This morning's sermon was called, "Joy and Suffering". He spoke on verses 12-30. Michael talked mostly about our perspective when suffering comes. Do we have joy through our suffering? Or are we down in the dumps? Where can we find the perspective we need? Michael used Paul in Philippians as our example with joy through suffering. He talked about how Paul was in prison, yet he was still joyful for many different reasons. Last week, he talked about how Paul was joyful because of the Gospel and he was encouraged by the Philippian church because they were also "partakers of grace" like he was.
Today his points were mostly about Paul's perspective on his own suffering. He said that Paul had perspective on present circumstances. Here Paul is sitting in prison and he is just over-joyed. He gets to share the Gospel with the guards. Paul was joyful in his present circumstance, because he knew that the Gospel would be preached and it would be a good opportunity for him to be used there. Michael challenged us with the question of what are our circumstances that God has placed us in? Are there challenging things in relationships maybe with family, roommates, spouses? Or lack of family, roommates, or spouses? It's hard to be in a place where you aren't sure why God has brought you there, but when you gain a perspective like Paul did, you can see the bigger picture of God being at work, both in your own heart and the heart's of others through your testimony. "Godliness with contentment is great gain" as Paul reminds us in another epistle. Michael also asked us if there were any places that wouldn't hear the Gospel unless we take it there. I would love to go somewhere to help the Gospel grow someday (though, I'm not keen on the idea of doing it alone) I thought of Rhode Island and how there is a family from our church planting a church there now and then out in maybe Central Asia or even Africa somewhere. Or I may not even have to go out of the country (though, i wouldn't mind that), but there are lots of teenagers that don't know who Christ is in our own country. It's sad to think about. Michael reminded us that God might want to send us out, not for our own comfort, but for our joy. Truly, it is a joy to serve the Lord for the sake of the Gospel. Earthly loves and desire could not compare. I was also convicted of my love for material things rather than being satisfied in Christ alone. I went shoppping with my friend Leslie today and we were talking about what we would wear to some place and I was convicting when I was talking and just thought about how much I think about what I will wear rather than putting my thoughts on the Lord. I told her I need to stop thinking about that so much and then talked about the sermon and how Paul didn't have a love for the world, but rather, his joy was in Christ and proclaiming the Gospel to others.
When our perspective becomes about the self- it becomes demonic and not God-glorifying.
Life is all about the Creator, not the creation.
The next point was, "Paul's perspective on the future." I couldn't help but think of John Piper's book, "Faith in Future Grace." Piper talks about how we can have faith in the future because of the past God has brought us through. God has brought us this far and was faithful the whole way, so why wouldn't he be faithful in the future. I recommend that book to everyone...though it's really long, but a really good read.
Paul didn't know what was going to happen to him in prison, but he didn't care because he saw it as a win-win situation as he talked about how he longed to be with Christ, but it was better for other that he stayed on earth so he could share the Gospel. Michael said that the world will look at us and see that "to live is Christ." would be foolish. It wouldn't make sense to them; and to die is gain. To them, death would be a loss, but to a Christian, death is a gain, for you get to see your Savior in an instant.
So the question, "what does it look like for you "to live is Christ"? Denying your own interests confident that this is to glorify God. Hard to swallow sometimes. Especially when it's something that you deeply long for...marriage, kids, a better job. It's hard. Just these past few weeks, I've been realizing that God might have me single for the rest of my life. Not what I want, but if that's what the Lord has for me, then I need to be satisfied in it because it will glorify God. If he thinks that me being married would best glorify him, then he will provide. But if I best glorify him single, then Praise be to God (trust me, that's hard to say.)
The last point was Pauls' perspective on the Philippians. He challenged them to live worthy of a manner of the Gospel. Live a life that demonstrates the surpassing value of Christ. How do we do this? Standing firm in the faith and don't be terrified of those who oppose us even in suffering. The last thing that was said was "Live in light of the Gospel because you don't deserve it, but it's been given to you".
It was really such a great sermon and really challenging to me to only want and long for Jesus in things that I face. When we set our eyes on high, we will have the right God-honoring perspective we need.
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"But I want you to be without care...The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world - how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction."
~1 Cor. 7:32-35
I remember my old pastor going through these verses with us at a single mens retreat (the ones that pertain to men I didn't copy down for space reasons, but they're essentially the same). And he wasn't exhorting us to be single for the rest of our lives, but that we should not see it as a curse of some sort, but to use it for the Lord. He told us how he almost wishes that he were single, so that he could devote all of his time to spreading the Gospel. But he can't because he has to go home and spend time with his wife and family, and deal with all the problems and other things that come with it (and he made a HUGE qualifying statement that he absolutely loves his wife and kids and would be heartbroken if they were gone). I don't think you see singleness as a curse, but here Paul clearly is saying that it's a blessing, so you can pursue the Gospel without distraction. I'm not there either. In a lot of ways I almost feel that my life hasn't begun yet, I'm still in the prologue, so to speak.
So if/when marriage comes, awesome! For it is a blessing too. But while single we can really be a unique blessing to the church that is very hard to be when marriage (and especially kids) come along.
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