Join in His Sufferings

Our Savior has been lifted up at this conference in the songs and

and everything, the prayer, just the emphasis.

I hope you understand that this conference isn't about me.

It's not about Brother Armonza. It's not about Brother Shiplet.

We're just ministers of His word.

We're privileged to be so, but we're upholding the Lord Jesus

Christ and we want to bring honor and glory to his name.

I want to look this evening at the fellowship of his suffering,

the fellowship of his suffering. And I feel compelled to preach

on this subject tonight. It has much to do with our walk

with God. And I'd like you to turn the

Philippians Chapter 3, Philippians Chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention Philippians 3 · chapter mention

We like to be victorious and we marvel at gaining potentially a

crown. But we don't often want the

cross. But that is just as much a part

of our sonship of God as the crown.

You want the crown, you've got to be willing to take the cross.

And we are in Christ. Therefore, if any man be in

Christ, if you're saved, you're in him.

And what did he do? He suffered.

And so if you're in him, then we're invited to embrace that

fellowship of his suffering. Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

I'm going to pray 1st and then direct you to the text.

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I do ask for

Your power and your strength to preach Your word, and I pray

that you would work in all of our hearts that good thing that

you want to accomplish. Lord, I just ask that Your Word

would have free course and that you'll breakthrough any

barriers, and that you'll help us and our walk with You and

fellowshipping with your dear Son even in suffering.

I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. Philippians chapter 3 If you'll

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

stand with me just for the reading of the text.

Philippians chapter 3 verse #10 Scripture that I may know him,

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship

of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death, you

may be seated. Some of the greatest times of

fellowship man has ever experienced with God has been

times when suffering is present. There's something about

suffering, even though it's difficult, that it brings you

into conformity to his death and draws you closer to the Savior

in a way you never could have known without that suffering, a

closer identification being brought in.

I think about, I mentioned when I went to the airport to come

here, there were a bunch of sailors and they were all

dressed in their, their sailor uniforms and, and sharp and, and

all of that. They had their hats on.

And I noticed something, all of their conversation, all of their

fellowship, they're, they're laughing.

Their, their discussion was amongst themselves.

They found a camaraderie amongst themselves that could not be

matched outside of that brotherhood, if you will.

And there's something about being brought in to the Lord

Jesus Christ and being able to take part in everything that he

has for us and everything that he went through, even his

suffering. When my mother died and I was 17

years old, people from all over the country tried to console me.

And honestly, they didn't know how I felt.

And I, I, I thought that to myself, when the average person

would come up to me, just friends of mine, people that I

was acquainted with and, and, and, and say, I'm sorry, they

didn't know how I felt. But when someone that I knew had

lost a close loved one came up to me, all they had to do was

look at me and, and, and there was a fellowship there based on

our mutual suffering. No one likes to suffer.

There are dear widows in our churches.

Our heart goes out to them. But I would say this suffering

has a way of placing you closer to the ultimate sufferer and and

bringing you near to his precious wounded side in a way

that you never could have without suffering.

And when you're brought as a sufferer into closer fellowship

with the ultimate sufferer, you find more rest for your weary

soul. Our carnal flesh hates any form

of suffering. No one here tonight would

volunteer to go through a a bout of suffering.

But it's typically in these times, I know it from

experience, that we enjoy the sweetest fellowship with the

Lord and the most willingness to surrender to Him.

We see this in Job. His great suffering yielded both

great fellowship with God and great surrender to God.

We see this even with our Lord suffering his agony in the

garden. Great fellowship with God, as it

were drops of blood, but also great surrender nevertheless.

Not my will, but thine be done. There's something about

suffering, friend, that brings us closer to our God.

Now why and how does suffering bring forth sweetness?

Please bear with me. A little bit of turning and then

we'll get to some major points. But first of all, suffering is

the prerequisite of our glorification with Him.

Turn with me to Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 8 doctrine in the Bible that we will be glorified

Romans 8 · chapter mention

with him. That doesn't happen without

sufferings. We want the glory but not always

the guts. Look at Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 8 verse #17 The Bible says and if children then

Romans 8 · chapter mention

heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, that sounds

glorious. But look at the rest of the

verse. If so be that we suffer with him

that we may be also glorified together.

