The following is the outline from house church this morning on the topic of The Sufferings of Christ and our suffering. It is an example of how we spend time in God's word as a house church. I (Bill Faris) created this outline and led the discussion, but there were a lot of pauses along the way where people asked questions and shared experiences.
I like that, rather than hearing a one-way "sermon" on this powerful topic, we could process it in community. Good stuff!
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I. Introduction
A. Lent
1. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues to Easter
2. Its purpose is to identify with the forty day long period in which Christ was tempted in the wilderness, according to the Gospels
B. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus set aside of period of fasting and preparation prior to the start of His public ministry
1. During that period, He was tempted in three specific ways by the devil
a. The first temptation was to turn stones into bread with which He could break His fast. This was a temptation to provide for Himself apart from the Father.
b. The second temptation was for Him to throw Himself down from the Temple in order to test God’s promise to rescue Him. This was a temptation to force the Father’s hand.
c. The third temptation was for Him to worship the devil in order to receive authority from the devil over earth’s kingdoms and all that go with them. This was a temptation to abandon His Father’s plan to suffer.
C. The Bible teaches us that Christ suffered and that His suffering is important for us to understand
II. The Place of Suffering
A. I wrote in my book How Healed Do You Want to Be? that in order to have a good theology of healing, you must also have a good theology of suffering
B. To suffer is defined as:
1. To undergo or feel pain and distress
2. To sustain injury, disadvantage, and loss
3. To undergo a penalty
4. To endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly
C. The Suffering of Christ
1. In order to understand the role suffering plays in our own lives, we must first understand the sufferings of Christ
2. In the wilderness, Christ suffered the onslaught of temptation
a. The temptations were rooted in the notion of avoiding suffering and achieving power without obedience or the suffering necessary for Him to fulfill God’s plan.
b. Later, in the Gethsemane, Jesus would wrestle with His call to undergo the Ultimate Suffering of the Cross.
1) He referred to this as “the cup” He did not wish to drink, if it were possible
c. Nevertheless, He agreed to undergo the suffering that was to follow in order to do God’s will
3. In reflecting on Christ’s sufferings, biblical writers note the following:
a. He suffered when He was tempted but refused to yield in order to end His suffering (Hebrews 2: 18)
b. He suffered insults and injustice but chose to entrust Himself to God’s justice rather than retaliate (I Peter 2: 23)
c. He suffered in His body, but “armed Himself” with the will to do so in order to fulfill God’s plan (I Peter 4: 1)
d. He suffered death itself, tasting it on our behalf and removing its “sting” (Hebrews 2:9, I Cor. 15:55)
e. His will to undergo suffering taught Him to prefer obedience over relief (Heb 5: 8).
D. The Place of Suffering in Our Lives
1. As followers or “imitators” of Christ, suffering has a legitimate place in our lives.
2. Or, to put it another way; pain and distress, injury, disadvantage and loss, and even death itself may have a legitimate place in our lives
a. What gives these things legitimacy as Christ-followers?
1) If they result from our attempts to obey God, resist temptation and trust divine justice (Phil. 1: 29; I Peter 2: 20)
2) If they are a part of the natural order of things (such as the tendency of our bodies to “waste away”) 2 Cor. 4:16
3. Is all suffering ordained by God?
a. No. Some suffering is just part of the natural order of things (John 16:33) and some is the work of the devil (Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38).
b. It is perfectly legitimate for us to seek relief from such sufferings
III. What Suffering Produces
A. A focus on that which is eternal and truly lasting (2 Corinthians 4:17, 18)
B. The ability to persevere, endure and become stronger (James 1:3, 4; I Pet. 5:10)
C. A purified witness to Christ (Phil.1:29; I Peter 2: 20)
D. Cause for great rejoicing after the suffering is over (I Peter 1: 6)
IV. Ultimate Vindication
A. Ultimately, all earthly suffering and loss will be vindicated in the Age to Come (Rev. 2:10)
1. An “eternal glory that far outweighs” our suffering (2 Cor. 4:17)
V. What We Learn About God Through Suffering
A. Ultimately, we learn that Christ – who Himself suffered – will be totally present with us in our suffering (Romans 8:35 - 39)
B. In the language of the ancient church, our suffering produces “desolation” but the comfort of the Spirit in our suffering produces “consolation” (see also 2 Cor. 1:4,5)
Thomas a Kempis in The Imitation of Christ:
"Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom,but few bearers of His Cross. He hath many seekers of comfort, but few of tribulation. He findeth many companions of His table, but few of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that they may eat of His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His passion. Many are astonished at His miracles, few follow after the shame of His Cross. Many love Jesus so long as no adversities happen to them. Many praise Him and bless Him, so long as they receive any comforts from Him. But if Jesus hide Himself and withdraw a little while, they fall either into complaining or into too great dejection of mind..".
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