WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:02.879 One of the most perplexing questions that people ask is 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:06.040 why is there pain in the world? And why does 3 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:09.599 a good God allow pain? You know, it's not a 4 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:13.560 new question. Thousands of years ago, Solomon asked this question 5 00:00:13.880 --> 00:00:17.640 in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. In Ecclesiastes, 6 00:00:17.719 --> 00:00:21.039 Chapter two, verses twenty two and twenty three, he says this, 7 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:24.679 so what do people get for all their hard work 8 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:29.440 and their struggles here on earth? Their entire life is 9 00:00:29.559 --> 00:00:34.679 filled with pain, and their work is unbearable, and even 10 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:40.359 at night their minds don't rest. It all seems so pointless. Now, 11 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:43.880 many scientific studies have documented that human beings are able 12 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:49.079 to handle enormous amounts of pain if if if we 13 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.799 know there's a good purpose for that pain. You see, 14 00:00:52.840 --> 00:00:57.719 it's worthless pain, it's arbitrary pain. It's pain that feels pointless, 15 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:01.079 pain without any purpose. That's the kind of pain that 16 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:05.400 is so unbearable and so intolerable. When you see a 17 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:08.799 purpose behind pain, you can handle enormous amounts of it. 18 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.640 For instance, many of you women have given birth to 19 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:17.560 a child. Giving birth is painful, but women bear that 20 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:21.840 pain for a great purpose. They bring forth life. Pain 21 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.920 with a purpose is manageable. Pain without a purpose is unmanageable. 22 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:28.400 No matter what kind of pain you're going through right now, 23 00:01:29.640 --> 00:01:31.040 or no matter what kind of pain you're going to 24 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:33.280 go through in the future. It may be physical pain, 25 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.120 it may be emotional pain, it may be spiritual pain. 26 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:42.640 It may be financial or relational or mental mental pain. 27 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:47.599 You will be far better prepared to handle pain. You'll 28 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:50.840 be far better prepared to cope with it if you 29 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:56.000 focus on the potential benefits and the possible purposes of 30 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:59.079 that pain. I know somebody saying, well, okay, where do 31 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:03.000 I get the courage and truth to focus on when 32 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.640 I'm in deep pain? Well, the answer is the Bible. 33 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.400 The Bible, the Book of God's Holy Word, is where 34 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:14.360 you focus to get the purposes and the potentials and 35 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:17.960 the promises of God. They're all in the Bible to 36 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:21.039 help you handle the pain that's in life. Romans eight 37 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:25.639 twenty eight says this, we know that in all things 38 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.319 God works for the good of those who love Him, 39 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.360 who have been called according to His purpose. Now look 40 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:36.759 at that verse for just a minute. We know that 41 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:40.240 in all things God works for the good. It doesn't 42 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:42.639 say all things are good. Obviously, there's a lot of 43 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.759 bad things in the world, and so not everything that 44 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:48.000 happens in your life is good, And you shouldn't even 45 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:50.639 act like everything that happens in your life is good. 46 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:52.719 There's a lot of bad things that happen to you 47 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.840 and other people because there is evil, there is sin 48 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:59.919 in the world. But the Bible says, we know that 49 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:04.240 in all things God is working for the good of 50 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:06.479 those who love him. Now, this is not a promise 51 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:08.919 for everybody. It's only a promise for those who love Him, 52 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:12.360 who've been called according to his purpose. But if you 53 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:15.280 love God and if you're trying to live according to 54 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:19.280 his purpose, the Bible says God is working in all things, 55 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:22.280 even the bad things, the evil things, the terrible things, 56 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:27.199 the sinful things, the painful things of life. God says I, 57 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:32.000 and I'm working even in all those things for your good. 58 00:03:33.000 --> 00:03:35.759 What is this verse teaching us. It's telling us that 59 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:40.879 pain can be managed by purpose and on purpose, and 60 00:03:40.919 --> 00:03:44.800 for a purpose. Everybody has problems, but some people profit 61 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:47.599 from them and some don't. They don't know how to 62 00:03:47.719 --> 00:03:51.080 learn from their losses. Everybody has losses, and some people 63 00:03:51.159 --> 00:03:55.719 learn from them and others don't. Believers who grow are 64 00:03:55.759 --> 00:03:59.879 those who learn how to harvest their hurts. They learn 65 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.000 learn from their losses to profit from problems. They learn 66 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:08.199 how to improve from their injuries, how to advance from 67 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:12.560 their adversity, how to gain from their pain. This is 68 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.719 what God wants to do in pain, using the pain 69 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:18.120 in your life. God doesn't have to create pain. There's 70 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:20.839 plenty of pain already in the world, but God wants 71 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:23.360 to use it for good. And this is why the 72 00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:27.800 question Paul asked in Galatians chapter three is so important. 