2014 Why Do We Suffer 1

In Search of the Lord's Way "Why Do We Suffer" Life is filled with pain and challenges, and sometimes we wonder why we suffer. Hello, I’m Phil Sanders...
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In Search of the Lord's Way "Why Do We Suffer" Life is filled with pain and challenges, and sometimes we wonder why we suffer. Hello, I’m Phil Sanders, and this is a Bible study In Search of the Lord’s Way. And today we’re going to explore the reasons why we suffer. Stay tuned. Welcome to In Search of the Lord’s Way! We’re here to search the Scriptures for God’s will. According to 2 Corinthians 1 verse 3, God is “the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.” The Scriptures are full of God’s comforting love, which He has shown through the ages. King David of Israel said three thousand years ago in Psalm 23 verse 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” God still protects and comforts His people in all their affliction. Thanks for joining us today; we hope to be a part of your life each week. Now if you enjoy this program, please tell a friend about it! On January 16 early in the day, my wife called to me. She was in utter pain and could not get out of bed. We had just found out Jackie had a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. She was unable to move without severe pain and found herself with little strength. Jackie had always been a hard worker and served the family and the church endlessly. To find herself unable to do much of anything doubled her misery. She wept, and I wept with her. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 9 verse 11, “Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all.” Life hands us all some pretty bitter pills, and no one is exempt. Because we live with uncertainty, we don’t know when suffering will come; but we do have the God of all comfort. Perhaps you will want to study more about these matters, we offer this study free. And if you’d like a printed copy or a CD of our study and live in the United States, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Or you can call our toll-free telephone number. And that number is 1-800-321-8633. Now if you live outside the United States, we have materials free online, you can find them at www.searchtv.org. The Edmond church will now worship in song, we’ll read from Romans 8:35-39, and explore why people suffer. Our reading from God’s word comes today from Paul’s epistle to the Romans chapter 8, verses 35 to 39. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That’s God speaking to us of His love and assurance. Let’s pray together. Father we’re thankful that even in the hardest of times, that You love us. And that nothing can separate us from that love. Father help us to love you and to stay close to You all the days of our lives. In Jesus name, Amen! People experience suffering for many reasons. Some suffering comes from disease, afflictions, physical or psychological pain. Some suffering comes from natural disasters such as storms, or fire, flood, or earthquake. Suffering may also come from human actions; people harm themselves or 6/22/2014

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In Search of the Lord's Way others. People can be exceptionally cruel or clumsy or neglectful; and these things can cause lots of misery. Suffering began when Adam and Eve sinned against God. In Genesis 2 verses 16 to 17, “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’” Sadly Eve fell to the seduction of the serpent and ate of the fruit. She gave it to her husband, and he ate as well. God punished the pair by casting them out of the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3 verses 16 to 19, there we find the record of the words of God. “To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.’ Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you,’ saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” When man fell in sin, he brought death and all kinds of pain and misery into the world. Romans 5 and verse 12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” You and I will suffer the pains of life today and will eventually die, because sin came into the world. Sadly, sin still brings problems and destruction. When people choose to sin and then they refuse to repent, they set themselves on a journey to misery in this life and in the life to come. Sin is our enemy; and no one can embrace it and avoid getting hurt. Selfishness, greed, fleshly desires, and the lust for power lie at the root of crime and war. Galatians 6 verses 7 to 8, reveals an unalterable law of life, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Now sowing sin will corrupt us in a thousand ways; the pleasures of sin never last. Do not suppose that you can continue in sin, and sin won’t hurt you. There’s always a time of reaping what we sow. Now having said that, we must also realize that not all suffering comes from our own sins. Little children who suffer have certainly done nothing to deserve what they are experiencing. They are innocent. The book of Job clearly reveals that we may suffer, even when we have done nothing sinful. John 9 verses 1 to 3 says, “That as he (that is Jesus) passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Well Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man who sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” Jesus graciously healed this man. Now Jesus Himself suffered greatly through life, but Jesus never sinned. He came into this world to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sins, to die so that we, you and I, might live spiritually. God prophesied of Jesus in Isaiah 53 verses 3 to 5, “That He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” Jesus didn’t suffer for His own sins, but for yours and mine.

