We pray for peace, comfort for our families, protection while we sleep.
We pray for healing, we pray for prosperity.
We pray for your mighty hand to ease our sufferings.
And all the while, you hear each spoken need,
yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.
You see, for Laura, God had always seen God as a kind of handyman.
When something goes wrong, you simply dial up in prayer and God fixes it.
But with the news of this brain tumour and her husband's illness,
it appeared that God was no longer loving and no longer powerful.
You see, like Laura, we can think the only good thing God can ever do is to heal and ease our sufferings.
But as the song says, the last line,
yet love is way too much to give us lesser things.
In other words, suffering in the loving hands of God can be used for good in our lives
and in the lives of others and ultimately for God's glory.
A key verse that we've been thinking about through this series is Romans 8.28,
which says,
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
In all things, in every suffering of life,
when cancer strikes, when depression weighs us down,
when an accident takes a loved one,
when circumstances overwhelm us,
in all things, in every suffering of life,
God works for good.
That doesn't mean that suffering is itself good.
Rather, all suffering in the hands of God is used for good purposes.
As the author Joni puts it,
God uses what he hates to accomplish what he loves.
So rather than see suffering as a curse,
through the eyes of Christ we can see it as a gift
we can thank God for.
So this morning we're going to follow on from where we finished last week
and together we're going to see five more ways God uses suffering
for good purposes.
So purpose number one.
Embracing suffering as a gift
produces a Christ-like beauty.
Have a look at James chapter 1.
If we're Christians,
we all want, or at least we should desire,
to become more Christ-like.
Let me read chapter 1, verse 2.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.
The goal or the results of suffering can lead to,
look at the end of verse 4,
a life that is mature,
complete,
and not lacking anything.
Or as I've summarised,
suffering produces a Christ-like beauty.
Let's see how that works out.
Look at verse 2.
Consider it pure joy,
my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials.
Not if you face trials,
but whenever you face trials.
The Christian life doesn't guarantee
a suffering-free life.
We will suffer in all kinds of different ways.
But perhaps the greatest surprise
is not the fact that we will suffer,
but how we should think about our suffering.
Again, look at the beginning of verse 2.
Consider it pure joy.
How can we be joyful
when you're crippled up in pain
or you're grieving as you buried your loved one?
What's joyful about any of those circumstances?
Well, it doesn't mean we're to force a smile
or pretend that life is fun all the time.
Rather, as it says in verse 2,
we are to consider,
we are to think about how our trials
can be used for good
so we can be joyful
in what suffering produces in our life.
Verse 3,
because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance.
Suffering nurtures.
It grows and it strengthens and fuels our faith
so that we persevere,
that we become steadfast,
that we are strong in our faith.
Family friends of ours
have had their fair share of suffering.
Their daughter was born with a severe disability
and needs 24-7 care.
As a young teen,
I remember talking to the dad about it all
and asking him
why God had allowed
this suffering in their lives.
And his answer was something like this.
He says,
Johnny,
I don't know all the reasons,
but it strengthens our faith
for what we may face in the future.
It strengthens our faith today
for what we may face in the future.
Suffering produces a perseverance,
a steadfastness.
But that's not the goal, is it?
It's not the completion of it.
Look at verse 4.
Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature
and complete,
not lacking anything.
Suffering is not a good thing in and of itself,
but what it produces is good.
It can grow our faith
so that we become
all that God intends us to be,
which is to be Christ-like,
mature,
complete,
and not lacking anything.
You see,
from our earthly perspective,
when suffering comes,
usually suffering takes things from us.
It takes away our health.
It takes away our job security.
It can take away our loved ones.
But in the hands of God,
suffering gives to us.
It gives something back,
something deeper into our lives,
to the point of where we can say,
we lack nothing.
We lack nothing.
Even though things are stripped away,
we lack nothing.
Sam Albury put it like this,
suffering is an opportunity
to gain the most valuable thing on earth.
We gain something.
We receive the most valuable thing on earth,
a faith that is complete and lacking nothing.
Maturity and depth
in our relationship with God.
You see,
through suffering,
we become all that God wants us to be.
We become more beautiful in our character.
We love,
we comfort,
we give,
we serve.
So first,
embracing suffering as a gift
produces a Christ-like beauty.
Second,
embracing suffering as a gift
guarantees our future salvation.
I'm sure like me,
there are times you doubt and wonder
if you are ever going to enjoy
God's eternal kingdom.
That your faith,
because we fail so often,
we think,
I'm just not going to make it.
I keep slipping up and messing up.
Well,
suffering
can lead to an absolute assurance.
Just go on a couple of pages
to the next letter.
