Enduring Hardship For Jesus

Let's pray together.

Father, truly blessed is your name.

And we ask, no matter if we are in the midst of really, really hard things right now, or if life is going really, really well,

we ask that blessed be your name would be on our lips.

Is your worthy?

Father, today I pray that you would help us through your word learn how to go through hardships in a way that pleases you.

Looking to Jesus with our eyes fixed on eternity, longing to see your face.

Help us to trust you in the midst of all of this life, knowing that it's momentary and you're glorious forever.

God, would you use this time for your purposes, we pray.

In Jesus' name, amen.

You may be seated, children.

Head on to your classes.

What I mean is, my name is Matt, and I have the...

Hey, Donald.

I have the privilege of serving along with Pastor Mike as one of the associate pastors here.

And I was thinking a little bit earlier that I've reached a little bit of a milestone this morning.

My wife and I is one month old.

This is the first sermon that she'll hear me preach.

And there's a high likelihood one of two things will happen.

She will either fall asleep or start crying.

But we'll get through it together, Grace.

For the rest of us, we're in the middle of a discipleship series right now.

And we've sort of titled this as how we live intentionally for Jesus.

Well, any talk about discipleship requires that we spend some time considering hardship,

considering affliction and suffering.

Because we know from the lips of our Lord Jesus, he tells us that in this world, you will have tribulation.

It's at the end of John chapter 16, he says that.

John 16 · chapter mention

And none of us, right, none of us sort of rolls out of bed hardwired to please God in how we respond to hard things in life.

It's not our default kind of means of answering in the midst of hardship.

No, we're a people, we love safety and comfort and ease.

And we tend to avoid hardship at all costs.

And then when the inevitable hits and hardship comes, some kind of trial, some sort of suffering, a conflict perhaps,

when these things arise, we're prone to then seek escape.

We're tempted to compromise who we are, maybe even grumble and complain, thinking that we deserve better.

Well, we need help facing hard things.

We need help to think rightly about hard things and endure hard things in such a way that we can honor Jesus and glorify God.

What we need this morning is God's word to instruct us, for God's spirit to guide us as we contemplate these things.

In our discipleship, in our purpose to live intentionally for Jesus, how are we going to endure hardship for him?

Well, fortunately for us, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 has a lot to help us with regarding hardship.

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

So I'd invite you, if you haven't already, to turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians.

As you're turning there, as we get started, let me just help us kind of see God's main idea,

what he really wants us to consider and take away this morning from this text.

It's this.

God intends for each and every hardship that you experience to demonstrate his power for his glory and for your good.

So your response in the midst of hardship matters a lot to him.

It matters to Jesus how we face and respond to the hard things of life.

We all know the dangers that accompany hardships and afflictions and suffering and medical issues.

We tend to personalize it and dwell on it and lose perspective on the rest of life.

We can become so self-focused that we miss God's intention behind these hard things.

We're tempted to escape, to throw in the towel and surrender, to become bitter, maybe even to shake our fist at God.

But God calls us to endure, to be strengthened in the midst of hard things, to trust in him and his promises,

to flee to Christ who is our refuge, to renew our hope of heaven and redemption and restoration of all things.

Because we serve a God who has said just a few chapters later in this same letter,

my power is made perfect in weakness.

So friends, we must believe this morning that God intends to use each and every hardship to demonstrate his power for his glory and for our good.

So let's read God's word together as we get started here.

Hopefully you'll see this just come out right away in the text.

God is intending for us to receive hardship in such a way that he would be glorified,

that the world would see his power and his goodness in the life of Jesus in and through us in our affliction.

Hear God's word this morning, church.

2 Corinthians 4, starting in verse 7.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

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 that 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 that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written,

I believed and so I spoke.

We also believe and so we also speak,

knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus

and bring us with you into his presence, for it is all for your sake.

So that as grace extends to more and more people,

it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart.

Though our outer self is wasting away,

our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light, momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory

beyond all comparison.

As we look not to the things that are seen,

but to the things that are unseen.

For the things that are seen are transient, temporary.

The things that are unseen are eternal.

Well, a little bit of background as we get started in this chapter.

We've kind of just dropped into the middle of a letter.

So why is Paul writing?

What's going on in the midst of the Corinthian church?

And essentially, Paul, one of the first things we know about him

when we think of his life, right,

is this is a man who endured a lot of suffering.

Right?

