11/14/10 - The Pain of Suffering - Pastor Tony Ashmore

Pastor Tony Ashmore begins a new series entitled "Pain Killer" with part 1, "The Pain of Suffering" in this Sunday service.

Pain Killer: The Pain of Suffering

Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, November 14, 2010

www.mylifegatechurch.com


Sermon Notes:


Hebrews 2:18 (NLT) “Since Jesus himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”

1 Peter 4:19 (MESSAGE) “So if you find life difficult because you're doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he's doing, and he'll keep on doing it.”

Isaiah 54:17 (CEV) “Weapons made to attack you won't be successful; words spoken against you won't hurt at all…I, the LORD, promise to bless you with victory.”

1 John 4:4 (NIV) “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

Proverbs 4:20-22 “My child, 1pay attention to what I say. 2Listen carefully to my words. 3Don’t lose sight of them. 4Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.”

3 John 1:2 (HCSB) “Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.”

Pain Killer: Stop It From Hurting!
The Pain of Suffering

John 16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Suffering is common to the human experience. 
3 types of suffering:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

-   Spirit suffering—pain of being lost with an unsure eternity
-   Soul suffering—pain of mental and emotional distress, no peace, broken heart
-   Body suffering—pain of physical suffering from sickness, disease, injuries, torture

The pain of suffering is described throughout the Bible in 3 arenas: suffering resulting from physical or mental problems (Matthew 17:15); suffering resulting from persecution (Romans 8:18); suffering needlessly from a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). 
“Suffering for Christ, or with Christ” is suffering from persecution for your faith.  There is no passage which describes suffering for or with Christ as suffering resulting from sickness or disease.  When the Bible, especially the New Testament, encourages us to “embrace, even rejoice, in suffering” it is talking only about being persecuted for our faith in Christ.  The Bible never teaches us to embrace the suffering caused by sickness, disease, or mental distress.  We should fight those like we would fight someone trying to rob our house because they have come to steal our “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

2 examples of handling the pain of suffering:
Joyce and Barbara:
Joyce had rheumatoid arthritis.  Barbara did too, along with lupus.  Joyce began to allow her pain to dictate her lifestyle as soon as it appeared and spent the majority of the last 20 years of her life sitting in a lift chair.  When she encountered any new health challenges, she quickly succumbed to the worst possible results, adding those to the list of pains and reasons for not living life.

Barbara refused to allow the pain to dictate her lifestyle and continued living as normally as possible.  She traveled, enjoyed her kids and grandkids, was active in her church and enjoyed being around her friends.  She had the times when she would be hurting so bad she stayed home, but those stays were usually short-lived.  When she recently encountered devastating brain surgery and extreme pain that would have killed most people, she kept on fighting and when you visit her, she is never focused on what is wrong with her.  Her faith in God has grown throughout the years of horrible pain and suffering. 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “My grace is sufficient”
Paul obviously had some type of physical ailments.  We are given clues a few times in his writings.  But it never becomes the defining thing of his life.  He will not give it that place. 

Keys to Handling the Pain of Suffering:
-   Prayer  (James 5:13)
-   Connections (1 Corinthians 12:26)  Don’t suffer alone and don’t withdraw.
-   Don’t quit.  (Matthew 24:13)  Biblical definition of “endure” is an active fight, not just “hanging in there”  Romans 8:18—there is glory to be revealed!  Don’t be denied.
-   Respond with the Word (Job 6:10)
-   Don’t let it affect your love life.  Revelation 2:3-4 “You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!”