We we want the inheritance, we want the glory, but we want it

without the suffering. But as far as God is concerned,

it's a package deal, the glory with the suffering.

It's the package of sonship. Secondly, suffering is the means

of our comfort from Christ. Go with me to 2nd Corinthians,

Second Corinthians chapter 1. Suffering is the means of our

2 Corinthians 1 · chapter mention

comfort from Christ. In other words, how would you

experience the comfort of the Lamb of God if you never

suffered anything? And what would that do to your

Christian experience if you never experienced consolation

from God? Look at 2nd Corinthians chapter

one verse #5 Scripture. For as the sufferings of Christ

abound in us, so our consolation also abounded by Christ.

The verse is clear. More suffering, more

consolation. Consolation from God equal to

our suffering. Paul had all kinds of suffering,

if you know the Bible. Yet he knew, look at that verse,

that those sufferings were the sufferings of Christ.

The hotter the day, the more due at night, The hotter you're

suffering, the more due of consolation that He grants to

you next. Suffering is the means of a real

new life. We know that Galatians 220

declares I am crucified with Christ.

Nevertheless, I live suffering A crucifixion, as it were, with

Christ, but that being the gateway to a new life, a new

direction, a New Hope. Dead to religion, dead to works,

dead to the bondage of sin through being crucified.

Suffering go with me To Colossians.

Colossians, suffering is the means of edifying the church.

Think about that. Suffering builds up the body.

I don't know that I would have believed that without reading it

in God's word. Look at Colossians chapter 1

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

verse #24 Colossians 124 Scripture who now rejoice in my

sufferings. Don't miss this for you, for

you. Paul said his suffering was for

the church. When someone in our church goes

through great suffering, there's an element of that that is for

the church. And let's go back to the

Scripture and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of

Christ in my flesh. For his body's sake.

What's his body? The local church.

For his body's sake, which is the church.

He's writing this from jail. He says that my sufferings fill

up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.

He's not talking about sin atoning suffering, but

ministerial suffering which ministers to God's God's people.

And so Saul, who became Paul suffered, but it wasn't just his

sufferings. It literally built up the

churches. There's an edifying element to

suffering. So when Brother Shifflett was

talking about Paul and his his call and Ananias, what great

things he must, Paul must suffer for my sake.

There's all kinds of dimensions of this suffering and it points

to our edification. Suffering is also proof that we

will reign with him. The Bible says in Second Timothy

211. It is a faithful saying, For if

we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him.

If we suffer. If we suffer, we shall also

reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will

deny us. The reward of suffering is

greater than the cheap thing that you'll get from quitting.

Reigning with Christ through suffering.

Go with me to first Peter chapter 4.

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

Suffering is also proof of our future joy.

Suffering is proof of our future joy.

I don't know all who in our assembly tonight is suffering or

has suffered, but I know that I'm not alone in that.

We have suffered in our lives. What's for?

It's proof of our future joy. Look at First Peter, chapter 4,

1 Peter 4 · chapter mention

verse #13 I used to think it was just suffering so many

dimensions. First Peter 413 But rejoice in

as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when

his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding

joy. Proof of our future joy. 14 If

you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the

spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.

On their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is

glorified. He took part of our humanity and

he suffered. Why can't we do the same?

Should not we be considering ourselves privileged to share

anything with the Lord Jesus Christ, anything, even His

suffering? In Philippians chapter 3 verse

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

#10 where we started, the word is in plural.

His sufferings, His sufferings. And so as we look through the

Word of God to try to see what His sufferings are, there are

some lessons there that I believe we need to take with us

to the grave. First of all, the animosity of

family. Second, the alienation of

followers. Third, the abandonment of

friends. And then finally, the accusation

of foes. How can his sufferings, plural,

benefit our lives? First of all, there's the

animosity of family. For a few moments.