He was beaten and lashed and imprisoned.

He was bludgeoned by rocks, lowered out of windows and baskets.

The guy just had a rough life.

And some people were looking at all of his suffering

and all of this affliction, and they were saying,

see, that weakness there, that means this guy, he's not legit.

You don't want to listen to him.

His apostleship is not something you want to identify with

because the real people, they're the strapping ones.

They're the strong ones.

Paul, in his weakness, is not somebody you want to pay attention to.

And these folks, their way of thinking

and their way of speaking about Paul

was kind of infiltrating the church of Corinth.

They were harming this church that Paul had labored so hard for.

Paul writes this letter to the Corinthians to kind of say,

of course, suffering is real, and I've done more than my fair share.

But he argues something completely different than those opposition,

those opposers.

He says, actually, the suffering I'm going through,

the affliction, the hardship,

are God's means of showcasing his power that's unsurpassed.

Paul says that his afflictions provide the arena

for God's power to be seen and displayed.

That's where we pick up in chapter 4 here.

And we're going to see from our text that there's three sections.

And in these three sections,

Paul's going to share about the reality of his affliction,

his motivations to endure in the midst of affliction,

and finally, his perspective regarding hardship and affliction.

So the first section we see in verses 7 to 12,

Paul's the reality of affliction in his life.

Hardship and Paul are like peanut butter and jelly.

They just go together, it seems.

His life is so full of affliction as an apostle,

it's a reality that there's just no sense denying.

He's the poster boy of hardship.

In this section, verse 7 is the main idea.

Verses 8 to 12 really just kind of expand on

and elaborate on verse 7.

So we're going to take a close look at this first verse, verse 7.

Paul writes,

But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Maybe you're asking right up front,

what's this treasure that Paul is speaking about here?

And if you look back just to verse 5,

we see that Paul writes,

For what we proclaim is not ourselves,

but Jesus Christ as Lord.

The treasure is this message of salvation

that God has entrusted to Paul,

and now Paul is going on these missionary journeys,

bringing much hardship,

so he can get this treasure to more and more people.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the treasure.

Just so we're on the same page about what this message is

that Paul carries in a jar of clay.

The eternal God,

the Son,

second person of the Trinity,

existing from eternity past forever and ever and ever,

became a man.

He took on flesh and dwelled among us.

And throughout his 33 years on earth,

he lived a perfect life.

If he was a baseball player,

he batted a thousand,

he struck out every batter.

As human being,

he did not sin one iota against God or fellow man.

He was perfect.

And after 33 years,

he went to the cross

where he hung in our place for our sin.

And he died for us.

He really died.

He was put in a tomb.

And three days later,

God raised him from the dead in victory.

And now he is still alive,

and he's in heaven.

And he's reigning and ruling

at the right hand of majesty on high.

That's the treasure that Paul has been entrusted with.

And he says,

it's really,

really good.

Christ died for our sins.

Notice,

the vessel is a little curious.

Jars of clay.

Essentially,

Paul is saying that

average Joes

and afflicted apostles

are God's chosen vessels

to carry this great treasure.

You don't have to think much

to realize why God does this, right?

Because this message of good news

is not about self-sufficiency.

It's not about human ingenuity and power.

It's about a God

who in his mercy

saves helpless sinners

by dying in our place.

It's a message of grace.

So if we were so self-sufficient,

God wouldn't get the glory.

It's so wise and good

and kind of God

to put priceless treasure

in such weak and breakable

and ordinary vessels like us.

Paul's jars of clay talk here

reveals a man of great humility

who sees himself rightly

before a holy God.

A man who understands grace

and how powerless he is

in his own strength and might.

Paul actually elevates here

not personal strength and power

but weakness.

Notice,

not just the container.

This treasure in clay pots

is part of God's purpose.

Second half of verse 7,

to show.

God intends this treasure

in clay pots

to demonstrate something,

to showcase something,

and it's his unsurpassed power

so that it is obvious

who the mighty one is.

And this is just like God, right?

Throughout history,

throughout history,

this is how God operates.

Israel is outnumbered

in the Exodus

and Pharaoh's armies

are close at hand

with chariots

and weapons of war

and God parts the sea

and lets them go through

on dry ground

and then drowns

Pharaoh's army behind them.

Women who are barren

and desire children

all over the Bible,

God makes it happen

time and time again

so that his purposes

would be fulfilled

for the nations.

the Virgin Mary

who birthed our Emmanuel.

