Sunday Recap: April 27, 2008

This past Sunday morning we looked at Romans 12:12 where Paul reveals to us how the transformed life responds to difficulty and suffering. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

We began by stressing the importance of the believer’s response to suffering and persecution in the presence of a watching world. The believer’s response to trial, tribulation, and suffering sets him/her apart form the rest of the world.  The heading of this passage in the ESV is entitled “Marks of the True Christian.” This is the case Paul makes from verses 9-21. The true child of God is one who has been overwhelmed by the mercies of God and their life has been transformed and that transformed life looks like this and Paul begins listing the characteristics of a transformed life; humble service, unhypocritical love, brotherly affection for the brethren, a boiling passion in our service to God, and here in verse 12 an otherworldly response to suffering.

Paul says “rejoice in hope.”  This phrase speaks of the believer’s attitude in the midst of suffering and persecution.  Hope in Scripture is simply this; it is confident expectation. It is not an uncertain expectation as in “Boy I hope this happens, or I hope things go my way.”

For the believer hope is closely related to faith, in fact it is rooted in faith. We see this in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

John Bunyan wrote the following about the connection between faith and hope; “Faith looks to Christ as dead, buried, and ascended; and hope looks for his second coming. Faith looks to him for justification; hope for glory. Faith fights for doctrine; hope for reward: faith for what is in the bible; hope for what is in heaven.”  Faith sets hope on work; hope sets patience on work. Faith says to hope, ‘Look for what is promised;’ hope says to faith, ‘So I do, and will wait for it too.’” So then faith and hope are then inseparable for the Christian. The believer then has faith in what God has done and is doing and therefore he also has hope, a confident expectation, in what He will do.

Another aspect of hope is that it trusts in things not immediately visible. This is the point Paul made in Romans 8:24-25 “Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

While it is true that we hope for what we do not see we are not left to wonder what it is we hope for. Remember Romans 8? Paul said that we have a glorious inheritance in Christ. As children of God we are heirs to all that God has and all that God is. We get God!

In 1 Peter 1:3-9 Peter also shares the hope the blessed hope that we have as children of God; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

Our hope rests in what God has done for us as hopeless sinners by reconciling us to Himself through the death of His Son Jesus Christ. If our faith rests in His work, then we have a blessed hope that we will be accepted into the presence of God as partakers in the promise of that glorious inheritance. So we wait for it with confident expectation! This is the hope that we rejoice in!

Rejoicing is another great word. It means to be full of joy! It differs from happiness. Happiness is temporal and is based upon feelings and circumstances. In fact the root of the word is “hap” or happenstance. The word is directly connected to the circumstances we find ourselves in at any given moment. If circumstances are positive we are happy if they are negative we are sad. Happiness we might say is rooted in what is happening to me or around me. It is external.

Joy on the other hand is not rooted in temporal, external circumstances but rather it is rooted in a hope that transcends the momentary circumstances or situation. Joy is constant because it finds its root in the hope of Christ and we know that no matter how difficult the circumstances our hope is alive because our Savior is alive!

This is not true for the unbeliever however. He is confined to temporal happiness because for him this is all there is. I used the illustration of Carl Sagan, host of the  PBS series Cosmos and author of Contact. Sagan’s famous line in Cosmos was, “The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be.”

Now imagine if these words were true? Would there be any basis for hope or joy? No, because there is nothing beyond the here and now. If you happen to be fortunate enough to go through life with minimal suffering and are able to live comfortably you could experience some happiness but you would not experience true joy because in the back of your mind there would always be this nagging voice telling you “This is it. This is all there is. Seek pleasure now because tomorrow you’re one day closer to the end. Where is the hope in that? There is none. And if there is no hope there is no joy.

When there is the presence of hope however joy not only exists in good circumstances but it can exist even in the most difficult of circumstances. Notice Hebrews 10:32-34 “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”

It is the believer’s hope that provides the grounds for his rejoicing when all you own is destroyed and your life threatened. Remove the hope and you are left with mere fleeting happiness. Your mood & state of mind are determined by your circumstances.