Let's enter the shark infested waters of what it's like when

you decide to live for the king and you've got family that's

otherwise minded. I have a brother, I have cousins

and in in in large degree. They have gone towards the

world. And as they get into their 40s

and 50s and early 60s, they are reaping the consequences of

everything that they pushed aside when it comes to the

things of God. Turn with me to Mark chapter 3

Mark 3 · chapter mention

The animosity of family. Mark chapter 3 we see that

Mark 3 · chapter mention

Christ's brothers did not believe on him at the beginning,

and on one occasion they tried to restrain him by force.

They thought he was crazy. Mark chapter 3.

Mark 3 · chapter mention

Look with me at verse #20 The Bible says in the multitude

cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat

bread. And when his friends heard of

it, they went out to lay hold on him, for they said He is beside

himself. So as friends.

Now in context we know what type of friends it's talking about.

Look at verse #31 There came then his brethren and his

mother, and standing without sent unto him, calling him.

They said that Jesus was beside himself.

That was a nice way of saying that he had lost his mind.

The huge crowds so pressed upon the Lord that the Bible says

that there there wasn't time for regular meals.

Again, this refers to his family and his close friends.

Since Jesus grew up in the Galilee, people knew of him, and

they knew him before his time of popularity.

The carpenter's son or the Carpenter?

That Carpenter is out of his mind.

He left a prosperous business to become an itinerant preacher.

He's out of his mind. He's been threatened to be

killed and he hasn't backed down.

He's out of his mind. Our relative Jesus, our cousin,

our brother, he's out of his mind.

Huge crowds are following him. It's probably going to his head

and making him out of his mind. The unlikely disciples that he

picked shows that he doesn't have much discernment.

He's out of his mind. And then the last straw, the

pressures of of ministry are so great that he doesn't have time

to sit down and take regular meals.

You've got to understand how important that is to the Jewish

way of thinking, to sit down and break bread.

And he was declared out of his mind.

I was told that I was out of my mind for going to a white

church. I was told I was out of my mind

for wearing a shirt and tie and waiting on the street corner for

my bus captain to come pick me up for church.

I was told I was out of my mind for giving up that rap music and

not carousing with the rest of my cousins and my brother.

But I want to tell you something.

There's a fellowship of His sufferings, and when you follow

him, you're not out of your mind to the alienation of followers,

the alienation of followers. After Christ's teaching on the

bread of life, many of His disciples left him.

Turn with me to John chapter 6. John chapter 6.

John 6 · chapter mention John 6 · chapter mention

Often you will suffer at the hands of the fringe crowd.

The fringe crowd in John chapter 6 verse #66 the Bible says from

John 6 · chapter mention

that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more

with him. As the pressure began to build,

more and more turned away. It says in verse #66 many left

him, many decided not to stay with him.

The vast majority of the crowd didn't stick it out.

It's always been that way. Wasn't it that way in the days

of Noah? The vast majority of the crowd

was on the outside of the ark, not on the inside.

The majority is not with Christ. It has never been so.

And when the final count was here in this passage, there only

the 12 remain, and one of them was a traitor.

And if the truth be known, a lot of churches are no different.

There is a fringe crowd and though they boast of thousands

of decisions, it can easily just be a sham.

And like Christ crowd, the way you can tell the fringe is their

lack of devotion to the Word of God, the teaching and preaching

of the word of God. You know the fringe will come

out for a potluck dinner, but they might not make it through a

week of meetings like this. There's a fringe crowd.

And before you and I have ever known the the heart wrenching

feeling of the fringe crowd walking away, Jesus tasted it

first. And those defectors were called

disciples. They were actually called

disciples. More than just the 12 were

called disciples. The word disciple in its broader

meaning is anyone that would claim to know Christ and follow

him. But they were only following

Christ outwardly. These were not bums or or vile

worldlings. These were not people who did

not profess faith in Christ. They were, if you will, the

religious crowd. We have no problem saying that

the crowd on the outside of the church is going to hell.

But it's hard to accept the fact that many inside the church who

claim to be Christians are going to hell.

But the Bible says that there were many disciples who

defected. That should cause us all to

examine ourselves like the Bible says, whether or not we be in

the faith. John 666 says many of his

disciples went back, went back tells us the movement of these

fringe when they stop following him, they went back.

When people are in the fringe crowd today and they leave a

church like this, they say we're going to a more progressive

church, that they're going forward.