Weakness does not

thwart God's power.

It actually magnifies it.

And so Paul is speaking this way

with great purpose

and intention.

He says,

there is God-given purpose

behind our weakness

so that the power

may be seen to be God's

and not ours.

verses 8 to 11,

Paul just keeps kind of

expanding upon

these afflictions.

Afflicted in every way

but not crushed.

Verse 8,

perplexed

but not driven to despair

and on and on and on.

We need to know

that Paul is documenting

a certain kind of affliction here.

He's talking about

the hardship

that has come upon him

because he's a Christian.

Because he is determined

to live his life

for Jesus.

It's his allegiance

to the Lord Christ

that has brought

this hardship.

This is not unique

to the Apostle Paul,

is it?

Just a brief stroll

through church history,

he sees countless people

time and time again

who suffer for the gospel.

Just in the last

hundred years or so,

there's countless examples

but we could name

three right now

that Jim Elliott

and Nate Saint

who were killed

by the tribes people

who they were trying

to reach with the gospel.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer,

the famous theologian

who was killed

in opposing Adolf Hitler

during World War II.

Even Martin Luther King Jr.

for his biblical stance

on justice.

was assassinated

in the streets.

In many places today

around the world,

as we've already discussed

a little bit,

there's secret church gatherings

where Christians

are in danger

even for gathering

to worship the Lord.

There's people

losing their heads,

literally.

There's bombings

and shootings

all because of their

identification with Jesus.

In this world,

you will have tribulation,

Jesus says.

It's the reality

of things, right?

We both suffer hardship

because we live

in a fallen world.

It's just things are broken.

They're out of whack.

They don't work

the way they should.

And we also,

as Christians,

suffer unique hardships

because the world

hates God

and His people.

The apostle

knows this

better than most.

Paul knows it.

His summary of suffering

in verse 10

really tells it all.

Paul,

you look there,

he says,

always carrying

in the body

the death of Jesus.

This is a man

who's heard Jesus' call

and has followed Him

at great cost

to his own well-being.

He's heard Jesus say,

whoever loses his life

for my sake

will find it.

And Paul's intent

on losing his own life

for the sake of others.

Second half of verse 10,

we see this.

It's essentially

a repetition

of the second half

of seven.

In seven,

we see that

the treasure

in jars of clay

is to show

the power of God

and here in verse 10,

so that the life

of Jesus

may also be manifested

in our bodies.

It's essentially

the same thing.

Jars of clay

showcasing God's power,

mortal body

displaying

the resurrection

life of Jesus,

raised in the power

of God.

the reality

and presence

of great affliction

in the Apostle Paul's life

has not altered

his aim.

He still wants Jesus

to be seen

and known.

In verse 12,

we see the length

to which Paul

is willing to go

to make that happen.

He's willing to die

so that others

might live.

He writes,

so death is at work

in us,

but life in you.

Even if I'm dying

and you're living,

I'm going to be happy

and satisfied

because that's what

his life is about.

Well, for us today,

friends,

I just have a quick question

for you to take home

and consider.

I've been asking myself

this this week.

Do I live with an eager

desire to showcase

God's power

through my weakness?

Is that what I'm about?

When hardship comes along,

am I eager for God

to be glorified

through it?

To display the life

of Jesus.

God intends for our hardship

to produce that desire

in us.

He's working in hardship

to demonstrate power.

The reality is

hardship is coming.

Some of us are facing

a lot of it right now.

Others,

it might just be

around the corner.

We don't know.

But it is of great purpose

in God's world.

But we keep moving

in the passage

and we see

in verses 13 to 15

that Paul issues

a few different motivations

that help him

endure in the midst

of hardship.

Verse 13,

it starts a little weird here.

So let's look at it together

and see what Paul's

getting at.

He quotes Psalm 116.

It's a psalm that,

it's anonymous

as far as we can tell.

There's no name

attached to it.

It seems a bit random,

but then when we start

looking at the content

of the psalm,

we see why Paul

would reference it.

So if you want to flip back

to Psalm 116,

I'm going to point

something out

in this psalm.

Just as a general rule,

whenever the New Testament

kind of quotes

a little sliver

of the Old Testament,

it's always good

to go back

and read the context

because the context

is going to fill in

what that New Testament

writer was thinking

about as he's quoting.

This passage.

