Change Part 6: Suffering Is A Pathway To Change


Last week we opened up this idea that Suffering, is a Pathway To Change! I spoke
about the REAL and APPARENT suffering that surrounds us all, and always. James
boldly challenged us all too: “Consider it pure joy…whenever we face trails/
suffering.” In other words, that suffering - should guide us to joy, because suffering
is like an examination, a test if you will, to prove whether our Faith is real…genuine!
Illustration: Heard a story about a pastor from a very poor 4th World Country,
visiting the US. He was taken to an All You Can Eat restaurant. After seeing the
extravagant layout of food, he began to weep, visibly shaken he declared that if his
people saw this much food they would have NO Faith!
Bible
When we last saw Paul, or Saul, before he met the risen Christ on the road to
Damascus, we found him witnessing the execution of a Follower of Christ by the
name of Steven…
Reading: Acts 8:1-3
Paul before Christ, a tool of satan, causing great suffering to his own people.”
Later in the book of Acts…
• Paul arrives in Jerusalem;
• He heads up to the temple;
• A rumor that he’d brought “Greeks” into the temple and made it unclean;
• vv.30 says, “The whole city was aroused…” and people ran from all directions;
• They grabbed Paul and drug him outside the gates of Jerusalem tried to kill him;
• A Roman commander with troops stopped the beating and;
• Took him back to the barracks…
• Paul conveys that story that changed His life forever, the story that caused him to
become one who suffered, instead of one who brings suffering upon others.
Reading: Acts 22:1-16
• We hear Paul’s resume, as “A Jew of Jews!”
• We hear of the great suffering he caused, before Christ!
• We hear about his point of decision, whether to Follow Christ, or Not!
• We hear his call, “to be his witness to all men…”
• We hear of his choice to enter into the suffering of his people, and to enter into
his own suffering.
Reading: 2 Corinthians 11:21-29
• Question: Why does any of this matter?
• Question: What does this have to do with me?
• Question: How does Paul’s suffering tie into my suffering?
Illustration: Shocked Few 1st Responders do CPR - Attitude, “Not My Loved One.”
• Statement: Are we the church, choosing to turn a blind eye to the suffering, not
giving CPR to everyone who needs it?
Last week I spoke of the suffering I saw when I took a spin around SW Baltimore…
the hopelessness, despair and devestatation I could see weighing people down.
Question: As a Follower of Christ is it Ok to turn a blind eye too…
• Peoples pain and suffering;
• People are dying everyday to violence, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty,
hunger; easily curable diseases; and/or lack of water?
Point: Is it Ok, to ignore the suffering of others, and just go about our daily
buisness?
Challenge
Instrumental: Sarah & Rebecca
Challenge Slide & Half Sheets (Instrumental by Sarah & Rebecca)
Statement: It’s NOT OK!
• Jesus’ Incarnation.
• Jesus saw the suffering of His people, Matt 9, “Harassed and helpless like sheep
without a shepherd.”
• Luke 4:18-21 & Isaiah 58:6-10
• Acts 1:8 - But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of
the earth.”
• Mark 16:15 - “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to
all creation.’”
• Matthew 28:19-20 - “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching
them…”
Closing Song: Good, Good Father
Closing Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4