In fact Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14 that without the blessed hope of eternal life with Christ Christians would be a sad and pitiful group. “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” If there is nothing beyond this life than why endure hardship for your faith? Cast it off and live for the day. Live for pleasure and gratification because this is all there is.

You see, in reality it is your belief about what happens after this life is over that ultimately determines how you live your life. This is true of everyone whether they believe in God or not.

If you believed that there is no God and that one simply ceases to exist after death how would you live? You would live for the moment. You would be a fool not to.  Logic would require you to make the most of your existence. That which makes you most comfortable and brings you the greatest happiness is ultimately all that matters. Self pleasure becomes the goal of your life.

This is not so for the child of God. We realize that this life is simply a precursor to eternity. We recognize that we are not the center of the universe. It is not ultimately about our plans and purposes but God’s. So when suffering and persecution come we rejoice in knowing that we are not confined to our circumstances. This is not “it.” This doesn’t mean that our circumstances are always pleasurable or that we have to like them but rather it means that we can see beyond them.

This is why Paul could rejoice and say with confidence while in prison and his earthly future uncertain that “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Can you say those words this morning? Do you rejoice in hope or are you content with the happiness that you receive picking up the crumbs that this world throws your way?

Where does your hope rest? Does it rest in a job promotion? Does it rest in the tax return that’s coming? What is it that you look forward to?

Are you simply looking ahead to the temporal? Graduation, marriage, children, career advancement, retirement, then consider the end - if you make it that far. Unfortunately this is the mindset of most American Christians. We give a passing thought to God and we pay lip service to His eternal plan but our real hope is here. This is backwards! We should start by considering the end and looking to the hope beyond, allowing our hope in Christ to shape our perspective of graduation, marriage, children, career advancement, retirement, and death. Hope in the midst of these things but not “because” of them!

If this is our perspective we can truly rejoice in hope no matter what the situation. When suffering comes we will not be focused on the temporal but the eternal and we will not sink into despair.

If we are able to rejoice in hope then we will find it easier to follow Paul’s next exhortation to “be patient in tribulation” The phrase “be patient” here can also be translated “persevere” or more literally “to remain, to stand in place."

Paul exhorts us to rejoice in hope he is addressing our attitude in the midst of difficulty and suffering. Our attitude should be joy that is rooted in hope. Now he moves from our attitude to our actions. We are to remain or endure in the midst of trial and suffering.

As a believer then our primary action when in the midst of suffering or persecution is patience or perseverance. By persevere he does not mean that we hide in a corner and curl up in the fetal position as we wait for it all just be over. Instead, what Paul is saying here is “face the difficulties head on. Don’t run away, don’t retreat. Stand firm.”

Our perseverance finds its root in the same hope that our rejoicing is rooted in. We persevere, we remain in place even when our circumstances don’t make sense because our God is sovereign and His plans and purposes are perfect and we have a hope that one day it will all make sens  Remember Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

We persevere, we remain in place even when our circumstances, our struggles seem like they are too much to bear because we know that what awaits us will make it all worthwhile. Remember 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” We trust in God’s plan and we wait patiently in hope for the day when it all makes sense. That day when we stand on top of the mountain and look down at the valley and we see it all and it makes sense. The cancer and sickness, the death of the child, the persecution, it all makes sense as we see it from God’s perspective.

So we persevere because we have that eternal hope but we also persevere because trial and tribulation brings spiritual growth in the here and now. Remember the words of James “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 So trial and tribulation tests our faith which produces steadfastness which brings about Christ likeness and as a result God is glorified which is the end goal.

Another important reason for perseverance in the midst of trial and tribulation is more horizontal. We persevere in tribulation because we know that God is working in and through us for His good pleasure and is preparing us to minister to others. Paul spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. As we persevere in the midst of our sufferings God comforts us, and as a result we are better prepared and equipped to give comfort to others.”