73 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:31.519 In Galatians chapter three, verse four, Paul says this to 74 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.279 the people there in the church in Galatia. He says, 75 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:38.040 have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is 76 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:42.040 it all really for nothing? In other words, have you 77 00:04:42.240 --> 00:04:45.079 wasted the pain in your life? That's a question that 78 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:47.399 I have to ask myself. It's a question you have 79 00:04:47.439 --> 00:04:50.199 to ask yourself and say, well, is it too late 80 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:51.000 to change? 81 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:52.000 No, it is not. 82 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:54.680 It's not too late to change your mind. It's not 83 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.759 too late to start benefiting from the pain. Let's look 84 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:03.399 at five ways to use your pain for good in 85 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:07.480 your life, whether it's physical or emotional, or relational, financial, 86 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:10.800 any kind of pain. God wants to use it five 87 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:12.600 different ways for good in your life. Now, let me 88 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.560 give you a personal testimony, but I'm going to share 89 00:05:15.600 --> 00:05:21.399 with you today. I know this works from personal experience 90 00:05:22.439 --> 00:05:25.600 as I'm sharing this message right now. This is the 91 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:31.600 sixth anniversary of when our youngest son died, and that 92 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:35.079 day was the worst day of our family's life. And 93 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:39.600 yet we are moving forward, and we're moving forward in 94 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:43.360 hope because of what we know from God's word, like 95 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:46.720 the verse I just read, and because of how we've 96 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:50.839 used that pain for good and for God in our 97 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:54.319 lives and in the lives of others. So what I'm 98 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:58.480 sharing with you is from personal experience. Five ways God 99 00:05:58.519 --> 00:06:03.560 wants to use your pain for good. Number one, use 100 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:07.800 pain to draw closer to God and trust him more. 101 00:06:09.319 --> 00:06:12.680 Use the pain in your life to draw closer to 102 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:18.519 God and trust him more. You know, when anything painful happens, 103 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:22.199 you've got a choice. You can either run to God 104 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:25.879 or you can run from God. And now the second 105 00:06:25.879 --> 00:06:28.240 way never made any sense for me. If you're running 106 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:30.519 away from God, what are you running to? Who could 107 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:32.920 help you more in your pain than God? Why not 108 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:35.680 run to God? But some people, when they're in pain 109 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:38.120 they run to God. And some people, when they're in pain, 110 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:41.040 they actually run from God, they run away from Him. 111 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:44.639 You know, I'll have to tell you, since Matthew died, 112 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:48.240 I've spent more time personally alone with God than all 113 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:50.360 of my previous life combined. 114 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:50.920 Why. 115 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:55.040 Pain has a way of drawing you close to God. Now, 116 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.360 how do you do that? How do you draw closer 117 00:06:57.399 --> 00:07:00.000 to God when you're in pain? Well, the first thing 118 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.079 you do is you just tell Him exactly how you feel. 119 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:05.319 If you want to argue with God, argue with God. God, 120 00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:08.079 I don't like this, God, I'm mad, I'm upset. That's 121 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:11.839 a prayer. It's called the prayer of lament. You need 122 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.600 to learn how to worship God in all the phases 123 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:19.120 of grief. You know, our family did what Paul did 124 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:22.839 in tewod Corinthians chapter one, in verses eight to ten, 125 00:07:22.920 --> 00:07:25.399 he says this. He talks about a time he was 126 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:26.079 so depressed. 127 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:27.199 He says, we were. 128 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:32.519 Crushed and overwhelmed, and we saw how powerless we were 129 00:07:32.680 --> 00:07:36.959 to help ourselves. Ever felt like that, Paul says, but 130 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:40.319 that was good. What do you mean, crushed, overwhelmed, powerless? 