Don't Waste Your Suffering

Summer Of Joy Week 6

Don't Waste Your Suffering

Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Fact: The greatest suffering in the world tends to come through people. Specifically, people who think they are right. More specifically, people who think God is on their side (or that they are God.)

Key Point: Your greatest opportunity for spiritual growth will tend to come through times of conflict and suffering.

Romans 12:18-19

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Key Point:

Tyranny brings peace by removing any dissenting voices. Unity brings peace by struggling through our disagreements.

“If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” ― Moshe Dayan

“Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable.” ― G. K. Chesterton

Matthew 6:31-33

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

“What’s missing is the in-person presentation of Christ’s sufferings to the people for whom he died. The afflictions are lacking in the sense that they are not seen and known among the nations. They must be carried by ministers of the gospel. And those ministers of the gospel fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others. Paul sees his own suffering as the visible reenactment of the sufferings of Christ so that they will see Christ’s love for them.”

• John Piper

RECAP

Paul is writing letters to the people of philippi while he is in prison. But he expresses joy because joy comes from within us, rather than what's around us.

TALK IT OVER NOTES

God can reconcile and fix ANY relationship IF you have a little humility.

Unity will only come with a little bit of conflict, but conflict isn’t bad if the goal is to get peace.

Q1) Is there anyone that you’re in conflict with?

Key Point: Your greatest opportunity for spiritual growth will tend to come through times of conflict and suffering.

Fact: The greatest suffering in the world tends to come through people. Specifically, people who think they are right. More specifically, people who think God is on their side (or that they are God.)

Philippians 1:27-30

Faith of the gospel means believing that what God says is true and that it works, even if we don’t see it in the short term.

When you’re engaged in a relationship with anybody, there will be conflict. Because we are convinced we are right, and they are convinced they are right… But how we manage our conflict is how we show that we have hope in God.

Q2) Are you engaging in conflict to bring unity and peace?

Romans 12:18-19

Key Point: Tyranny brings peace by removing any dissenting voices. Unity brings peace by struggling through our disagreements.

“If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” ― Moshe Dayan

If you truly want peace. You have to be willing to engage with the people that you don't think have the right to talk to you. “Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable.” ― G. K. Chesterton

We sometimes attack things that we actually need to back away from.

Colossians 1:24

“What’s missing is the in-person presentation of Christ’s sufferings to the people for whom he died. The afflictions are lacking in the sense that they are not seen and known among the nations. They must be carried by ministers of the gospel. And those ministers of the gospel fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others. Paul sees his own suffering as the visible reenactment of the sufferings of Christ so that they will see Christ’s love for them.” --- John Piper

When you choose to engage in the suffering of conflict and working out bringing peace and unity, you're actually giving an example of who Jesus was and what He did.

Q3) Are you putting Christ in the center of all your conflicts and disagreements?

BE AND EXAMPLE TO THE WORLD IN A WHOLE OTHER WAY

PRAY IT OUT

Lord, I thank You for everything that You do for us. I pray that whatever conflict we are having in our lives, that we put You at the center of it and that we strive for unity and peace. I pray that we use Your word to be an example to others and to show them how much we love You by loving others. I pray for wisdom that we can handle any type of conflict thrown our way and that we can reconcile it rather than running away from it. Thank You again Lord, we pray this in Your name, Amen.