Knowing and Doing the Will of God means suffering. (Part 8)
Colossians 1:24-27
“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.”
“When you choose the walk of a disciple (telmede in Hebrew) it is a walk that goes to the end”. (Ray Vander Laan…all quotes from him unless otherwise noted).
“We come to a place where people had to make a decision…to be like the Rabbi [see “valley of decision”]…very, very difficult and meant facing their own death.” (ibid)
It is a “…difficult path of taking up our cross like the MESSIAH.” (ibid)
Why does a disciple have to suffer?
Matthew 26:36-39
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will."
“’Gethsemane’ [‘oil press’ The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon]…the Rabbi suffered (far beyond what we can imagine). If being a disciple is to be like the Rabbi, we ought to expect Gethsemane moments too.”
1 John 2:6
"...whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
Luke 9:23
"And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
“We want Jesus to carry His cross so we don’t have to.” (Ray Vander Laan)
Why? “In part because the Rabbi did.” (ibid)
Matthew 5:11-12
"Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
John 15:18, 20
"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you..."Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours."
Philippians 1:29
"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake..."
2 Timothy 3:12
"Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted..."
“We continue to suffer for others so they will know Jesus as Lord.”
Colossians 1:24
"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..."
“What is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions?”
Not Jesus’ atoning work on the cross (John Piper).
“What is still lacking”…people do not know Jesus as Lord!
What will get me through the suffering?
1 Corinthians 15:30-32
"Why am I in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
2 Corinthians 11:23-28
"Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches."
“joy”…a daily choice (see 1 Corinthians 15:30-31)
"Why am I in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!"
Hebrews 12:2
"...looking to Jesus, 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."
Application:
"What stories will others tell of us? Are we "blessing [others] with [our] courage and fight?"
Where does the path lead? The disciple doesn't ask. All he or she knows is that more than anything else in the world, the disciple (the telmede) wants to be like the Rabbi right to the end." (Ray Vander Laan)
"If you're not WILLING TO SUFFER, you're not willing to be a follower". - Jon Davis
Here is a link to Foxe's Book of Martyrs for more information on the suffering of the saints for the sake of Christ. http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/martyrs/index.htm
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