- How Our Suffering Glorifies God: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK00Tcb6ROY
2 tim 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed about the testimony of our LORD, or of me His prisoner, but share in the suffering…
Acts 5:41 They left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer
God’s supreme purpose in creating the universe is to display the greatness of the glory of his grace supremely through the suffering of His Son. That’s yesterday. Today, the summons: will you join the Son in displaying the supreme satisfaction of the glory of the grace, in joining Him in the Calvary Road of suffering… because there’s no other way the world is going to see the supreme glory Christ until we break free from the Disneyland of America and begin to live lifestyles of missionary sacrifice, that looks to the world like our treasure is on heaven and not on the earth. It’s the only way.
The prosperity gospel will not make anyone praise Jesus, it will make people praise prosperity. Of course I want a Jesus who gives me a car, a fine marriage… I’ll take your Jesus if the payoff is right! That’s not the way you’re going to win your campuses. Dressin’ the coolest, drivin’ the coolest, typin’ on the coolest… it’s not gonna get any praise for the suffering Christ. He calls you in this service, in this conference, in this life, in this world, in that newspaper world—He call you to another way.
If it’s about this life… “we are of all men most to be pitied.” Because He suffers way more than he would choose to suffer on this earth if it’s about this life.
Paul says he is always in peril… I would not choose this if I could not expect a resurrection from the dead where I would receive a hundredfold what I have been giving, I wouldn’t go this way.
I die every day!
What’s the meaning of this life of chosen risk?
Colossians 1:24-29 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake. In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, that is the CHURCH.”
That’s almost heresy! He is completing what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ??!? Well, it would be heresy if it was speaking of the atoning power. He cannot add to that.
But what did he mean? “In my body”
What would you mean if you said you walked out of here tomorrow and said you were going to fill up what was lacking of Christ’s afflictions on your campus, in your neighborhood, in your workplace? What would you mean?
What you should mean is, not that you add to the atoning merit or value or worth of His suffering, but that you add the extension of that suffering to those for whom He died in that place.
Philippians 2:30—Epaphroditis came to close to death “to fill up what is lacking in your service to me”… almost the same wording. Commentator says the church’s presentation of their sacrificial offering in person was what was lacking in their service, and filled up by Epaphroditis’ service.
People all over the world… their debt has been paid. But they don’t know it. They can’t sing that song, Take Me to the Cross. 639 people groups that have 0 testimony, 0 presentation of the sufferings of Christ.
Well, obviously the Gospel has to be spread. We know that. But what he is really saying is that it is through his body that the sufferings of Jesus arrive to the lost people. How do the sufferings of Jesus arrive to your campus? Through your sufferings. He fills it up in his own flesh.
How did we get to where we are in missions? SUFFERING. We’ve never reached an unreached people group without suffering! If you want to be a missionary, mark it down! Tensions on the team, demonic influences, loss of a child, etc. It’s gonna come! Don’t think it’s strange when it comes! It’s the price!
He paid the price of His life for our salvation. We join Him in that suffering to display the nature of it. How are they going to see how satisfying it is in us, if we look like it’s our STUFF that is really satisfying.
But Paul says I REJOICE! He’s not summoning us to a miserable life, he’s summoning us to a suffering life. Hope does not disappoint, love is poured out in our hearts. If you want to see the work of God, lay out your life for someone. Take a risk in your time, in your life, in your finances, in your schooling. What an amazing thing God calls us to do and be.
“The cross of Christ is for propitiation; our cross is for propagation.” –Joseph ??
Christ can’t be there physically in the world… but we are His body, and we bring His sufferings to the world.
Story of a Masai warrior that heard the Gospel and went back to his village to tell his people… 3 times beaten and left to die, but kept telling the story until those beating him started to weep… then the whole village came to Christ.
Story of widow’s mite… you don’t have to be a great, smart, wealthy person to make a tremendous impact. Almost everyone would say, that’s just stupid! How’s she going to pay her rent?
Prudence is common in our churches. Don’t take too many risks, don’t put in all that you have.
If you want to be my disciple… take up your cross and follow Me.