But the Bible tells me when you leave Christ, you're not going

forward. There's nothing progressive

about it. You're going back.

The crowd leaving Christ was as a dog returning back to its own

vomit. There's nothing progressive

about that. Now how did they prove they're

leaving? How did they prove that?

Verse 66 tells us they walk no more with Him.

The manner of leaving was to leave permanently.

They never returned. There is a crowd that will come

to a church like this, excuse me, pose as disciples and then

one day walk out the door, never to return again.

My friend, don't. Don't let that discourage you.

Because the Savior tasted that suffering himself.

And by the way, Jesus can replace them with real

disciples. Third, we see the abandonment of

friends gets thicker, the abandonment of friends.

Go with me to Mark chapter 14, if you will, the abandonment of

Mark 14 · chapter mention

friends, Mark chapter 14. This now, these now are the real

Mark 14 · chapter mention

disciples, the real disciples, the real Mccoys.

Look at Mark chapter 14, verse #50 the Bible says, and they all

Mark 14 · chapter mention

forsook him and fled. One of the most moving places to

visit in Israel is the Garden of Gethsemane.

And to picture this scene, it's not a complimentary scene for

the disciples because the Bible says that they forsook Him.

They all forsook him and fled. Now let's not get on our Holy

Horse and say that we would not have done the same thing.

We don't know how we would have reacted in that garden.

The tree that can stand such a blast truly has deep roots.

But the real disciples left Christ at the worst possible

time, at the time when Jesus needed His intimates the most

for support and encouragement. If there was any a time, it was

now. And the Bible tells us how many

of the real disciples fled in verse #50 all of them.

Peter was not the only one who denied his Lord.

Now, true. Peter did it in a more

pronounced way. Granted, but the Bible tells us

that all of the disciples should be put in the same boat as

deniers. Peter had boasted that he would

not deny the Lord. But if you don't read careful,

if you don't read careful, you'll miss the fact that they

all said the same thing. Go with me to Matthew chapter

Matthew 26 · chapter mention

26. This will surprise many Bible

students. Matthew chapter 26.

Matthew 26 · chapter mention

Yes, Peter, but all of them. Matthew chapter 26, verse #35

Matthew 26 · chapter mention

Matthew 2635. The Bible says Peter said unto

him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.

Don't miss the rest of the verse.

Likewise also said all the disciples, all the disciples

said they would not flee, and all of them fled.

Let not those that suffer for Christ think it's strange when

even some of the real disciples depart from you at your time of

need. Paul experienced this same

forsaking, he said at my first answer.

No man stood with me, but all men forsook me, forsook him.

What's going on, Paul? I'm just experiencing the same

thing that my Lord experienced. Paul had friends that weren't

there in his critical hour. Now, in the context of these

words, the forsaking of Christ was a treasonous thing.

It was a betrayal. It was disloyal.

There's nothing commendable about it.

It's especially treacherous when we bear in mind that Jesus was

there security in that garden. The authorities wanted to arrest

them all and take them away. Do you remember?

Jesus spoke up and said you wanted me.

You've got me. They forsook the one who had

stood for them. A pastor can surely understand

that you stand for your people and they're forsake you.

Parents know this experience. Spouses know this experience.

What is it that really save? What's wrong with them, my

friend? It's part of the fellowship of

his sufferings. And then forth, The accusation

of foes. The accusation of foes.

We expect this from our foes. They slandered his birth.

There were a number of attempts to take the life of the Lord

Jesus Christ before Calvary, starting with the slaughter of

the innocents at Bethlehem. All of the attempts to kill

Christ were inspired by the devil who would keep him from

Calvary. For Satan knew that the prophecy

of the seed of the woman that would bruise the head of Satan,

and Satan did not want Calvary because it was his doom.

But all of the attempts to kill the Lord Jesus Christ fail.

Some think that Satan took the Lord's life on that cross, but I

want to say that it's not so. For Christ gave up his own life

on that cross, and when they came to break his legs, they saw

that he was dead already. He said, I lay down my life,

that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I

lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and

I have power to take it again. But his foes charged him with

being in league with Satan. They said, you're doing this, as

we heard this week by Beelzebub. They twisted his words.

