m sure you know that your baby is
hearing things that aren’t there. He’s hallucinating from his sickness
and the medicine.”
The mother pulled her son close to her and said, “No, he isn’t
hallucinating. I told him that when he was frightened, when he couldn’t
breath, if he’d listen carefully, he could hear the bells of heaven
ringing for him. That’s what he has been talking about all day.
The little boy died on his mother’s lap later that afternoon and he was
still talking about hearing the bells of heaven ringing when he
breathed his last.
6. It’s when we suffer that we began listening for the bells of heaven,
the ringing of bells that’ll call us from this world of suffering and
sorrow.
7. IS THERE A REASON FOR OUR SUFFERING?
Oh yes! God allows His people to
suffer to establish and fix
firmly in our heart certain
things.
It’s His way of keeping us:
Living for Jesus, Laboring for Jesus, and Looking
for Jesus.
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