So while our reasons for persevering are ultimately future or eternal but they are also immediate in the here and now.

Finally at the end of verse 12 Paul makes clear that the ability to rejoice in hope and remain patient in tribulation comes from God and he reminds us once again of one of the believers greatest means to commune with God “be constant in prayer.”

Think about this for a moment. Consider what Paul is saying here. He is saying that our hope and our perseverance in the midst of difficulty are directly connected to prayer. Not heartless perfunctory prayers but a constant heart of prayer which seeks communion with God.

It is important to understand that Paul is not saying that the blessed hope the believer has in Christ is null and void if we don’t pray, rather he is stressing to us the important role prayer plays in keeping hope alive in our hearts as well as the strength God gives us through prayer that enables us to persevere in the midst of tribulation. Prayer is the means by which we cry out to God not as independent men and women but dependant children and it is the humble prayers of His children that God hears and answers. Imagine that. The very fact that we have an audience with the God of the universe should change the way you see the suffering and difficulty of this life.

You may remember in Luke 11 Jesus instructs His disciples on prayer and he uses the imagery of a father and his children. God is not some aloof being totally disconnected to our sufferings and our trials but rather He is a loving Father who is willing and eager to help His children when they come to Him and ask; “5 And he said to them, Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,’ 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” What a beautiful picture of God’s heart for His children?

Another example of the importance of prayers in the midst of suffering and tribulation can be found in the Psalms. Over and over the David finds himself in a desperate situation and each time he cries out to God for strength, for wisdom, and for understanding.

His cries range from “God I don’t understand this please show me you’re still here, I am about to die! Please do something!” And what do we see time and time again?  God inclines His ear to David. Imagine that; he God of the universe inclining His ear to mere men!

It is not possible to overemphasize the importance of establishing a priority of prayer in your life. It is through prayer that the Almighty God of the universe inclines His ear to us. It is through prayer the Yahweh the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hears and takes note of the groanings of His people as we saw in Exodus.

We closed our service with the challenge to remember Paul’s words;

 - Rejoice in hope.  We don’t have to settle for happiness. We used the illustration of the tendency that is within children to settle for what is immediate. A child starts saving his money and he has his heart set on a new bicycle that costs $50. But what happens? He gets $25 saved up and he passes a fireworks stand and what does he do? He knows he wants the bike but he just can’t wait so he buys the fireworks. He goes home and in 20 minutes he has set them all off and now he is out $25 and all he has to show for it is a pile of charred paper.

Let’s not trade our eternal hope for temporal pleasures for our eternal hope; that confident expectation of what is to come. Our God has saved us, He is sanctifying us, and He will one day glorify us and we will become partakers in an inheritance so glorious that the suffering of this world will not be worth comparing and even the pleasures of this world will be trivial by comparison.

-Be patient in tribulation.  It is the hope we have and our great joy in that hope that causes us to remain in place when the trials and struggles come. When the struggles come, the marriage problems, the child problems, the work problems, sickness, death, conflict, persecution, when all these come we can remain in place because of the hope, the confident expectation that we rejoice in. Hope causes us to remain in place when things seem to be too much to bear and you are tempted to run to the temporal comfort and happiness of this world. Hope will cause you to remain in place when things get so tough that you simply want to curl up in a corner somewhere and die. It is the believer’s blessed hope that raises him up above the fog of this world’s circumstances in order that he might see the mountain peak in the distance and continue striving towards the mark.

And finally - Be constant in prayer recognizing that prayer is the means by which we communicate with the one who is our source of hope and the source of our strength when in the midst of trial.

We closed with a hymn:

“It is Well”

(Words: Horatio G. Spafford, Arrangement: Philip P. Bliss)

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul

My sin--oh, the bliss of this glorious thought:
My sin not in part, but the whole
Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul

And, Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,
The trump shall re-sound and the Lord shall descend,
"Even, so," it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul