If you will please take out your copy of God's Word and join me in Colossians chapter 1.
An astute observer would note that this morning on your bulletin says that I'll be preaching a sermon on Hebrews chapter 2 verses 11 through 16.
And that was correct up until 5 a.m. this morning.
So, the prominent theme of the book of Hebrews, which we are working through together normally on Sunday morning,
is the supremacy and the finality of Jesus Christ.
The letter written to the Hebrews by an unsure author, but a man certainly who was pastoral toward them,
was written to a group of Hellenistic Jews who likely had been expelled from the Roman center and are living out on the outskirts.
Likely a small group, likely a group huddled together in a home, opening up this letter to read it,
and they had been tried.
They had been hated for their devotion to Jesus Christ.
And we pick up on that as a secondary theme of the text.
That he's writing to these Christians to say to them,
Jesus is the superior way.
Don't be tempted in the midst of suffering to go back to Judaism or to turn to any of the Roman gods.
Christ is supreme and He is final.
He's the ultimate and final sacrifice.
Christ is the way that we are made right with God.
So, we're going to see this theme.
We're going to see it picked up again and again and again throughout the book.
And we are in the thick of it already here in Hebrews chapter 2.
And I just want another week to work out the implications of verses 11 through 16 and then probably on into verses 17 and 18 next week.
But, I do want us to also consider this idea of Christian suffering.
I want to take a little more time on it and then we'll dive into Hebrews 2 again next week, Lord willing.
To stop and to think in our American context.
Are we called as Christians to suffer?
And what does that look like?
We are sold often a bill of prosperity in our country as Christ followers.
And it is not the biblical gospel.
So, it's good for us to take some time to consider that.
In fact, most of my work this week was writing a massive introduction to that very end to get into the text.
And so, this will be a bit of an introduction in that way.
So, I want to look today at Colossians chapter 1 verses 24 through 27.
And before I read it, I want to remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and for our good.
We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
And Paul writes to the church.
Colossae.
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.
Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you.
To make the Word of God fully known.
The mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to His saints.
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery,
which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Now there is so much good in these four verses.
There is so much to be mined out of them.
But, this morning I just have two points.
And they are, number one, the aim of Paul's ministry.
What was Paul working to accomplish?
The aim of his ministry.
And number two, the means of Paul's ministry.
So first, the aim of Paul's ministry.
We see this worked out throughout the text.
He became a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ to make the Word of God fully known.
He says in verse 26, it's the mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to His saints.
Jesus Christ Himself, verse 27, Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Paul is aimed at God's purpose in the world, which is to make Christ known amongst all peoples everywhere.
The purpose of God in history is that the gospel of reconciliation spread to all the peoples of the world
and yield God-centered, Christ-exalting churches.
This is what he's working toward.
You want to know, what is God's purpose in the world?
It's this.
The gospel of reconciliation spread to all peoples of the world and yield God-centered, Christ-exalting churches.
People for His praise.
This was the promise of the Old Testament.
Psalm 22, verse 27 and 28 says,
All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.
This was the promise of Jesus to His disciples.
Matthew 24, verse 14, Jesus says,
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations,
and then the end will come.
This was the design of God in the cross.
As heaven's worship proclaims in Revelation 5 and verse 9,
You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
This was the final command of our risen Lord found in Matthew 28, verse 18 and following.
He says,
This was the God-given aim of Paul's apostleship.
Romans 1, verse 5, Paul writes,
Through Christ we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith
for the sake of His name, Christ's name, among all the nations.
This was Paul's holy ambition,
rooted not just in a unique apostolic call,
but also in the Old Testament promise that is still valid today.
In Romans 15, verse 20 and 21,
where he cites Isaiah 52 and verse 15,
Paul writes,
I make it my ambition to preach the gospel,
not where Christ has already been named,
lest I build on someone else's foundation,
but as it is written,
those who have never been told of Him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.
Also in Acts 13, verse 47,
where Isaiah 42, verse 6 is cited,
So the Lord has commanded us, saying,
I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
Beloved, this was the purpose of the sending of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 1, verse 8, Jesus says,
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.
Again, the purpose of God in history
is that the gospel of reconciliation
spread to all the peoples of the world
and yield God-centered, Christ-exalting churches.
This was the aim.
This was the work of Paul
in the establishment of the Church of Colossae,
and in this church,
Paul's ministry necessarily,
some would argue it is.
We're not sure.
But this church that the book of Hebrews is written to
that we are in the midst of studying now,
that all peoples everywhere would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is Paul's aim,
and it is ours as well.
Secondly, the means of Paul's ministry.
Paul says this very peculiar thing
at the beginning of verse 24 in Colossians chapter 1.
He says,
Now I rejoice.
I find great joy 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.
The suffering of Paul
was not a consequence of His ministry,
but rather a strategy of it.
If it's clear in your mind,
it was not a consequence of His ministry.
And what I'm saying to you is
it wasn't an avoidable thing.
It wasn't a consequence of what He was doing.
It was a strategy of it.
It was part and parcel of His ministry.
Suffering was a primary means
by which Paul spread
the gospel of reconciliation
to all peoples of the world
in order to yield God-centered,
Christ-exalting churches.
And beloved,
nothing has changed.
If you believe that it has,
then you have failed
to believe the gospel rightly.
It is the error of much modern preaching,
and it is akin to the prosperity gospel
that would say,
rather believe in Jesus
and He will make you wealthy and healthy.
That's prosperity gospel.
And so many of us so quickly
and readily reject that.
But this more subversive prosperity gospel says,
believe in Jesus
and you can keep your wealth
and your health.
He may not make you that,
but what you have is still yours.
Add a little Jesus to the mix.
And change isn't really necessary
to follow Jesus.
Beloved, the way of Jesus
is the way of suffering.
If we are to follow Christ,
then we will suffer in this world.
And that is a broad suffering.
There's a lot that's involved
in such suffering.
We will have trouble in this world.
Let's look at the call of the gospel
of Jesus Christ a bit together.
Jesus said in Mark 8,
verse 34 and 35,
if anyone would come after me,
if we're going to follow Jesus,
Jesus says,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross
and follow me.
For whoever would save his life
will lose it.
But whoever loses his life
for my sake and the gospels
will save it.
Beloved, the cross is a place of death.
The cross is a place
where we put aside ourselves
for the greater walk
of following Jesus.
It's where we begin to reorient
who we are toward Him.
It's where we treasure Him
above all else,
come what may,
because we have Christ.
Matthew 10, verse 16.
Jesus says,
Behold, I am sending you out
as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Romans 8, verse 36.
Paul here cites Psalm 44, verse 22,
where he says,
As it is written,
for your sake,
we are being killed
all the day long.
We are regarded as sheep
to be slaughtered.
And if you look just before that
in Romans 8, verse 35,
the portion granted
to those who are in Christ
is tribulation, distress,
persecution, famine,
nakedness, danger, and sword.
Jesus goes on in Matthew 10.
I just read to you verse 16.
This is verse 17.
And following,
Beware of men,
for they will deliver you
over to courts
and flog you in their synagogues.
And you will be dragged
before governors and kings
for my sake.
Why?
to bear witness
before them
and the Gentiles.
That people would know
that I am the Christ.
Which leads us to this
interesting thing
that Paul says,
In my flesh,
I am filling up
what is lacking
in Christ's afflictions.
We must be very careful
at this point
to not think
that the affliction
of the saints
is somehow
salvific.
That our suffering
has anything to do
with the remediation
of sin.
I do not atone
for anybody's sin
in my suffering.
Christ did that.
Christ accomplished that.
His death was perfect
to accomplish
that work.
Here are some examples
from the book of Hebrews.
We are going to see
this theme again
and again
in our study as well.
Hebrews chapter 7
and verse 27.
He, being Christ,
has no need
like those high priests
to offer sacrifices daily
first for his own sins
and then for those
of the people
since he did this
once for all
when he offered up
himself.
So we are not
sacrifices in that way.
Hebrews chapter 9
and verse 12.
Jesus entered
once for all
into the holy places.
not by means
of the blood
of goats and calves
but by means
of his own blood.
Thus,
securing
an eternal
redemption.
Having paid
for all of the sins
of the church
in his
suffering.
Hebrews chapter 9
and verse 26.
The second part of it.
Jesus
has appeared
once for all
at the end
of the ages
to put away
sin
by the sacrifice
of himself.
And then
Hebrews chapter 10
and verse 14.
For by a single
offering,
Jesus has perfected
for all time
those who are
being
sanctified.
So,
do not be mistaken,
Jesus' sacrifice
was not lacking
in its power
to redeem the church
from its sin.
Jesus' life
and death
was fully
sufficient
to save
for all time
those who have
placed
and will place
believing faith
in him.
How then
are Christ's
afflictions
lacking?
John Piper
wrote a little
book called
Filling Up
the Afflictions
of Christ
where he wrote
this,
What is lacking
in the afflictions
of Christ
is not that
they are deficient
in worth
as though
they could not
sufficiently cover
the sins
of all
who believe.
What is lacking
is that the
infinite value
of Christ's
afflictions
is not known
and trusted
in the world.
These afflictions
and what they
mean are still
hidden to most
peoples.
And God's
intention
is that the
mystery be
revealed to
all the
nations.
So the
afflictions of
Christ are
lacking in the
sense that they
are not seen
and known
and loved
among the
nations.
They must be
carried by
missionaries
and those
missionaries
complete what
is lacking
in the
afflictions of
Christ
by extending
them to
others.
How?
How do they
extend that
to others?
A man named
Epaphroditus
can help us
with this.
In Philippians
chapter 2
verse 25
and following,
Paul writes
to the Philippian
believers,
I have thought it
necessary to send
to you Epaphroditus
my brother and
fellow worker and
fellow soldier
and your messenger
and minister
to my need.
he was sent
to Paul
as a minister
to his need
by the Philippian
church.
For he has been
longing for you
all and has been
distressed because
you heard that
he was ill.
And I just love
this attitude of
Epaphroditus.
He's concerned
because they heard
that he was
sick.
Wonderful
example of
self-forgetfulness.
Indeed,
he was ill
near to death,
but God had
mercy on him
and not only on
him,
but on me
also,
lest I
should have
sorrow upon
sorrow.
I am the
more eager to
send him
therefore,
that you may
rejoice at
seeing him
again,
and that I
may be
less anxious.
So,
receive him
in the Lord
with all joy
and honor
such men.
So,
you get the
story of
what's happening
here as Paul's
writing to the
Philippian church.
Verse 30,
For he nearly
died for the
work of Christ.
Because he was
sent,
he got sick,
and he almost
died.
Paul says,
risking his
life to
complete what
was lacking
in your
service to
me.
And this
phrase in
Philippians
chapter 2 is
the exact same
phrase that Paul
uses in
Colossians
chapter 1.
What was
lacking in the
afflictions of
Christ,
lacking in your
service to
me.
And I think
this helps us
to understand
rightly that
the way that
we take the
affliction of
Christ to
others,
that they
might know
him,
is that we
suffer like
Christ suffered.
We have a
presence amongst
people, a
suffering presence
amongst people,
that we also
experience the
afflictions of
Christ.
And we display
those afflictions
to others.
And we walk
in those
afflictions with
a great faith
and a great
God who is
redeeming people
for his
name.
So suffering
was a
primary means
by which Paul
spread the
gospel of
reconciliation to
all the peoples
of the world
in order to
yield God-centered,
Christ-exalting
churches.
Beloved, this
is a divine
strategy, not
merely a
consequence.
suffering.
Now at this
point I have to
imagine that you've
got all kinds of
questions about what
suffering is.
I've spoken so
general and broadly
about it.
I think we suffer in
a lot of ways in
this world.
I think we suffer in
ways that are
common to all
people in this
world with things
like sickness.
Our bodies are
failing.
We are ever being
reminded that we
are headed swiftly
towards death.
Some of you are
young.
I think most
people in the
room probably
have that feeling
when you wake
up in the
morning of,
oh no.
The process of
getting out of
bed is painful.
I typically roll
onto a shoulder
and drop a knee
down to the floor
and start on my
knees.
And I wish it
was because I
was there in
prayer to the
Lord.
I'm just trying
to stand up
in the morning.
The pollen count
is up.
I felt like I
had sand in my
eyes.
Yesterday.
This is sin in
the world.
The world is
broken.
It is desperately
broken in very
normative ways.
We experience it
in deeper ways
as well.
We experience it
in the loss of
loved ones,
old and young.
Tragedy strikes
families all the
time.
We see it in the
broad suffering
of the world
around us.
People starving
to death.
People without
parents.
There is so
much brokenness
and pain in
this world.
And as
Christian people,
we ought to
rightly view
that through
the lens of
sin.
Look at the
curse and its
rampant nature
in the place
that we are.
I think we
ought to
experience those
things in a
way that is
unique amongst
peoples of the
earth because we
understand what
caused it.
sin.
But more than
that, particularly
within that, the
church throughout
the ages has
been persecuted
for righteousness
and we are not
those who get to
escape this.
We don't get to
live in America
and escape people
not liking us for
our faith.
And that's going
to take a different
shape where we live
than it does in
other places.
I am fully aware
that no one here
is going to be
beaten for being a
Christian leaving
this place.
I would be so
astoundingly shocked
if that were to
happen.
I probably shouldn't
be, but I would
be.
It's probably not
going to take that
shape.
But it might look
like you being
passed over for a
promotion because
your boss really
doesn't care for you
all that much
because you keep
telling him of his
wickedness and
calling him to
turn to God.
being a follower
of Jesus Christ
is going to press
you to speak boldly
to people about
their eternal
damnation.
It may look like
school teachers,
you not being able
to hold your
position any longer
because you can no
longer hold your
tongue and you
must tell these
children about this
Jesus that you
love so much.
I pray that all
of you have school
systems you can
carefully navigate
and preach faithfully
the gospel without
being fired.
It may mean that
your neighbor doesn't
want to talk to you
in the driveway
anymore.
That he very
quickly scrambles
inside or he
pulls in the garage
and closes the door
before he gets out
of the car because
he knows you may
come over and
want to tell him
that he needs to
repent and believe
in Christ.
I think that we
don't experience
enough suffering
in this world
because we're not
faithful enough
in our pursuit
of Christ.
I think we're
this weird blend
of Christian
in the world.
I think the way
we live as Christians
to other Christians
in the world
would be shocking.
It would be
strange.
They would come
over and want
to talk about
our experience
and we would
have no idea
what they're
talking about.
So much that
we do has been
Americanized in a
very unhealthy
way.
suffering is a
divine strategy.
And if you are
sitting there and
you're thinking
wait a second
I don't want to
suffer.
My impulse is not
to do this thing
there's a naturalness
to that.
That's normative
but you want to
love Christ more
and you want to
love the way of
Christ more
and you want to
live for eternity
and not for now.
If you would
forsake Christ
in order to
not suffer
then you are
not in Him.
You have not
experienced His
lavish grace
and mercy
to you.
Tertullian
who was a
Christian who
lived from
about AD
160 to
about AD
225
said
the oftener
we are
mown down
by you
Romans
the more
in number
we Christians
grow
the blood
of Christians
is seed
and this is
true in the
world today
if God were
to suddenly
gather together
the church
global
today
we
white
European
Christians
nominal
in our
devotion to
Christ
would be
the minority
and the
odd ones.
In the
world right
now the
fastest growing
churches are
growing in
places where
we don't hear
about because
they're
underground.
They're
highly
persecuted.
Places like
Iran,
China,
you hear
reports coming
out of China
because it's
a little bit
looser now
in these days.
As many as
10,000 people
a day professing
faith in
Christ.
We're the
minority.
We're the
strange ones.
The blood
of Christians
is seed.
John Piper
adds to
Tertullian's
quote,
for almost
300 years
Christians
grew in
soil that
was wet
with the
blood of
martyrs.
The
suffering of
God's
saints
ought to
be the
norm,
not the
exception.
It ought to
be normative
and beloved,
we ought to
be all the
more bold
because of
the place
we live.
What are
we afraid
of?
A little
derision,
being made
fun of?
Oh,
someone's
going to
call me
goody-two-shoes
because I
called them
to the
ways of
God.
I'm not
going to
be as
liked as
I would
like to
be.
We should
be more
bold.
We should
be astoundingly,
we don't
even really
have to be
all that
wise in
the way
that we
proclaim
the gospel
of Jesus
Christ
because we're
not going
to be
imprisoned
and we're
not going
to be
put to
death.
We should
press on
and press
in.
So let me
just ask
you,
are you
willing to
bear up
under
discomfort
for the
sake of
Christ?
I wonder
how we
would respond
if there
were
picketers
at the
front of
our
property
on a
Sunday
morning.
If people
were saying
hateful
things about
you claiming
to be a
Christ follower
as you
pulled in,
how likely
would you
be to
navigate
through
such a
throng
to be
able to
gather
with the
church?
Worse
yet,
what if
there were
threats made
concerning
our lives?
What if
someone called
up and
said,
if your
church keeps
meeting the
way it's
meeting,
I'm going
to show
up one
day,
would we
continue
to meet?
Would we
so want
to be
together
to praise
this God
that has
loved us
so much
that we
would be
willing to
risk
such a
thing?
Would you
all gather
at dawn
in a
secret place
because the
danger was
so high,
because you
are so
hungry for
Christian
fellowship
and the
preaching of
God's
word?
If I
sent out a
message and
said,
hey,
we had a
threat placed
on the
church,
and so
this Sunday
instead of
meeting at
1030,
we're going
to meet at
5am,
because we're
going to get
in and we're
going to get
out before
anybody would
ever show
up to our
property.
How many
people would
be here
on that
morning?
For so
many,
gathering with
the church
seems to be
a thing they
do when they
have nothing
else to
do.
Paul writes
in 2 Timothy
chapter 3
and verse 12,
Indeed,
all who desire
to live a
godly life
in Christ
Jesus
will be
persecuted.
And Paul
is not here
saying that
if we want
to be godly,
we have to
go to
dangerous
places for
the gospel.
Paul here
is saying
that the
gospel is
dangerous.
Pursue
Christ where
you are
and you
will be
persecuted.
This
shouldn't be
some far
removed
foreign
theory of
the Christian
life.
What is
missing in
your life
that prevents
your affliction?
What comfort
do you hide
behind?
What sacrifice
do you need
to make?
The contemporary
Romanian pastor
Joseph
San,
who has
suffered
greatly at
the hand
of Russian
communists,
stated,
Christ's
suffering
is for
propitiation.
Our
suffering
is for
propagation.
Love that.
The seed
of the gospel
is sown
through the
suffering
of his
people.
Jesus
said in
John
chapter
12,
verse 24
and 25,
truly,
I say
to you,
unless a
grain of
wheat falls
into the
earth and
dies,
it remains
alone.
But if
it dies,
it bears
much fruit.
Whoever
loves his
life loses
it,
and whoever
hates his
life in
this world
will keep
it for
eternal
life.
Jesus
here is
not just
referring to
the death
of the
martyr,
although he
certainly
is,
but also
to the
daily
dying
of
disciples
of
Jesus
who
take up
their
crosses
and
follow
him,
follow
the
example
of
his
life
and
death.
Our
Lord
was a
suffering
servant.
It is
insane
for us
to call
ourselves
little
Christs
and to
not
suffer.
Christ
suffered.
God
himself
made
flesh,
emptied
himself,
became
humble
as a
servant,
and he
suffered
on our
behalf.
Jesus
says,
John
chapter
13
verse
16,
truly,
truly I
say to
you,
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master,
nor is
a messenger
greater
than the
one who
sent him.
The
message
of Jesus
Christ
is that
he lived,
he suffered,
and he died
for us.
And his
messengers
are meant
to bring
that message
in.
Our
suffering.
The
proper
Christian
life
is one
of
daily
death.
And Paul
writes in
2 Corinthians
chapter 4
verse 8
and following,
we are
afflicted in
every way
but not
crushed,
perplexed
but not
driven to
despair,
persecuted
but not
forsaken,
struck
down but
not
destroyed,
always
carrying in
the body
the death
of Jesus.
so the
life of
Jesus
may also
be
manifested
in our
bodies.
For we
who live
are always
being given
over to
death
for Jesus
sake,
so the
life of
Jesus
also may
be
manifested
in our
mortal
flesh.
So death
is at work
in us
but life
in you.
There's this
impartation
of life
to those
who see
us suffer
and bear
up under
it for
the joy
of Christ.
Sam
Storms in
his devotional
book on
Colossians
entitled
The Hope
of Glory
wrote,
Suffering
for sin
is a
reproach.
Suffering
for suffering's
sake
is perverted.
Suffering
for the
sake of
Christ
and His
people
is grounds
for joy.
Peter
writes in
1 Peter
chapter 4
verse 13
and following,
Rejoice
insofar
as you
share
Christ's
suffering
that you
may also
rejoice
and be
glad
when His
glory
is revealed.
If you
are insulted
for the
name of
Christ,
you are
blessed
because the
spirit of
glory and
of God
rests upon
you.
But let
none of
you suffer
as a
murderer
or a
thief
or an
evildoer
or as
a meddler.
He's
saying,
don't be
dumb.
Your
suffering
for being
a bad
person
is not
suffering
for Christ.
Yet,
if anyone
suffers
as a
Christian,
let him
not be
ashamed,
but let
him
glorify
God
in that
name.
And all
of this
is why
Paul is
able to
say,
now I
rejoice
in my
sufferings.
Suffering
for the
name of
Christ
is to
join
him
in his
suffering,
to be
united
with him
in his
suffering.
in
Acts 5.
In
Acts 5,
we see
the
record
of
the
apostles
called
together,
verse 40,
and put
on trial.
It records
when they
had called
in the
apostles,
they
beat
them
and
charged
them
not
to
speak
in
the
name
of
Jesus
and
let
them
go.
Then,
they
left
the
presence
of
the
council,
rejoicing
that they
were
counted
worthy
to
suffer
dishonor
for
the
name.
And
every
day
in
the
temple
and
from
house
to
house,
they
did
not
cease
teaching
and
preaching
that
the
Christ
is
Jesus.
And
I
love
that
account
of
Luke.
Luke's
very
to
the
point
record.
They're
charged,
they're
beaten,
they're
charged
not
to
preach
about
Christ,
they're
so
happy
that
they
got
to
suffer
as
Christ
suffered,
and
what
do
they
do?
They
go
around
teaching
that
Jesus
is
the
Christ.
Again,
if you're
not
okay
with
this
teaching,
then you
do not
treasure
Christ
as
you
ought
to.
The
way
of
Jesus
is
the
way
of
suffering.
Now
I want
to show
you this
from the
book of
Hebrews
in
closing.
So
turn
with
me
if
you
will
to
Hebrews
chapter
10.
Beloved,
beyond
the
suffering
of
Christ,
there
is a
great
and
eternal
joy
that
awaits
us.
We
get a
taste
of
that
joy
even
here
and
now,
and
we'll
have
so
much
of
it
later.
And
the
writer
of
Hebrews
makes
this
case
across
the
text.
I'm
so
looking
forward
to
working
through
the
entire
book
of
Hebrews
and
picking
this
theme
up
again
and
again
and
again.
But
I
want
to
show
you
that
he
makes
the
argument
to
them
to
persevere
to
keep
on
in
their
suffering
and
he
makes
it
first
Hebrews
chapter
10
verse
32
through
35
with
their
own
experience.
He
reminds
them
of
themselves.
He
argues
!
them
with
their
own
case.
He
says,
but
recall
the
former
days
when
after
you
endured
a
hard
struggle
with
sufferings
sometimes
being
publicly
exposed
to
reproach
and
affliction
and
sometimes
being
partners
with
those
so
treated
for
you
had
compassion
on
those
in
prison
and
you
joyfully
accepted
the
plundering
of
your
property
since
you
knew
that
you
yourselves
had
a
better
possession
and
an
abiding
one.
Therefore
do
not
throw
away
your
confidence
which
has
a
great
reward.
So
they
themselves
are
suffering
right
they're
being
publicly
exposed
reproach
there's
evil
words
being
spoken
against
them
affliction
there's
likely
some
kind
of
physical
persecution
happening
and
at
times
they're
partnering
with
some
who've
been
imprisoned
and
in
prison
in
those
days
if
you
didn't
have
somebody
come
and
help
you
died
you
had
to
be
fed
being
imprisoned
so
they're
exposing
themselves
as
Christians
going
and
helping
those
that
are
in
their
church
that
have
been
imprisoned
and
what
happens
in
this
act
their
property
is
plundered
as
they
leave
their
house
people
go
into
their
house
and
they
take
their
property
and
they
do
this
odd
thing
that
you
joyfully
accept
it
why
because
you
knew
that
you
have
a
better
possession
and
it's
a
possession
that
abides
it's
a
possession
that
no
one
can
take
from
you
the
author
of
Hebrews
says
so
don't
throw
away
your
confidence
this
confidence
you
expressed
so
well
because
it
has
a
great
reward
like
Christ
now
and
Christ
forever
turn
over
now
a
page
or
two
to
Hebrews
chapter
11
and
verse
24
the
writer
of
Hebrews
is
pointing
these
Hebrew
believers
to
a
greater
faith
and
he
gives
them
this
example
of
so
many
who
by
faith
by
faith
by
faith
and
it
says
verse
24
by
faith
Moses
when
he
was
grown
up
refused
to be
called
the
son
of
Pharaoh's
daughter
you
remember
Moses
was
a
prince
of
a
wealthy
nation
choosing
rather
to be
mistreated
with the
people
of
God
than
to
enjoy
the
fleeting
pleasures
of
sin
passing
sand
through
his
fingers
fleeting
pleasures
of
sin
he
considered
and I
love that
the author of Hebrews
does this
Moses didn't have this particular thing in mind
but we get this inspired commentary on what's going on as Moses is looking
forward to being gods
right to belonging to God
he considered the reproach of Christ
greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward
!
so he makes a case to the Hebrews by their own argument
then he does it with Moses and Moses is giving up the fleeting pleasures the treasures of Egypt for the greater treasure of Christ himself and then he makes the argument with Christ
Hebrews chapter 12
verse 1 and 2
so following 11
we have all of these who buy faith
and then the writer of Hebrews says
therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
all of these faithful ones that have gone before us
let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us right
in the midst of our suffering
let us run with endurance
looking to Jesus
seeing him as our example
the founder and perfecter of our faith
who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross
despising the shame
and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God
so
as we suffer in this world
we're to look to
Jesus
who shows us
how it is we are to
suffer
and how did he do this?
he looked to the joy
that was set
before him
he looked to the eternal
reward of being seated at the right hand
of God
and then again
in the life of Christ
Hebrews chapter 13
verse 12
and
following
so Jesus
also suffered
outside the gate
in order to
sanctify the people
through his own blood
therefore
let us go to him
outside the camp
and bear
the reproach
he endured
the author is doing that
let us follow Christ
to where Christ went
bear the reproach
that he
endured
why?
for
here we have no
lasting
city
all the pleasures of this world
are going to turn to dust
one day
but we
seek
the city
that is to come
it's a better city
it's a more glorious city
it's an eternal
city
where Christ
will reign
forever
and we will reign
with him
Paul
rejoiced
in his sufferings
because he knew
that it was for
the gain
of the
Colossian church
and
it was for his
eternal reward
this is glorious
this is wonderful
that we would
want to follow
Christ
in a way
that we
suffer
that we're
looking
toward
an eternal
reward
the good of
others
and the glory
of God
on your bulletin
there's a
quote from
John Trapp
who is a
if I'm getting this right
a 16th century
Anglican commentator
and he said this simple
thing and I just like it
stuck in my brain
this week
he that rides
to be crowned
you're headed to your
coronation
ceremony
you're going to this
most glorious
event
where you
will reign
with Christ
he who rides
to be crowned
will not think
much
of a rainy day
press
right on
through it
so in conclusion
suffering is a
primary means
by which we
are to spread
the gospel
of reconciliation
to all the peoples
of the world
in order to yield
God centered
Christ
exalting
churches
Christ family
church
exists
to glorify
God
by experiencing
proclaiming
and displaying
the supremacy
of Jesus Christ
in all things
including
our suffering
to
all
peoples
beloved
we must
ask ourselves
if we are
living to this
high mark
as a community
of faith
I am
confident
that we have
much work to do
and I am
confident that the
Lord will be
kind to us
as we study
the book of
Hebrews
together
let us
together
yield
ourselves
to the will
of the
Father
live such
radically
God oriented
lives
that come
what may
we will hold
high the
supremacy
of Jesus
Christ
so that
God will
draw men
to himself
for the praise
of his glory
let's pray
together
God