Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Last week we looked at the Marks of a Faithful Disciple, taken from .

These were the characteristics that we identified:

Faithful Disciples Suffer for Christ -

Faithful Disciples Proclaim the Truth -

Faithful Disciples Fear Only God -

Faithful Disciples Trust in God -

Faithful Disciples Walk the Talk -

Faithful Disciples Deny Themselves -

Faithful Disciples Carry the Cross -

Faithful Disciples Bless Others -

If you’ll remember I had you take a quick little pop quiz to score yourself.

Do you remember which areas you need to work on in order to improve your discipleship score?

As I promised we are going to begin looking at these as we work through this teaching on Discipleship.

Today we’ll be looking at Suffering for Christ.

Our verses from Matthew 10...

Remember that in , Jesus is preparing the disciples for living a life of persecution.

He is telling them here that they should expect to suffer, as He will have suffered...

Suffering in General

I know that many of you suffer in the general sense of the word.

We all suffer from time to time with:

Health

Finances

Relationships

Suffering is part of human life.

We live in a fallen world where suffering is always happening.

We won’t be free of human suffering until Christ returns to call us home.

We’ve talked about the anxiety and depression that can come from that kind of suffering when it goes on for a prolonged period of time.

And we’ve talked about the anxiety and depression that can come from that kind of suffering when it goes on for a prolonged period of time.

I just want to warn you today that suffering is not a symbol that you are at odds with God.

Now on the contrary, if you are at odds with God, it can and will bring many kinds of suffering into your life.

But suffering is not necessarily an indicator that God is angry with you, as many seem to think.

Sometimes suffering is ...

a consequence of some sin or negative pattern of action in your life.

a consequence of some sin or negative pattern in somebody else’s life… that happens to be impacting you.

the hand of God in your life.

Today we are talking about that kind of suffering.

The kind of suffering that comes when we are dedicated to God, and God begins to put us into training for the work of His Kingdom.

Let’s read today’s passage...

However, today we are talking about a different kind of suffering.

Let’s read today’s passage...

[pray]

1

Fruit of the Spirit

We must understand that it is not the good times in life that shape our character, but the difficult times.

Anybody can have joy when times are good, but having joy when times are tough, is probably the hardest thing in the world.

In fact the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control are born in the soil of difficult times.

I know of many Christians who have declared “Patience!

Oh no! Don’t ask God for patience!

That’s only inviting trouble!”

But I disagree.

I think that we MUST have patience in order to be more Christ-like.

We must also have love for others, peace in our hearts that we are right where God wants us.

We must be willing to be vulnerable and put ourselves in difficult situations so that we might come out better on the other side.

This is why soldiers go through Basic Training.

They are put through an intense period of difficulty in order to shape them into soldiers.

The Fruit of the Spirit is the resulting character of Christ-likeness that we expect from the training experience of Christian suffering.

If Christian suffering is the inevitable result of God shaping us and molding us in the image of Christ, and it is the bearing of the Fruit of the Spirit within us, then we should determine a healthy response to Christian suffering in our lives...

If Christian suffering is the inevitable result of God shaping us and molding us in the image of Christ, and it is the bearing of the Fruit of the Spirit within us, then we should determine a healthy response to Christian suffering in our lives...

How should Faithful Disciples of Christ respond to Suffering for Christ?

The Apostle Peter has given us a blueprint here for responding to Christian suffering...

I. Don’t Let Suffering Surprise You -

1

Peter understood the human condition that we sometimes get into the routine of living daily life and ignoring the spiritual that is always taking place around us.

We are often dulled to it, especially living in the modern Western world.

As a result of this dulled manner of living, we can sometimes find ourselves surprised when we look up and find a battle taking place around us.

Christians are different from unbelievers (or should be)...

[and following]

2 Cor 6:14

Or to put it in the words of God, from the mouth of the prophet Isaiah...

“COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE” says the Lord (Isaiah 52:17).

As a result of this dulled manner of living, we can sometimes find ourselves surprised when we look up and find a battle taking place around us.

Christians should live a different kind of lifestyle as the world around them.

We see in the Western world a heavy dependence upon lies, pride, pleasure, and the desire for MORE.

The Christian should depend on truth, humility, holiness, and the desire to glorify God.

WE should expect suffering and trials...

In the words of Jesus...

This idea of going through the fire in is not an uncommon idea to describe someone going through difficulty.

But Peter was thinking of fire as a refining fire rather than divine judgment.

The fire that Peter is thinking of comes because we are being faithful to God.

It is a fire that comes because we bear the name of Christ.

II.

Rejoice in Your Suffering -

Peter says χαιρετε (chairete)!

Which means “Rejoice constantly!” or be in a continuous state of rejoicing (and don’t stop).

That reminds me of an old Christian song lyric that says “If you’re going through Hell, just don’t stop!”

Peter is saying that the more you suffer, the more that you have to rejoice about.

This is the same thing that James says...

1. Suffering for Christ is a Privilege -

I will say that not every believer has this privilege.

This is a point at which God says, “I think can trust this believer with more.

Let’s give him a little more to handle.

Let’s see how he responds.”

2. Your Reward is Forthcoming - v 13,

We are told in scripture that we have a reward waiting for us in Heaven.

We will not see it nor receive it until it is granted to us by the Father after the Great Judgment...

1 Peter

Peter is saying, you may suffer now, but you will receive your great reward in the end.

3. Rejoice when the Spirit of God rests on us - v 14

1 Peter

The themes of suffering and glory run throughout Peter’s letter.

Because we suffer, we receive a blessing of going deeper with God and receiving glory from God.