They hired false witnesses against him.

They could not pin anything on him.

What? What was the problem?

They didn't like his rebuke. When you rebuke a person, they

will either love you or hate you, depending on what they do

with your rebuke. If they take your rebuke, and

they're better for it because it's the right rebuke, they

repent, they will love you. But if they reject your rebuke,

understand you will have a foe that will hate you.

When Christ rebuked the scorners in Nazareth, the Bible says they

were filled with wrath. They wanted to destroy Him.

The message of Christ's rebuking evil produces wrath in people,

and it's not holy indignation, it's the unrighteous anger of

man. We see how they reacted to the

words of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you speak the same thing,

you're going to have some foes. You're going to make some

enemies. Any preacher or Christian who

dares to expose sin can expect the same reaction.

You will make enemies. Beware when all men speak well

of you, friend, and when they don't speak well of you and you

know you're standing for what's right.

You're just entering into the fellowship of his sufferings,

and that's the way to peace and joy.

If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross and we'll

believe you. That's a lie.

If he would have jumped down from the cross onto them, they

would not have believed. Their problem is that they did

not want truth. They would have come up with

some other excuse as to why they didn't believe.

We've had foes in Chicago, people that have told us you

cannot worship. You must close the doors, get

out of the building. And I tell you what, you preach

the truth. You stand for truth.

You'll have foes. The church across the street

from us doesn't have any foes. You want to know why?

I think they closed for six months.

They don't have foes during COVID.

The government can easily be a foe.

There's all kinds of foes. I just want to be a part of the

fellowship of His suffering. Isaiah chapter 53 tells us that

Isaiah 53 · chapter mention

our Lord was despised and rejected of men.

Am I any better A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief?

And we hid, as it were, our faces from him.

He was despised and we esteemed Him not.

My Lord was hated, hated. There's something inside of me

that would say I want to enter into that fellowship with my

Lord. And again, I don't.

My flesh doesn't like suffering, but there's something about

loving Jesus that says I want to embrace, I want to, I want that

camaraderie. If sailors can get together and

cuss and have a camaraderie with their friends, surely I can

enter into the fellowship of his sufferings in his rejected

position. We can share in that if we

identify with him. Oysters suffer affliction when

they get a grain of sand lodged inside of their shells.

And no matter what they do, they can't get rid of that grain of

sand. And so that oyster does

something peculiar, that thorn in their side, driving them

crazy. They say I've got to get some

comfort in my anguish. And so they began to coat that

grain of sand over and over and over again.

It doesn't remove the grain of sand, but it gives a little bit

more comfort to the oyster. And over time, the coating of

that grain over and over and over again produces something

that costs a mint, a Pearl. Do you know what a Pearl is?

It's the result of an irritated oyster.

Yet it's something that's held dear.

Yes, by, by, by our ladies, those pearls, something of great

value. Listen, when, when, when God

allows you to suffer, He's producing something beautiful

for His glory, something of great value for His Kingdom.

Don't be afraid or ashamed or throw a pity party for yourself

when you have to enter into the fellowship of his sufferings.

Pastor. Amen.

Let's stand in our seats with our heads bowed and our eyes

closed. What a what a powerful reminder.

And I think that's what that is, just a reminder that if you are

going to really sell out for Christ, what he talked about

last night was preached about last night, do you really want

to be right with God? Do you really want to have God's

power? Do you really want to be used of

God? Then you're going to have to

enter into the fellowship of his sufferings being made

conformable unto His death. What is the first part of that

verse says that I may know him. That's how you truly know Him.

Well, I tell you what, the thoughts been going through my

mind the last few days. Can you, can you ask God to

break you? Can you ask God to break you so

that you can be used and molded into what He wants to use you

for and mold you into? It's not fun to be broken.

That's the fellowship of His suffering.

That's how you get to know him. That's how you're made

conformable into his death. That's a difficult thing to

pray. God break me so that I can be

molded into what you want. But that's what He wants us to

pray. That's what the fellowship of

his suffering is all about. God spoke to your heart tonight.

That has the piano plays, you come.