131 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:43.399 He says, that was good? For then we put everything 132 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.360 into the hands of God, who alone could save us, 133 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:50.519 and he did help us. One of the first things 134 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:54.480 our family did after Matthew took his life is we 135 00:07:54.519 --> 00:07:56.800 actually went away on a retreat together as a family, 136 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:00.199 and we did a surrender to God retreat together where 137 00:08:00.199 --> 00:08:01.959 were saying, God, We're going to put this all in 138 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.399 the hands, all of our brokenness, all of our pain, 139 00:08:04.759 --> 00:08:07.079 all of our hurt, all of our sorrow. Can you 140 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:10.680 imagine that kind of sorrow? And as a family we 141 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:15.439 did a surrender to God retreat. Why because pain can 142 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:18.120 draw you close to God if you'll let it. The 143 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.079 Bible says God is close to the broken hearted. God 144 00:08:21.160 --> 00:08:23.439 is never closer to you than when you're in pain. 145 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:26.680 And many of you could say pain turned me to Christ. 146 00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:31.000 That's why Paul later says in Second Corinthians, chapter seven, 147 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:34.759 verse ninety, says, I'm glad not because it hurts you. 148 00:08:35.639 --> 00:08:37.960 I'm glad not because it hurts you, but because the 149 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.919 pain turns you to God. And that's the first thing 150 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:44.440 you can do. Don't waste your pain, let it turn 151 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:48.080 you to God. Spend longer times with him, reading the Bible, 152 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:52.159 studying his word, being quiet, listening to God, being alone 153 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:55.039 with God. That's what pain can do. It can draw 154 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:58.840 you closer to God. That's called worship. Number two. The 155 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:02.240 second way you can use pain for good is to 156 00:09:02.360 --> 00:09:07.360 use pain to draw closer to others. Use pain to 157 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:12.279 draw closer to others. This is called fellowship. If you 158 00:09:12.879 --> 00:09:15.639 allow it, and if you're honest about the things that 159 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:20.320 are causing you pain, pain will deepen and mature your 160 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:24.960 love and your relationships and your sense of community and Poynanea, 161 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:29.879 it will build authentic relationships. You see, suffering sensitizes you 162 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:35.840 because it turns you away from being self centered to 163 00:09:36.600 --> 00:09:38.879 all of a sudden, when you've gone through a major pain, 164 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:42.759 you're sensitized to it in others and you can see 165 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:45.799 other people in pain, and all of a sudden, you 166 00:09:45.879 --> 00:09:49.759 care more about other people in pain. You know, there's 167 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:55.240 a sad statistic that about a third of marriages end 168 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:59.720 up splitting up after the loss of a child because 169 00:09:59.759 --> 00:10:01.960 we all all grieve differently and off and a husband 170 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:04.639 grieves one way and a wife greaves in another way, 171 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:09.159 and it causes people to go further and further apart. 172 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.720 But Kay and I, when Matthew died, decided that we 173 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:16.799 were going to use the pain to actually grow closer 174 00:10:16.840 --> 00:10:22.320 together rather than have it drive us apart. And one 175 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:24.159 of the things we did is we decided to not 176 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:27.279 try to talk each other out of our pain. But 177 00:10:27.360 --> 00:10:31.799 when Kay was going through a down moment, a wave 178 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:34.440 of grief, I would simply walk over to her and 179 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:36.360 put my arm around her, or just stand by her 180 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:38.960 and be quiet. I wouldn't say anything. There were no 181 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:43.080 words to say. It's just the ministry of presents. The 182 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:46.240 deeper the pain someone is going through, the fewer words 183 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:48.600 you use. Sometimes people are afraid to go over to 184 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:50.360 a friend's house when they've lost love and. 185 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:52.279 Say, I don't know what to say, don't. 186 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:55.960 Say anything, just show up and shut up, just be there. 187 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:59.799 It's the ministry of presence. They don't need words, they 188 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:05.440 just need your presence. Like when the night Matthew died 189 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:08.000 and our small group came over and said, we're spending 190 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:09.000 the night at your house. 191 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.120 We're not going to leave you here alone. We're gonna 192 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:11.639 be with you. 193 00:11:12.679 --> 00:11:14.879 And they didn't try to preach any sermons or give 194 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.600 us any words of wisdom. They were just there the 195 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:22.279 ministry of presents, and they slept on our couches and 196 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.440 you know, in our kitchen and everywhere. And I'll never 197 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.679 forget that. And now when Kay and I would go 198 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:31.360 through different waves of grief. I'm going through grief, she 199 00:11:31.399 --> 00:11:34.559 would come over and just stand with me, or sometimes 200 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.600 a pat on the back or grab my hand, the physical, 201 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:40.559 you know, touch without. 