So Psalm 116,

we're going to read

from 8 to 14.

Verse 10 is what

Paul is quoting.

So verse 8,

He's saying this in the midst

He's saying this in the midst

of affliction.

I will lift up the cup

of salvation

and call on the name

of the Lord.

I will pay my vows

to the Lord

in the presence

of his people.

Paul is motivated here

by who God is.

He's saying this in the midst

of faith.

saying,

I too am afflicted

and I too believe

in this God.

So I too will speak

of his goodness.

Paul is motivated here

by who God is.

His person,

his character,

his work on his behalf.

It's an intimacy

with God

that motivates Paul

to continue enduring

in the midst

of hardship.

None of us

needs to wait

until hardship strikes

to cultivate

this kind of intimacy.

In fact,

we ought to be nurturing it

day by day

by day

because when hardship comes,

we want to know

who God is.

We don't want to be

floundering in that moment.

But not just,

Paul's not just motivated

by who God is.

Look with me

at verse 14.

Paul's also motivated

by resurrection,

hope.

He says,

we're speaking

of this goodness

of God

knowing that

he who raised

the Lord Jesus

will raise us

also with Jesus.

He's motivated

because he knows

a living God,

not one buried

in a tomb.

And he knows

that the promise

remains for him

that one day

he will be raised

to glory.

Affliction has

a period

at the end of it.

One day

it will be over.

The current situation

doesn't crush Paul

because he knows

the risen Jesus

and the promise

of his own

eventual resurrection

and eternal life.

there's two more

motivations here

we see.

They're both

in verse 15.

First is that

Paul's motivated

by the good

of others.

See that

at the beginning

of 15?

For it is all

for your sake

he tells the Corinthians.

It's all for your sake

so that his grace

extends to more

and more people

it may increase

thanksgiving.

Paul's willing

to give of himself

for the good

of other people.

it so motivates him

that he can suffer

great affliction

and harm.

He wants more

and more people

to experience

this treasure

this good news

the grace of God

and he's willing

to suffer much

for that to happen.

And ultimately

the last motivation

that trumps

all of the motivations

in these three verses

is that last phrase

to the glory

of God.

See when Paul

is living so much

for the glory

of God

so much

to see the surpassing

power belonging

to God

so much

for seeing

the life of Jesus

made much of

in his life

it's the ultimate

and lasting motivation

that we all need

so that God

may be exalted.

Paul's living

for glory

not his own

but that of God.

He's motivated

to endure.

if we fast forward

to today

we see that

we live in a world

and in a culture

in which hardship

is deemed bad.

Something we are

wise to avoid

something that we

need to reduce

and eliminate

as quickly as possible

whenever it

appears.

We see this playing out

in the medical field

where people are

actually helping

other people die

saying well you're

suffering a lot

so let's just

let's kill you now

so you don't have

to suffer.

Image bearers

being helped

to kill themselves.

It's something

that tempts us

to compromise

our morals

and sidestep

this hardship

that might result

from being people

of integrity

doesn't it?

We might lie

to a boss

or a co-worker

in order to save

ourselves

we might say

okay I'll fudge

those financial numbers

or something like that.

So some of us

today

we're kind of

at this crossroads

we have this option

before us

we have the means

some of us

to avoid much

of the hardship

of life.

Right?

If we have

financial

stability

and relational

connectedness

and a good

education behind us

we have this means

of just avoiding

much of the hardship

of life.

We have to ask

ourselves

will we align

with Jesus

and suffer?

Will we speak

of God's grace

because we've too

believed

and risk

being

hated

by friends

family

neighbors?

will we choose

God glorifying

integrity

and risk

losing

our jobs?

Risk

having to pay

more taxes?

Will we

so

be willing

to seek

the good

of others

that we might

get scammed

along the way?

That sometimes

our desire

to do good

for others

and to show

them Christ

results in us

having a lighter

wallet

and them

having some

drug money?

It's happened.

Will we

align with

Jesus

and suffer?

But other

times

and for some

in this room

there's a

different crossroads

you're already

on the path

of hardship

you know it

oh so well.

