Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 7

We’ve seen a bunch of principles from the book of Hebrews on the topic of suffering.  I got to preach the final message in the series.  (If you wish, you can access that message here):

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I’ve been challenged by the principle that the Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — Death! (2:9).  How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?  We’ve seen that God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation (2:10), so how dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?  In principle #3 we saw that remembering our suffering brings believers together to support and encourage each other.  How dare I waste my suffering by forgetting the past or by not standing with those suffering in the present?

We also saw the principle that experiencing loss focuses our longing on the next life’s better and lasting possessions! (10:34).  “How dare I allow myself to be captivated by this world’s stuff?!”  A fifth principle was that suffering loss in this world should not dampen our confidence in the rich rewards of the next world! (10:35).  The question we asked ourselves was: How dare I act like a pagan and give all my attention to

My grandson Jeremiah might say,

this world and its things?!  In our last post we saw the principle that Persevering in this life and doing the will of God will bring the pleasure of God and full salvation! (10:36-39). How dare I give up, shrink back, and not live by faith in the One coming back for me?! 

Our final principle comes out of Hebrews 12 and is simply this:  Principle #7: Making the Lord Jesus Christ my model motivates my choices, increases my endurance, and joyfully sharpens my vision for what really counts in this life! (12:1-4)  There we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”  The “How Dare I?” question is:  How dare I live my life as it were my own, stand on the spiritual sidelines, and not fight sin with every once of strength that He gives me?!  Are you fighting sin?  I love this quote from the professional baseball player-turned preacher, Billy Sunday:

“Listen, I’m against sin. I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist, I’ve butt it as long as I’ve got a head, and I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth. And when I’m old, fistless, footless, and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition.”
― Billy Sunday

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 6

In our church’s study of the book of Hebrews, I was tasked with preaching the final message in that series.  If you wish, you can access that message here:

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We’ve seen the following principles from Hebrews about suffering (each followed by a question):

Principle #1: The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9). “How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?”

Principle #2: God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation! (2:10).  “How dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?!”

Principle #3: Remembering our sufferings brings believers together to support & encourage each other!  How dare I waste my suffering by forgetting the past or not standing with those suffering in the present?!

Principle #4: Experiencing loss focuses our longing on the next life’s better and lasting possessions! (10:34).  “How dare I allow myself to be captivated by this world’s stuff?!” 

Principle #5: Suffering loss in this world should not dampen our confidence in the rich rewards of the next world! (10:35).  How dare I act like a pagan and give all my attention to this world and its things?!

Today’s principle is simply this:  Principle #6: Persevering in this life and doing the will of God will bring the pleasure of God and full salvation! (10:36-39). We get this principle from the following verses:

36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37 For, “In just a little while,
he who is coming will come
and will not delay.”
38 And, “But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure
in the one who shrinks back.”
39 But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

The question I would ask here is:  How dare I give up, shrink back, and not live by faith in the One coming back for me?!  The Bible is clear that there are three aspects to our salvation:  I have been saved, I am being saved, and I will be saved.

Tempted to give up?  to shrink back?  to not live by faith?  DON’T DO IT!

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 5

In our church’s study of the book of Hebrews, my assignment was the question, “What do we learn about suffering from this book?”  If you wish, you can access that message here:

.  We’ve seen Principle #1- The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9).  We then asked the question, “How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?”

In our second installment we saw Principle #2 – God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation! (2:10).  We then asked the question, “How dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?!”

The third principle we saw in the book of Hebrews was: Principle #3:  Remembering our sufferings brings believers together to support & encourage each other!  The question we asked was: How dare I waste my suffering by forgetting the past or not standing with those suffering in the present?!

The fourth principle from the book of Hebrews on suffering was:  Principle #4: Experiencing loss focuses our longing on the next life’s better and lasting possessions! (10:34)  And the question we asked was: “How dare I allow myself to be captivated by this world’s stuff?!” 