First Peter,
chapter 1.
It's just on a couple of pages.
First Peter,
chapter 1,
verse 6.
It's a similar text
to the one we just read in James,
but there's a different emphasis.
1 Peter,
chapter 1,
starting in verse 6.
In all this,
you greatly rejoice,
though now for a little while
you may have had to suffer grief
in all kinds of trials.
These have come
so that the proven genuineness
of your faith
of greater worth than gold,
which perishes,
even though refined by fire,
may result in praise,
glory,
and honour
when Jesus Christ
is revealed.
So just like James,
Peter is saying
he wants us to be joyful.
Verse 6.
In this you greatly rejoice.
Well,
what's there to be joyful about?
Well,
he tells us in verse 3.
Praise be to the God
and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In his great mercy,
he's given us new birth,
that's a new beginning,
a new life,
into a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ
from the dead
and into an inheritance
that can never perish,
spoil or fade,
and this inheritance
is kept in heaven for you.
So our future inheritance,
if we are Christians,
is secure.
A world to come
that is untouched,
by pain
and the heartache
of death.
A world to come
that is unspoiled
by the selfish,
evil actions of people.
This is our glorious inheritance
that we look forward to.
But what happens
when we go through trials
and my faith is rocked
and my doubts take over
and I think
I'm never going to get there
because I can't see
how it's ever possible.
Well, look at verse 7.
He says,
These have come.
God has allowed
trials in your life.
God has chosen
not to remove
the suffering
you are going through.
Why?
For what purpose?
Verse 7,
These have come
so that the proven
genuineness of your faith
of greater worth than gold
which perishes
even though refined by fire
may result in praise,
glory and honour
when Jesus Christ
is revealed.
Peter uses it
as an example
gold in a furnace.
Gold is still one of the most precious
and expensive metals
but before you can ever see
its true value
it's got to be put
in the furnace
and the raging temperatures
of the furnace
burn off everything
that is worthless
and impure
and what is left
is pure
genuine
gold.
Now here's the point
of what Peter
is getting at.
He's saying,
Look,
even at the end of time
pure gold
look at verse 7
he says,
Pure gold
will perish
but not
our faith in Christ.
There's a contrast.
Not our faith in Christ.
Our faith in Christ
is of greater value
and it's much more precious
than gold.
So when our faith
goes through
the fiery trials of life
when we go through
the furnace of suffering
when we face illness
or disappointments
and hurts
our faith
is being refined
and we can be in no doubt
whatsoever
that it will leave
a genuine
true
and pure faith
in Christ
so that
look at the end of verse 7
it will result in praise
and glory
and honour
when Jesus Christ
is revealed.
The very thing
the suffering
in the trials
which we fear
will trip us up
or cause us to fall
and not attain
or reach
our final glory
all of those things
are used by God
for good purposes
to guarantee
our future salvation.
Look at verse 9
For you are
as you go through
these trials
you are
receiving
the end result
of your faith
the salvation
of your souls
So second
embracing
suffering
as a gift
guarantees
our future salvation
So suffering
does us good
but these next two
is about how
suffering
is good
in the life
of others
our suffering
can mean good
in the lives
of others
So third
embracing
suffering
as a gift
enables us
to comfort
others
Go back to
2 Corinthians
chapter 1
which is on page
1159
2 Corinthians
chapter 1
which is on page
1159
9
So we're
working hard
looking
at the
texts
to see
how suffering
is used
for good
purposes
So when we
go through
our struggles
each one of us
longs and desires
to be
comforted
We want
comfort
Well look at
2 Corinthians
1 verse 3
Praise be
to the God
and Father
of our Lord
Jesus Christ
the Father
of compassion
and the God
of all comfort
who comforts
us in all
our troubles
so that we
can comfort
those in any
trouble
with the
comfort
we ourselves
receive
from God
One of the
books
that I've
encouraged
to buy
there's a
copy of it
on the
back table
written by
Paul Mallard
as he talks
about his