202 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:41.879 Trying to explain something away or. 203 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:46.080 Trying to talk somebody out of their pain. Instead of 204 00:11:46.279 --> 00:11:49.399 trying to help somebody get out of their pain. Don't 205 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:52.600 try to cheer people up when they're in grief. Instead, 206 00:11:53.000 --> 00:11:56.120 try to enter into their grief and feel it with him. 207 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:59.559 That's how you use pain to build fellowship. That's how 208 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:02.240 you use pain to build a relationship. That's how you 209 00:12:02.320 --> 00:12:05.679 use pain to get closer to someone, not trying to 210 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:08.960 talk them out of what they're feeling, but actually you 211 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:11.840 trying to feel it with them, sharing it with them. 212 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:12.759 I will tell you. 213 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:14.799 I asked, Kay, why do you think we're so much 214 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:17.759 closer together after you know, Matthew died. 215 00:12:18.039 --> 00:12:19.679 She said, because you've been so nice to me. 216 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:25.919 But we intentionally worked at strengthening our relationship and we 217 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:28.960 gave each other grace. And what that means is we 218 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:32.399 didn't judge each other other's feelings. You see, we often 219 00:12:32.440 --> 00:12:36.120 think our feelings are legitimate, but your feelings are illegitimate. 220 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:40.480 My fears are rational, your feelings, your fears are irrational. 221 00:12:40.679 --> 00:12:40.879 No. 222 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:44.440 No, we gave each other grace, so you stop judging 223 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.960 each other's feelings and try to feel each other's feelings. 224 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:51.559 That's what you do in pain to grow it closer relations. 225 00:12:51.639 --> 00:12:54.919 Chapter six, Verse two says this, by helping each other 226 00:12:55.080 --> 00:13:00.399 with your troubles, you truly obey the law of Christ. 227 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:03.840 What is the law Christ? Love your neighbor as yourself. 228 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.960 And he says when you share with each other in 229 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:09.120 the suffering, and you hurt when other people hurt. Now 230 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:12.960 you're loving your neighbors yourself. Pain can teach you how 231 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:18.720 to really love, because love is not a quiver in 232 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.919 your liver. Love is doing the sacrificial thing. Number three. 233 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:26.159 Third way you can use pain for good. 234 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:26.679 In your life. 235 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.039 I can use it to draw closer to God, to 236 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:31.639 trust him more. That's worship. I can use it to 237 00:13:31.639 --> 00:13:37.320 grow closer to you and be closer in fellowship. Number three, 238 00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:42.279 Use pain to grow deeper like Jesus in your character, 239 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:46.480 use pain to grow deeper like Jesus. The Bible calls 240 00:13:46.519 --> 00:13:51.480 this discipleship, and every time you're in pain, it is 241 00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:55.159 an opportunity to work on your attitude, to work on 242 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:59.799 your virtue, to work on your character. The Bible talks 243 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:03.159 about the fruit of the spirit nine qualities. The fruit 244 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:09.759 of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, 245 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:13.320 self control. The Bible says, these are what happens when 246 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.039 the Spirit is living through your life. How does God 247 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:18.679 build these qualities in your life by putting you the 248 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:24.080 exact opposite situations. He teaches you love when you're around 249 00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.960 unlovely people. He teaches you joy in the middle of grief. 250 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.559 He teaches you patience by putting you in situations where 251 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:35.559 you have to wait. He teaches every one of these qualities. 252 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:38.519 Self control by putting you in a situation where you're 253 00:14:38.519 --> 00:14:43.679 attempting to be not self controlled. Pain is an opportunity 254 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:47.639 to grow in character like Christ. But again, it's a choice. 255 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:51.519 When you're in pain, you can be bitter or you 256 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:55.759 can become better. Pain can be a stepping stone to 257 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:59.320 maturity or a stumbling block to immaturity. 258 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:00.480 It's not a automatic. 259 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:06.279 The Bible says in Proverbs twenty verse thirty. Sometimes it 260 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:10.200 takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. 261 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:13.960 Anybody who want to give a testimony on that verse. 262 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.200 Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change 263 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:19.840 our ways. We don't change when we see the light. 264 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:25.200 We change when we feel the heat. Now, once you 265 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.840 have come to Christ, you're saved. You're in the body 266 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.840 of Christ. You're in the family of God. You're a 267 00:15:30.919 --> 00:15:35.120 child of God. Once you're in God's family, God's number 268 00:15:35.120 --> 00:15:39.200 one purpose in your life is to make you like 269 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:42.120 Jesus Christ. You're born again. Now, he wants you to 270 00:15:42.159 --> 00:15:43.639 grow up like father. 