Today’s principle is simply this:  Principle #5: Suffering loss in this world should not dampen our confidence in the rich rewards of the next world! (10:35).  We get that principle from verse 35 which says, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.”

If you’re like me, there is a lot of stuff you simply need to throw away!  Or at least donate to Good Will.  What we don’t want to throw away is our confidence in the rich rewards of the next world!  The idea of God giving His faithful servants rewards seems scoffed at by some super-spiritual saints, but the Bible teaches that encouraging concept.  The question we asked regarding this principle is: How dare I act like a pagan and give all my attention to this world and its things?!

When you or I focus our primary attention on the world and its things, we look exactly like the pagan world around us.  Jesus speaks in Matthew 6 about prayer and says,  “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Are you running?  For things in this world — or the next?

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 4

Our church has been going throughthe book of Hebrews.  My assignment was the question, “What do we learn about suffering from this book?”  You can access that message here:

.  In part 1, we saw Principle #1- The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9).  We then asked the question, “How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?”

In our second installment we saw Principle #2 – God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation! (2:10).  There we read, “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”  We then asked the question, “How dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?!”

The third principle we saw in the book of Hebrews was simply this: Principle #3:  Remembering our sufferings brings believers together to support & encourage each other! This principle comes out of Hebrews, chapter 10:  “32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.”  The question we asked was: How dare I waste my suffering by forgetting the past or not standing with those suffering in the present?!

The fourth principle from the book of Hebrews on suffering is this:  Principle #4: Experiencing loss focuses our longing on the next life’s better and lasting possessions! (10:34)  In that verse we read,  “You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.”  The question we asked was: “How dare I allow myself to be captivated by this world’s stuff?!”  We are not saying that having stuff is wrong for the believer.  Possessions are fine.  The challenge is that I shouldn’t let my possessions possess me!

I’ve been working my way through a very helpful book entitled Becoming Worldly Saints: Can You Serve Jesus and Still Enjoy Your Life? by Michael Wittmer.  It’s so good that I’ve asked to teach it in a series of Sunday School lessons in our church.  Did you catch that last statement?  I asked to teach a Sunday School class!

Unlike some other books that seem to say we shouldn’t enjoy anything in this life, and sacrifice all comfort for Christ, Wittmer’s book gives us a balanced view, including the concept from I Timothy 6 that “God has richly given us all things to enjoy.”  Here’s one quote:  “We must love God more than the world, yet if we truly love God, we will also love the world, on his behalf. God matters more than the world, but because he loves it, the world now matters.” 

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 3

I recently preached the last message in our church’s series on the book of Hebrews.  My assignment was the question, “What do we learn about suffering from this book?”  If you are interested, you can access that message here:

.  In part 1, we saw Principle #1- The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9).  We then asked the question, “How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?”

We saw in our second installment Principle #2 – God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation! (2:10).  There we read, “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”  We then asked the question, “How dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?!”

The third principle I see in the book of Hebrews is simply this: Principle #3:  Remembering our sufferings brings believers together to support & encourage each other! This principle comes out of Hebrews, chapter 10:  “32 Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated.”  The question we would ask is: How dare I waste my suffering by forgetting the past or not standing with those suffering in the present?!

Let me ask you to do three things this morning:

(1) Reflect on some suffering in your past — and thank God for His seeing you through that time.  Perhaps you would describe that time as “a great conflict full of suffering” (v. 32).

(2) Have you recently been insulted or persecuted for your living for Jesus?  I think those days are coming when there will be more and more public scorning of God’s people and the truths which they hold (v. 33).

(3) With whom are you standing “side by side” in their being so treated?  The church is not a social club for sanctified saints, but a hospital for suffering, redeemed sinners!  As one American revolutionary put it (I think it was Patrick Henry), “If we do not hang together, we will hang separately!”