own wife's
experience
of suffering
she has
an incurable
disease
which they
can't seem
to quite
diagnose
and he
comments
on these
verses
and he
explains it
almost in
three steps
he says
troubles
and sufferings
flow into
our lives
and as we
go through
the troubles
the comfort
of God
floods
into our
lives
and from
this overwhelming
flood of
comfort
is an
overflowing
of comfort
into the
lives of
those
who suffer
so picture
it this way
troubles
flow into
our life
the comfort
of God
floods in
and that
comfort
overflows
to others
in their
pain and
hurts
you see
God is not
immune to
the troubles
we go
through
look at
verse 3
it tells us
he is the
father
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ
the father
who comforted
his son
through his
life
and ministry
is the
same
father
who comforts
us
through our
faith in
Christ we
have a
relationship
with the
father
that the
son
enjoyed
and
experienced
so God
our father
sees us
he understands
and he
responds to
us his
children
with
compassion
he comes
alongside
this is what
it means
to comfort
he draws
alongside
he enters
into our
suffering
and he
supports us
he steadies
us
he strengthens
us
and encourages
us
Martin
Luther
once said
three things
make a
great
pastor
prayer
meditation
and
suffering
because
Luther had
come to
understand
that through
his own
sufferings
and struggles
he came
to experience
God's love
and encouragement
in a deeper
way
and it
enabled him
to understand
the suffering
of others
who he
cared for
and how
he then
in turn
could bring
the comfort
of God
into their
lives
and I think
that's so true
in our own
experience
think about
some of the
most caring
compassionate
and comforting
people
that you
know
invariably
they are
people who
suffer terribly
in their
own lives
why is
that
because
through
their
trials
they've
learned to
embrace
suffering
as a
gift
and have
experienced
God's
comfort
flood
into their
lives
and in
turn
it overflows
it bubbles
out from
them
into the
life
of others
things
I wonder
if you've
ever thought
of your
suffering
in that
light
before
look at
verse 6
Paul continues
he says
if we are
distressed
if we go
through a
personal trial
or trouble
he says
it's for
your
comfort
and salvation
and if
we're
comforted
if we
experience
the comfort
of God
well that
too is
for your
comfort
which will
produce
in you
patient
endurance
of the
same
sufferings
we
suffer
so our
suffering
can be
wasted
if the
comfort
we receive
from God
is never
passed
on
God
our
sovereign
father
allows
suffering
in the
life
of his
children
so that
we
experience
the
flooding
in of
his
compassion
so that
the
comfort
we
receive
may
overflow
into
the
life
of
others
and
there
may
be
a
day
when
those
who
you
comfort
today
will
be
those
very
people
who
will
comfort
you
in
the
future
so
third
embracing
suffering
as a
gift
enables
us
to
comfort
others
fourth
so we've
looked at
two ways
in which
the
God
uses
suffering
for good
in our
own
lives
and
how
now
it
leads
to
the
good
of
others
for
their
comfort
and
fourth
embracing
suffering
as a
gift
leads
to
the
salvation
of
others
just
jump
on a
page
to
2
Corinthians
chapter
4
throughout
history
God has
used
the
suffering
of his
people
to bring
salvation
to other
people
listen
to what
Paul
says
chapter
4
verse
10
read
carefully
he
says
we
always
carry
around
in
our
body
the
death
of
Jesus
so
that
the
life
of
Jesus
may
also
be
revealed
in
our
body
for
we
who
are
alive
are
always
being
given
over
to
death
for
Jesus
sake
so
that
his
life
may
also
be
revealed
in
our
mortal
body
so
then
death
is at
work
in
us
but
life
is at
work
in
you
in
death
comes
life
just
as the
suffering
and death
of
Jesus
Christ
results
in
our
salvation
as we
trust
him
so
our
sufferings
and
even
our
death
is
used
by
God
to
enable
others
to
see
the
salvation
that
is
in
Christ
look at
verse
12
so
then
death
is at
work
in
us
but
life
is at
work
in
you
in
other
words
suffering
and death
is not
just the
content
of
our
message
so
we
proclaim
a
message
that
is
about
a
suffering
Christ
so
it's
not
just
our
message
but
it's
also
the
methods
the
means
God
uses
let me
illustrate
this
for
you
I've
been
reading
a
number
of
biographies
recently
written
by
John
Piper
21
servants
of
God
and
one
of
those
servants
was
a
man
called
John
Patton
in
1858
so
a
good
time
ago
John
Patton
was
a
Scottish
missionary
and
he
sailed
for
the
New
Hebrides
which
is
a
collection
of
about
80
islands
way
down
in
the
South
Pacific
those
islands
at
that
time
were
not
an
easy
place
to
live
they
were
described
as
cannibals
they
sometimes
ate
the
flesh
of
their
defeated
enemies
they
practiced
infanticide
they
would
murder
children
and
widow
sacrifice
so
if
the
husband
had
died
they
would
sacrifice
the
widow
so
that
she
would
be
of
use
to
her
husband
in
the
world
to
come
so
he
reached
these
islands
with
his
wife
and
their
newborn
son
in
the
November
four
months
later
after
arriving
on
those
islands
tragedy
struck
Patton
writes
in
his
diary
he
says
then
in
a
moment
altogether
unexpectedly
she
that is
my
wife
died
on
March
the
third
to
crown
my
sorrows
and
complete
my
loneliness
the
dear
baby
boy
whom
we
named
after
her
father
Peter
Robert
Robson
was
taken
from
me
after
one
week
sickness
on
March
20th
to
compound
the
loss
of
his
own
wife
and
son
in
those
first
few
months
for
the
following
four
years
Patton
faced
constant
attack
from
the
islanders
he
suffered
awful
sickness
and
fevers
that
left
him
falling
in
and
out
of
consciousness
he
escaped
the
islands
but
he
returned
again
four
years
later
with
a
new
wife
Mary
and
he
served
on
those
islands
for
another
41
years
and
at
the
age
of
63
Patton
wrote
this
he
says
recall
what
the
gospel
has
done
on
the
new
Hebrides
the
island
where
he
served
12,000
have been
brought
to sit
at the
feet
of
Christ
and
133
have
been
trained
and
sent
forth
as
teachers
and
preachers
of
the
gospel
and
as
Patton's
account
was
heard
and
read
throughout
the
world
it
moved
literally
thousands
of
people
to
go
to
the
unreached
peoples
of
the
world
and
many
more
nations
were
reached
and
people
came
to
Christ
looking
back
over
his
hardships
and
the
sufferings
that
he
went
through
his
life
he
wrote
this
often
times
while
passing
through
the
perils
and
defeats
of
my
first
four
years
in
the
mission
field
I
wondered
why
God
had
permitted
such
things
but
on
looking
back
now
I
already
clearly
perceive
that
the
work
could
never
have
been
accomplished
but
for
the
sufferings
pattern
is an
example
of what
we've
just
read
in
verse
10
have
a look
at
again
we
always
carry
around
in
our
body
the
death
of
Jesus
so
that
the
life
of
Jesus
may
also
be
revealed
in
our
body
now
I'm
quite
sure
we're
not
going
to
walk
out
of
here
and
face
cannibals
or
fever
we may
never
face
the
loss
of
one
of
our
children
but
if
we
are
believers
we
will
suffer
but
this
does
not
disqualify
us
in
God's
means
it
qualifies
us
we
have
a
message
of
a
suffering
Christ
and
God
uses
the
sufferings
of
his
people
who
learn
to
lean
upon
him
and
depend
upon
him
to
bring
that
same
message
of
Christ
to
a
dying
world
so
verse
12
so
then
death
is at
work
in
us
but
life
is
at
work
in
you
so
forth
embracing
suffering
as a
gift
leads
to
the
salvation
of
others
and
then
last
embracing
suffering
as a
gift
displays
the
glory
of
God
so
often
we
can
think
that
the
only
good
thing
God
could
ever
do
is
to
heal
or
to
ease
our
suffering
but
suffering
in the
hands
of our
loving
sovereign
father
is not
only good
for us
it's not
only good
for others
it is
ultimately
for
God's
glory
look at
chapter 4
verse 15
all this
all the
trials
and
struggles
the
sufferings
that we
may go
through
he says
is for
your
benefit
so that
the
grace
that is
reaching
more and
more
people
may cause
thanksgiving
to
overflow
to
the
glory
of
God
you
see
when we
embrace
suffering
as a
gift
when
God
uses
it
for
good
purposes
in
our
lives
in
the
lives
of
others
we
display
the
greatness
and
the
beauty
of
God
takes
the
worst
things
the
worst
tragedies
the
worst
experiences
of
our
lives
he
takes
them
all
and
he
uses
them
for
good
purposes
he
makes
us
more
Christ
like
guaranteeing
our
future
inheritance
he
enables
us
through
our
suffering
to
comfort
others
and
to
cause
salvation
to
flow
to
others
that
is
something
glorious
that
he
can
take
such
tragedy
and
bring
about
such
beauty
our
suffering
puts
the
greatness
and
beauty
of
God
on
display
if
you
could
picture
it
this
way
imagine
walking
into
a big
art
gallery
and
all
along
the
walls
are
these
portraits
and
you
look
at
them
each
one
and
you
study
and
you
are
just
amazed
at
the
detail
and
you
go
wow
such
detail
but
as
you
travel
along
as
you
walk
down
the
corridor
looking
at
those
portraits
at
the
very
end
there's
this
enormous
portrait
and
it's
a
self
portrait
of
the
artist
himself
and
you
just
gaze
in
wonder
each
one
leading
up
to
something
more
magnificent
well
can
you
picture
it
like
this
that
you
are
like
a
portrait
on
the
wall
of
God's
gallery
and
as
people
walk
through
life
and
they
look
at
your
life
they
see
the
sufferings
the
struggles
the
trials
that
you
go
through
they
see
a
glimpse
a
display
of
something
beautiful
and
glorious
of
something
God
is
doing
in
your
life
and
as
they
travel
down
through
that
gallery
at
the
end
is
well
the
greatest
self
portrait
of
God
himself
of
Christ
on
the
cross
a
display
of
his
glory
and
greatness
and
his
sufferings
and
all
that
it
achieves
for
the
world
end
of
verse
15
the
grace
that
is
reaching
more
and
more
people
may
cause
thanksgiving
to
overflow
to
the
glory
of
God
as
people
see
you
through
your
trials
and
the
work
that
God
is
doing
in
you
it
is
a
display
of
the
beauty
of
God
and
a
pointer
to
the
ultimate
picture
of
Christ
on
the
cross
we
started
this
morning
gave
an
illustration
of a
modern
song
well
we're
going to
finish
this
morning
with
an
old
song
the
old
song
some
of
you
will
know
it
is
called
God
moves
in
a
mysterious
way
it
was
written
by a
man
called
William
Cooper
almost
300
years
ago
William
was
a
guy
who
loved
the
Lord
but
yet
he
suffered
severe
depression
terrible
darkness
in his
life
on a
number
of
occasions
he
tried
to
take
his
own
life
he
was
locked
up
in
an
asylum
yet
in
his
depression
in
some
of
his
darkest
times
he
wrote
some
of
the
most
beautiful
hymns
in
fact
he
joined
forces
with
John
Newton
and
they
wrote
a
hymn
book
together
John
Newton
of
course
wrote
Amazing
Grace
and
they
put
together
beautiful
hymns
for
their
people
Cooper's
most
well
known
hymn
is
God
moves
in
a
mysterious
way
one
verse
I want
to
point
out
we're
going
to
sing
it
and
listen
to
it
in
just
a
minute
comes
towards
the
end
and
this
is
what
it
says
his
purposes
talking
about
God's
purposes
and
his
sufferings
in
our
life
he
says
God's
purposes
will
ripen
fast
unfolding
every
hour
the
bud
may
have
a
bitter
taste
but
sweet
will
be
the
flower
suffering
is a
bitter
taste
and
some
of
you
know
what
it
is
to
suffer
and
struggle
but
sweet
are
God's
glorious
purposes
in
our
life
for
our
good
for
the
good
of
others
and
ultimately
for
the
glory
of
God
so
we'll
remain
seated
we're
going to
play it
some of
you
may
know
it
but
the
chorus
is
easy
to
pick
up
on
so
feel
free
to
join
in
as
we
listen
but
just
focus
meditate
upon
the
words
as
we
sing
this
together
God
moves
in a
mysterious
way
His
wonders
to
perform
He
plants
His
footsteps
in
the
sea
and
rides
upon
the
storm
deep
in
His
dark
and
hidden
mind
with
never
failing
skill
He
fashions
all
His
bright
designs
and
works
His
sovereign
will
So
just
we
trust
in
you
God
we
trust
in
you
What
fearful
snakes
new
curbish
fail
the
smile
that
you
now
dread
Heart
beat
with
mercy
and
to
break
in
blessings
on
your
head
judge
not
the
Lord
by
feeble
sin
but
trust
Him
for
His
grace
behind
a
frowning
promise
He
hides
a
smiling
face
So
God
we
trust
in
you
trust
in
what
you
do
Oh
God
we
trust
in
you
When
tears
are
grim
and
comfort
few
We
hope
in
mercy
ever
new
We
trust
in
you
God's
purposes
will
rise
in
time
unfolding
every
hour
working
every
moment
The
heart
may
have
a
bit
it
takes
but
sweet
will
be
the
flower
Blind
and
with
need
be
sure
to
end
and
scan
His
work
in
vain
God
is
his
own
interpreter
and
he
will
make
it
end
So
God
we
trust
in
you
sing
so
God
we
trust
in
you
God
we
trust
in
you
God
we
trust
in
you
When
tears
are
great
and
confidence
few
We
hope
and
mercy
ever
new
We
trust
in
Let's
pray
Father
as we
walk
through
this life
as we
face
trials
and
struggles
of many
kinds
Father
strengthen
our
face
as you
have
promised
enable
us
to
trust
in
you
that
you
are
working
good
purposes
in
us
and
through
us
making
us
more
Christ
like
guaranteeing
our
future
inheritance
enabling
us
to
comfort
others
and
leading
others
to
salvation
in
Christ
and
all
for
your
glory
and
for
your
honor
help
us
to
trust
you
amen
.