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In Search of the Lord's Way John revealed this about Jesus in John 1 verse 11, that “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” Can you imagine how it must have hurt Jesus to be rejected by His own people. Mark 3 verses 20 to 21 says, “Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that He could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’” Jesus’ own family thought he was crazy. John 7 and verse 5 says, “For not even his brothers believed in him.” Oh I’m thankful that in later times, some of His brothers did come to believe in Him. The Lord Jesus also knew what it was to suffer the loss of a loved one. When Jesus heard Lazarus was ill, He slowly left the place where he was staying across the Jordan for Bethany to the home of Mary and Martha. Jesus was especially close to this family. In John 11 verses 33 to 35 the word of God says, that “When Jesus saw her (that is Mary) weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ (The it simply says) Jesus wept.” One lexicon says Jesus “burst into tears.” Jesus grieves when the people He loves grieve. He felt Mary and Martha’s pain, and the Lord feels your pain too. The Lord Jesus knew how He would suffer His own death. On more than one occasion, you remember, He prophesied his suffering to His disciples. Matthew 20 verses 17 to 19 says, “And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way He said to them, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, they’ll deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged (that is scourged) and crucified, and He will be raised on the third day.’” Now the Friday Jesus died must have been an utterly miserable day. God’s word says in Mark 15 verses 16 to 19, “And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. They clothed Him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on Him. And they began to salute Him, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to Him.” Jesus suffered physically and mentally for hours. And one reason Jesus prayed so fervently at the Garden of Gethsemane is because He knew what agony He would experience at His trial and on the cross. Because Jesus willingly suffered, we have hope of forgiveness and eternal life. He suffered, because He loved us. The Lord Jesus also suffered the weight of our sins. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21 says, that “He (that is God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Yes, the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all. God’s wrath fell on Him, so that we might be forgiven. The Lord’s suffering was utterly personal. He understood the cruelty of persecution, torture, and an utterly painful death. He was truly “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” Now, because He understands, He is able to help us in all of our trials and sorrows. First, the Lord helps us by answering our prayers. Paul said in Philippians 4 verses 6 to 7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God will help you through your struggles and sorrows; He will guard your hearts and your minds. He will not leave you or forsake you, but will stand beside you through everything that causes you worry. Again Philippians 4 verse 19 says, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

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In Search of the Lord's Way Second, the Lord helps us through His promises. Psalm 119 verse 50 says, “This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me.” Again, verse 52 says, “I have remembered Your ordinances from of old, O Lord, And comfort myself.” I love Romans 8 verses 31 and 32, which says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” 1 Thessalonians 4 verses 13 to 19 speaks of those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. And He tells about the second coming of the Lord Jesus and how He will raise the dead and how we will all be changed. In verse 19 Paul says, “Therefore comfort one another with these words.” To know that I can one day live with the Lord is comforting. On some occasions the Lord uses our suffering for a greater blessing. Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 12 verses 7 to 10, “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ (Paul then says) ‘Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.’” God’s grace and blessing every day reveals His utter love for us, even when we suffer. Our suffering reminds each of us to rely upon God’s power rather than our own strength. Sometimes our suffering proves to us how much God loves us. Hebrews 1 verses 5 and 6 says, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when you are reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” When we sin and become neglectful of God’s ways, He disciplines us just as a loving father would do. Hebrews 12 verse 11 explains, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God disciplines us so that we may grow spiritually and live righteously. Yes, we all suffer, and we cannot escape it. If we hold fast our faith and love for God, God will never stop loving us; and His grace and mercy will never stop blessing us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And in your pain and suffering, keep your focus on Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. By holding to Christ, you too can experience that joy. Let’s pray together. Father, help us to hold fast our love for you, just as you have loved us every single day. This is our prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen! I love the words of Frank Graeff’s hymn, “Does Jesus Care?”: Does Jesus care when my heart is pained, Too deeply for mirth or song, As the burdens press, and the cares distress, And the way grows weary and long? Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief; When the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares. Jesus not only cares and can comfort you, He can also equip you to comfort others. In a time of pain Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 1 verses 3 to 5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” You’ll likely walk through some painful experience, but your experiences with that pain and with God’s comfort will equip you to guide and comfort someone who’s suffering the same experience. God can work through you. 6/22/2014

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In Search of the Lord's Way One of life’s most painful experiences come from realizing that we’ve personally sinned against the Lord Jesus who suffered for us. My friend, it’s right for us to grieve over our sins, if our grief leads us to repent. 2 Corinthians 7 and verse 10 says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret.” If you have godly grief over your sins, repent. Get right with God. To become a Christian, believe in Jesus and in His words, repent of your sins, confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. My friend, Don’t put it off another day. Come to the Lord today. We hope that today’s study about suffering has stirred you to draw closer to God. Now if you live in the United States and want a free printed copy or a CD of this message, mail your request to In Search of the Lord's Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Or you can call the Search office toll-free at 1-800-321-8633. Now if you live outside the United States you can download our material or watch the program online at www.searchtv.org. We also offer free Bible Correspondence courses and study sheets that go along with the program. Now don’t worry, we won’t ask you for money or put you on a list. Please get involved with a church of Christ. They love you and support our ministry, and we’re grateful for that. And if you are looking for a healthy, Biblical church home, we’ll be happy to help you find one. Well we’ll be back next week, Lord willing. So keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend about this program. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.

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