Marriage

or family

difficulties

health issues

that have

no cure

relentless

sorrow

for your

unsaved

neighbors

be mocked

by co-workers

for loving

Jesus

and there's

a different

question

at that

crossroads

will we

align

ourselves

with God's

purposes

in this

hardship

will we

grab hold

of the same

motivations

that Paul

does

the hope

of resurrection

the good

of other

people

the glory

of God

will

hardship

get the

better

of us

will it

define

our

existence

or will

God

define

it

and will

we

endure

in order

that Jesus

might be

glorified

in and

through

our

suffering

for all

of us

it boils

down to

this

question

are we

willing

to endure

hardship

for Jesus

to adopt

his posture

in the midst

of our

own

suffering

to sacrifice

our well-being

for the life

of Jesus

to be seen

and known

around the

world

God intends

for it

it's his

desire

that his

power might

be displayed

through our

weakness

for his

glory

and our

good

there's one

last section

in our

text

I want to

make sure

that we

spend some

time here

this is

probably my

favorite part

verses 16

to 18

it's Paul's

perspective

on

affliction

he starts

so we do

not lose

heart

right up

front in

these verses

Paul rejects

the idea

of discouragement

throwing in

the towel

in fact

he doubles

down and

stands tall

and fast

he determines

by God's

grace to

persevere

I'm going

to share a

little story

of a man

named Sir

Norman

Anderson

got this

from a

John Piper

sermon

that's

really helped

me along

the way

he writes

of this

man

Sir

Norman

Anderson

former

professor

and director

of the

Advanced

Legal

Institute

at London

University

supported

international

fellowship

of evangelical

students

for 60

years

he had

lost

all three

of his

children

in their

early

adulthood

and his

wife was

so senile

she could

not recognize

him

at one of

the last

public

events

where he

spoke

he was

asked

when you

look back

over your

life

and reflect

on the

fact that

you have

lost all

your three

children

and how

your wife

of 60

years

no longer

recognizes

you

do you

ever ask

the question

why me

no

I've

never

asked

the

question

why me

but I

have

asked

the

question

why

not

me

I

am

not

promised

as a

Christian

that I

will

escape

the

problems

encountered

by

others

we

all

live

in a

fallen

world

I

am

however

promised

that

in the

midst

of

difficulties

God

through

Christ

will

be

present

with

me

and

will

give

his

grace

to help

me cope

with the

difficulties

and bear

witness

to him

Sir Norman

Anderson

had

perspective

on

hardship

and

Paul

gives

us

much

perspective

here

if we

keep

looking

at

these

verses

he's

already

talked

about

jars

of

clay

about

mortal

flesh

and

now

he

comes

in

verse

16

to

talking

about

this

outer

self

that's

wasting

away

there's

this

real

and

agonizing

decay

and

suffering

being

experienced

by

Paul

but

while in

the midst

of it

he says

in the

second

bit

of

16

that

day

by day

the inner

being

is being

renewed

friends

as

as a

Christian

in our

affliction

we must

say that

we're

like a

book

and that

you should

not judge

a Christian

by

his

cover

outwardly

wasting

away

inwardly

new

new

new

day

after

day

after

day

that's

the

power

of

God

renewing

the inner

being

of each

and every

Christian

around

the world

in the

midst

of great

and small

afflictions

alike

it's the

power

of God

for us

Paul

has such

a great

perspective

of self

but he

also has

in these

same

verses

a great

great

great

perspective

on

affliction

we're

wrapping

up

as we

take a

look at

these

look at

verse 17

this

light

momentary

affliction

we need

to be

careful

in this

not to

miss

Paul's

point

hardship

has the

word

hard

in it

for a

reason

and Paul

is not

here

minimizing

real

affliction

rather

he is

placing it

side by

side

with a

future

reality

Paul

knows

the

tendency

of our

hearts

when we

start

thinking

about

affliction

and hardship

we tend

to be

microscope

people

a conflict

or a

medical

issue

or a

job

concern

arises

and we

take

this

issue

and we

put it

under

this

microscope

meant to

magnify

little

things

into

really

big

things

so we

can

see

the

details

and so

we

put it

under

there

and we

start

noticing

every

little

detail

of it

we

become

expert

hardship

analysts

and

scientists

putting

all of

our

problems

under

these

microscopes

all the

while

losing

perspective

because

we

become

so

focused

on

this

problem

and

Paul

would

have

us

think

differently

the

problem

with

microscopes

