“The Pathway of Suffering”

God’s Sovereign Plan for Suffering

Total Devotion ’02 – ‘03

Living In Light of Our Purpose

In Friday’s lecture, I stated that in order to live a meaningful life, our lives must be lived in light of our ultimate goal or purpose; or, to define life backwards a la Kirkegaard. What I mean by this is that we need to have an overarching goal or purpose in mind for our lives; a reason for living; something or someone that we are living for. Once we have that clear understanding, then all our choices and actions should serve that purpose.

  1. Earlier this year in the “Pursuing En-Gedi” series, I asked you to prioritize your life and to rank the top five to ten things in your life, in order. Write down your top five to ten below.

A list like this is very useful because it helps you to see your life in a bigger sense and to help define your values and priorities. It also helps you make decisions more easily because when you are faced with difficult choices, you can plug your choices into your list, see where they rank, and make the appropriate choice. Always make sure that the lesser choice serves the greater and not vice versa. That way, you’ll lose what’s less important and keep or gain what is more important. One of my favorite quotes comes from Roy Disney, “When your values are clear, decisions are easy to make.” He’s right.

  1. In the “Pursuing En-Gedi” series, I also asked you to design a “game plan” and a purpose statement for your life this year and I shared mine with you. This is a plan whereby you will break down your bigger goals in life into smaller, practical, daily actions and habits that will help you achieve your goals for the year, and ultimately for your life. Write down an outline of what your plan of action is this year that will help you fulfill the top priorities of your life. Also, write your purpose statement.
  1. Evaluate the way you are currently living your life in terms of time and money spent, activities, people you spend time with, etc. Is the way you are living your life consistent with your priorities?

God’s Purpose for Our Lives

In 2Timothy 2:3-4, the Bible calls us soldiers for Christ Jesus. The cause that we are to fight for is liberation of people’s souls from the tyranny of sin and Satan, or what I call Operation Great Commission (Matthew 28). Our citizenship is in heaven and our King has deployed us to this foreign land called earth to accomplish this mission. According to God, our Commander, one of our primary reasons for being here on earth is to make disciples of all nations (not only nations as we know it but “nations” of types of people within our nations – poor, sick, disabled, etc.) and to make His glory known (1Corinthians 10:31).

  1. Good soldiers are focused on their mission and their actions are always to be made in light of their mission. As soldiers for Christ, we often lose sight of our purpose here and we get distracted. Looking at question 3, what adjustments do you need to make to your life to live as a good soldier for Christ?
  1. Read 1Corinthians 3:10-15.
  1. What do you think is the main point of this passage?
  1. Verses 12-13 tell us that the building material of our lives will be tested for its quality (and, by inference, its durability). Of the material listed in verse 12, which ones do you think will last?
  1. What do you think the term “fire”, in verse 13, is referring to?
  1. Looking again at how you spend your time, list the activities that you do (i.e. building material) that you believe will stand the test of “fire” and those that will be “burned up”.

Counting the Cost

In the gospels, Jesus says that (in the day of the Lord) many will say to Him, “Lord, Lord . . . “ but Jesus will reply to them, “Depart from me; I never knew you . . . “ These are people who have professed faith in the Lord Jesus but did not actually possess faith in Him. In fact, Jesus said that these people will actually be those who have prophesied (or taught the Bible) to others. They have participated in the activities of Christians but not with the heart of a Christian.

  1. Reading Luke 14:25-35, what concepts and teaching strike you or stand out? Summarize what Jesus is teaching about following Him.
  1. The sobering truth is that Operation Great Commission will not be complete without suffering and persecution. Read Matthew 24:3-14.
  1. Are you prepared to live for Christ to that extent? Have you counted the real cost of following Christ?
  1. How does it make you feel about your faith that devotion to this extent is required of you? If you are a Christian, do you still want to Christ?

To Die is Gain

It is estimated that about 500,000 Christians die each year, more or less, because they are Christians. This may come as news to you since you live in the US. However, it is a stark reality for our brothers and sisters in other parts of the globe. With every opportunity to preserve their earthly lives and renounce their faith, they continue to march on for Christ, trusting in the promises of Scripture and the strength of the Holy Spirit. Many of them echo the words of Paul, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)

  1. According to John 15:18-19, why does the world hate Christians? What is it about Christ and the Christian message that is so offensive?
  1. What do the following verses teach about the relationship between suffering and our relationship with Christ?
  1. Romans 8:17
  1. 2Corinthians 1:5
  1. Philippians 3:10-11
  1. If Christ came to earth to save us (Jn. 3:17), what do you think is His purpose in ordaining Christian persecution?
  1. 2Corinthians 4:7-11
  1. Colossians 1:24-29
  1. In Colossians 1:24, Paul tells us that one of the purposes of Christian suffering is to “[fill] up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”. What does this mean? How can Christ’s afflictions be lacking anything? Aren’t they perfect and sufficient?
  1. As Christians, we are to be willing to die physically for the Lord. That may or may not come. However, we ARE to be dying daily for Him. That is a must. In what sense is this true?
  1. Romans 6:11-14
  1. Romans 8:13
  1. Romans 13:14
  1. 1Peter 2:11
  1. How areas in your life are you making provision for the flesh? How could you do a better job in putting to death the deeds of your flesh? Are you willing to do it?

Coram Deo

Do one of the following activities before the face of God:

  1. Go to Persecution.com and become familiar with the website. Click on “Prisoner List” and write a letter of encouragement to one of your brothers or sisters in Christ who are being persecuted. Make sure to follow the directions given.
  2. Go to Monergism.com. Click on “Books”, then click on “Free Online Books”. Click on “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” and read the first chapter or two to familiarize yourself with the deaths of the apostles and other brethren of the early church.