271 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:43.960 Like son. 272 00:15:44.039 --> 00:15:47.200 He wants you to have the characteristics of God, the Father. 273 00:15:47.879 --> 00:15:50.519 God wants to make you like Jesus Christ. He's the 274 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.960 perfect model of humanity. Now here's the corollary to that. 275 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:59.480 If God's going to make me like Jesus, then He's 276 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:03.480 going to hate me. Through everything Jesus went through. Did 277 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:04.879 Jesus experience pain? 278 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:06.960 Of course he did. 279 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:11.480 Did Jesus experience times when he was lonely, Yes, when 280 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:15.399 he was tempted to be discouraged, Yes, when he was 281 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:19.519 simply tempted? Yes, did Jesus have people misunderstand him and 282 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:23.639 criticize him. Yes, if God is going to make you 283 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.720 like Jesus, He's going to take you through everything Jesus 284 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:30.519 went through. God did not spare Jesus from being criticized, 285 00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.720 from being persecuted. Why would he spare you. He wants 286 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:37.360 you to grow up in character and be like a son. 287 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:42.320 The Bible says in Hebrews chapter five, verse eight, even 288 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:47.279 though Jesus was God's son, he learned obedience from the 289 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:54.080 things he suffered. We learn obedience through suffering. In fact, 290 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:58.720 Hebrews chapter five, verse nine says it like this suffering 291 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:03.399 made Jesus perfect. And now he can say forever all 292 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:06.440 who obey him, Now Jesus was perfect. 293 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:07.160 What does that mean? 294 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:11.799 Well, this word telos in Greek means complete. Suffering made 295 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:16.279 Jesus complete. There's some things we only learn through pain, 296 00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:20.359 and so we want to draw closer to God, we 297 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:22.480 want to draw closer to others, but we want. 298 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:23.799 To become more like Jesus. 299 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:27.680 And God wants to build the character of Christ in 300 00:17:27.720 --> 00:17:30.319 your life, and some of those things can only be 301 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:34.680 built through pain. In fact, Paul complimented the way that 302 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:38.200 the Corinthian believers had actually grown through their pain in 303 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:43.359 tewod Corinthians, chapter seven. He says this verse eleven, Now, 304 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:47.039 isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress? 305 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:49.720 They had gone through some major distress there in corinth 306 00:17:50.160 --> 00:17:52.480 isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress 307 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:55.000 has goaded you closer to God? 308 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:56.279 That's the first purpose. 309 00:17:56.759 --> 00:18:02.319 You're more alive, You're more concerned, more sensitive, You're more reverent, 310 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:08.039 You're more human, you're more passionate, you're more responsible. Looked 311 00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:10.880 at it from any angle. You've come out of this 312 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:14.759 with purity of heart. I love that message. Translation of 313 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:18.720 that passage, he says these seven things, being concerned and sensitive, 314 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:22.240 and reverent, and human and passionate, responsible, being fully alive 315 00:18:22.519 --> 00:18:25.160 says you want these things in your life that ask 316 00:18:25.240 --> 00:18:28.119 God to use the pain that's in your life to 317 00:18:28.200 --> 00:18:30.079 help you become more like Jesus. 318 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:33.720 You see. The fact is pain always transforms us. 319 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:36.880 Either for good or bad. It'll make us bitter or better. 320 00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:40.079 As I said, pain never leaves you where it found you. 321 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:44.160 And Second Corinthians eleven, verses twenty three to twenty eight, 322 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.359 Paul gives the testimony of all of the pain he's 323 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:50.599 been through. He said, I've been put in jail more often. 324 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:55.559 I've been whipped times without number. I faced death again 325 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:56.400 and again and again. 326 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:57.440 Five times. 