we

know

is

they

take

relatively

small

things

and

they

make

them

appear

humongous

Paul

says

affliction

is

actually

tiny

affliction

is

actually

small

not

all

by

itself

but

when

you

set

it

next

to

glory

light

and

momentary

versus

heavy

and

eternal

Paul

could

not

choose

words

that

more

greatly

contrast

than

he

has

and

the

thing

about

glory

is

we

don't

need

a

microscope

to

examine

it

we

need

a

telescope

of

faith

to

look

beyond

what

is

seen

into

the

supernatural

into

the

unseen

realities

of

God

that

he's

declared

to

us

in

his

word

God

has

told

us

that

glory

that

heaven

that

eternity

is

so

good

and

huge

and

satisfying

and

yet

to

our

eyes

it

can

appear

insignificant

far

away

and

unreachable

we

need

to

be

like

the

star

gazers

at

night

in

the

midst

of

hardship

by

faith

day

after

day

examine

eternity

and

the

things

of

heaven

not

to

magnify

something

small

but

to

see

it

in

its

true

size

and

its

true

value

and

its

true

weight

Paul

sets

a grain

of sand

side

by side

with the

galaxies

of the

universe

and says

which is

more weighty

and where

should you

spend your

time

how

Paul

how

can I

get this

perspective

verse 18

as we

look

not to the

things that are

seen

but to the

things that are

unseen

Paul

says

that's

how

not

not

not

focusing

our

attention

and our

energies

on our

on our

hardships

but looking

to the

unseen

realities

of the

kingdom

of God

this

looking

word

is

it's a

little bit

unhelpful

in the

ESV

the

NIV

folks

you might

see it

a little

bit more

helpfully

fix

our

eyes

what

Paul

is saying

in verse

18

is

that

we

we

challenge

glory

to a

staring

contest

and then

purpose

to win

say

alright

you and

me glory

we're

going to

lock

eyes

and I

ain't

going to

blink

I'm

going to

focus

on you

so

intently

that

nothing

is

going to

distract

me

from

you

fix

your

gaze

on

glory

that's

the

perspective

that we

need

in the

midst

of

hardship

not

a mere

passing

glance

and as

we fix

our

gaze

we

refuse

to

pull

out

that

microscope

and

start

magnifying

our

problems

that's

the

God

pleasing

perspective

on

hardship

we

set

our

sights

on

glory

and

we

persevere

we

have

this

mindset

we

know

that

God

is

using

our

hardship

for

good

Romans

8

28

we

know

he

intends

to

demonstrate

his

power

through

our

weakness

and

we've

resolved

as

followers

of

Jesus

to

live

our

lives

for

the

glory

of

God

and

the

good

of

others

in

a

world

that

values

so

much

human

ingenuity

and

strength

and

prestige

and

influence

we

long

for

the

life

of

Jesus

to be

seen

and known

through

our

clay

pots

as

disciples

who are

living

intentionally

for

Jesus

we draw

on Paul's

example

knowing

that

hardships

are normal

it's part

of life

and if we

identify with

Jesus

we can expect

more

and we

take hold

of the same

motivations

that drove

Paul to

endure so

much

day

after day

we

remember

to

the glory

of God

the good

of others

the resurrection

hope

and the

character

and person

of God

who never

lies

we keep

this right

perspective

on affliction

versus glory

and we know

that these

afflictions are

preparing

glory

for us

Paul says

not just

not just

something we

have to just

kind of bear

with for a

while but

we see

what God's

using them

to do

to demonstrate

his power

to refine

us

to bring

us home

forever

with him

I just

want to

close with

three specific

encouragements

I realize

that's

been a lot

if you're

in the room

today

and you're

experiencing

hardship

of any

kind

whether

it's

just

you feel

the weight

of financial

strain

or you're

suffering

at work

they're

telling you

to compromise

your integrity

whatever it

may be

friend know

this

that God

has much

grace

for you

much

grace

the one

who did

not spare

his own

son

will along

with Jesus

give you

everything you

need to

and do

her well

by faith

he's

promised

you can

go to

him

with all

of it

second

don't be

afraid to

ask for

help

we're jars

of clay

after all

we're weak

in ourselves

we need

each other

God

does not

give the

church

as a

gift

so that

we can

suffer

in silence

all alone

we're in

it together

so take

courage

and ask

and finally

for all

of us

let's

remember

Jesus

he suffered

so much

hardship

for us

that he

might bring

us to

God

we all

need him

we all

need his

grace

we all

need his

hardship

for us

to redeem

our lives

and let's

remember how

he lovingly

took the

hardship of

other people

and walked

with them