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 2

I recently preached the last message in our church’s series on the book of Hebrews.  If you wish, you can access that message here:

. My assignment was the question, “What do we learn about suffering from this book?”  In part 1, we saw Principle #1- The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9).  We then asked the question, “How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?”

The second principle we glean from this study is taken from Hebrews 2:10 where we read, “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.”  The lesson is: Principle #2 –  God used suffering to perfect the Pioneer of our salvation! (2:10).  We then asked, “How dare I resist His using suffering to perfect me?!”

In His humanity, the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus, became fully human.  But the Father used suffering to “perfect” the Pioneer of our salvation!  There is a divine mystery here — but in some way Christ’s humanity needed the instrument of suffering to become complete or perfect.

I’m not perfect and — news flash! — neither are you, my friend.  We need suffering to become mature, complete, perfected.  We don’t chase down suffering or invite tribulations.  And we don’t have to.  But God can and wants to use suffering as a tool to mature us in Christ!

In the early church martyrdom became a goal which some Christians literally pursued.  Some Christians tried to provoke their persecutors to kill them, for it was considered glorious to lose one’s life for Christ.  This practice of seeking suffering in the form of martyrdom was forbidden in the early church.  Suffering is inevitable, given lovingly by an intentional and sovereign God.

We don’t need to pursue suffering.  But we do need to ask, “How can God use this situation in my life to make me more like the Pioneer of my salvation?”

Your thoughts?

 

Seven Lessons for Suffering Saints (a study of Hebrews): Part 1

We’ve been going through the Letter to the Hebrews in our church — and I get to preach the final message this coming Sunday. Three passages deal specifically with the issue of suffering and persecution: Hebrews 2, 10, and 12. Very clear principles jump out at me as I look at these three texts.

The first is simply this: Principle #1- The Lord Jesus suffered the worst life can bring — DEATH! (2:9). How dare I ever feel that Jesus can’t understand my suffering?

I find this principle in Hebrews 2:9 “But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”  The Second Person of the Divine Trinity, the Lord Jesus, “suffered death.”  Biblical Christianity teaches that the only way that God could save man was for man’s sins to be paid for by the God-man Jesus.  And that’s exactly what He did for us!

Think about it:  The Triune God always enjoyed a loving relationship with each other throughout eternity.  And then God created man.  Man rebelled against God, falling into sin.  Man then owed God a debt that he (man) could never repay.  Only God Himself could pay that debt.  But God didn’t owe the debt.  The Son of God volunteered to become man so that He could die for man’s sins (God can’t die).  That’s the price God was willing to pay to redeem me — and you.  He came to  “taste death for everyone.”

If the Son of God loved you and me enough to become fully human so that He could die, then He can understand any experience we go through in life, including DEATH!

Dorothy Sayers, (1893-1957) one of the most prolific and influential British Christian intellectuals of the twentieth century, said the following about the Lord Jesus:  “What think ye of Christ? Before we adopt any of the unofficial solutions (some of which are indeed excessively dull)—before we dismiss Christ as a myth, an idealist demagogue, a liar, or a lunatic—it will do no harm to find out what the creeds really say about him. What does the Church think of Christ?  The Church’s answer is categorical and uncompromising and it is this: That Jesus Bar-Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth, was in fact and in truth, and in the most exact and literal sense of the words, the God “by whom all things were made.” His body and brain were those of a common man; his personality was the personality of God, so far as that personality could be expressed in human terms. He was not a kind of demon pretending to be human; he was in every respect a genuine living man. He was not merely a man so good as to be “like God”; he was God.

 

Now, this is not just a pious commonplace; it is not commonplace at all. For what it means is this, among other things: that, for whatever reason, God chose to make man as he is—limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death—he [God] had the honesty and the courage to take his own medicine. Whatever game he is playing with his creation, he has kept his own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from man that he has not exacted from himself. He has himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death. When he was a man, he played the man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace, and thought it was worthwhile.”

Your thoughts?