327 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:01.119 I was whipped with thirty nine lashes, three times. I 328 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:05.880 was beaten with rods once, I was stoned with stones 329 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:09.640 three times. I was shipwrecked once. I spent a whole 330 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.279 night in the day a drift at sea. And he says, 331 00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:16.640 I faced dangers my entire life from flooded rivers, from robbers, 332 00:19:16.680 --> 00:19:21.440 from angry mobs. I faced dangers in the city and 333 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:24.880 in the deserts and on stormy seas, and for people 334 00:19:24.920 --> 00:19:27.160 who claim to be Christians but are not. He said, 335 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:30.920 I've lived with weariness. I've lived with pain. I've lived 336 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:33.960 with sleepless nights. I've often been hungry and thirsty. I've 337 00:19:33.960 --> 00:19:37.960 often gone without food. I've often shivered with cold, not 338 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:40.279 enough clothing to keep me warm. And besides all this, 339 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:43.240 I've had the daily burden of all of the churches 340 00:19:43.640 --> 00:19:47.240 that I've started. Then, he says, in response to all 341 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:49.400 of those things, I mean, you think you had problems 342 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:53.160 haul did Second Corinthians four verses eight to ten. Here 343 00:19:53.279 --> 00:19:56.839 is his attitude toward it. He said, you know, we're 344 00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:01.160 pressed on every side by trouble. Okay, it just comes 345 00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:05.200 pressing in on us. But we're not crushed, We're not broken. 346 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.559 Okay. He says, we're perplexed, but we don't give up 347 00:20:09.599 --> 00:20:09.920 and quit. 348 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.759 He says, we're often confused about life, but we don't 349 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.119 give up even when we don't know the answers. He says, 350 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:19.200 we're hunted down, but we're never abandoned. God never abandons us. 351 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:22.720 He says, we get knocked down, but we get up 352 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.640 again and keep going. It's like a boxer. I get 353 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:28.160 knocked down, but I'm not knocked out, and he says, 354 00:20:28.200 --> 00:20:31.839 we get up again and keep going through suffering. Paul says, 355 00:20:32.599 --> 00:20:37.240 these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus, 356 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.839 so that the life of Jesus may also be seen 357 00:20:41.720 --> 00:20:42.640 in our bodies. 358 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:43.799 WHOA. 359 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.480 Those three passages are amazing testimony of resilience. 360 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.160 What was Paul's secret? What was Paul's. 361 00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:57.319 Secret of the ability to get back up again? Well, 362 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:01.000 it was an eternal perspective. He had a greater purpose. 363 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.480 As I said earlier, you can handle unbelievable pain if 364 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:08.920 you can see a purpose in it. And in Two Corinthians, 365 00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:13.519 Chapter four, verses sixteen to eighteen. Here's the purpose that 366 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:17.880 Paul says keeps him going for this reason. This is 367 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:22.799 the reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical 368 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:28.640 being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is being 369 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:30.559 renewed day after day. 370 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:31.119 He said. 371 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:34.599 I can't stop the aging process, but I can stay 372 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:37.519 fresh and renewed in my spirit on the inside. He says, 373 00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:42.680 these temporary troubles we suffer will bring us a tremendous 374 00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:46.680 and eternal glory. The reward in heaven much greater than 375 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:50.839 the trouble, For we fix our attention not on the 376 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:53.240 things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen. 377 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:56.640 Because what can be seen last only for a time. 378 00:21:56.680 --> 00:22:01.920 It's temporary, but what cannot be seen last forever. This 379 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:06.559 is the power of growing in Christ when you're in pain, 380 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:09.519 of seeing a greater perspective that, yes, I'm in pain 381 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:12.200 right now, but even if I had chronic pain my 382 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.880 entire life, my entire life might be sixty seventy eighty 383 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:18.359 at the most ninety years or so. But I'm going 384 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:23.079 to benefit from it in heaven and receive the rewards 385 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:27.039 and reap the benefits for trillions of years. He said, 386 00:22:27.079 --> 00:22:30.039 that stuff's going to last forever, so have them greater 387 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:32.799 perspective when you're in pain. That's not just here. And 388 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:36.240 now let me give you a fourth reason. Remember the 389 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:41.480 five purposes. The fourth purpose is the purpose of using 390 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:45.960 your life to make a contribution and having a ministry 391 00:22:46.039 --> 00:22:48.640 or having a place of service. You weren't put on 392 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:51.519 this earth to live a self centered life. So here's 393 00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:56.000 the fourth way you can use pain. Use pain to 394 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:01.680 be or become more sensitive in serving others. This is 395 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:06.240 called redemptive pain. It is the highest and best use 396 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:11.480 of pain. That when I'm going through pain, rather than 397 00:23:11.559 --> 00:23:17.079 focusing on my pain, I redirect my focus to other 398 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:19.839 people are in pain. And as I said earlier, pain 399 00:23:19.960 --> 00:23:24.680 sensitizes us. If you have struggled with depression, you're sensitive 400 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:28.519 to other people who are depressed. If you have struggled 401 00:23:28.680 --> 00:23:32.440