20150816 God Uses Our Pain for His Glory

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God Uses Our Pain for His Glory

Pastor Jay Dennis Sunday, August 16, 2015

This booklet is to help encourage those experiencing pain and suffering and to be a reminder of how God uses our pain for His glory.

Consider THOSE IN THE BIBLE that were greatly used of God who experienced and suffered some type of PAIN Abraham—the Pain of waiting for God’s promise Noah—the Pain of the consequences of drunkenness Moses—the Pain From the consequence of his angry choice Jabez—physical Pain, his very name means Pain Hosea—the Pain of his wife having multiple affairs Samuel—the Pain of disappointment with his sons Paul—the Pain of a thorn in the flesh, some physical malady Mark—the Pain of living with failure after having left the mission field with Paul and Barnabas Joseph—the Pain of being rejected by his family and feeling he had been forgotten by God Elijah—the Pain of loneliness and depression Nehemiah—the Pain of criticism and antagonism for doing God’s will Job—the Pain emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually of doing God’s will and suffering for it Daniel—the Pain of praying and getting no answers for days because a powerful demon was blocking his prayers !1

Peter—the Pain of having rejected personally Jesus Christ three times Jonah—the Pain of disobeying God and ending up in the belly of a huge fish Jeremiah—mental and emotional Pain of depression Isaiah—the Pain of criticism and ridicule Elisha—the Pain of being mocked and ridiculed for his appearance Samson—the physical and spiritual Pain of sexual sin Titus—the Pain of wanting to leave a difficult ministry assignment, yet Paul says “Stay” Timothy—the Pain of not growing up with a father Mary and Martha—the Pain of watching their brother die when they knew Jesus could have healed them Lazarus—the Pain of dying Jacob—the physical Pain of limping every time he walked as a reminder of God being in control, not him Abel—the Pain of being killed by his own brother for doing the right thing Caleb—the Pain of being right and that no one would listen about taking the land of Canaan and declaring victory for God Joshua—the Pain of having to live up to Moses’ reputation as he led the Children of Israel The Deacon Stephen—the Pain of being stoned to death !2

John (the one whom Jesus loved)—the Pain of loneliness of being banned to the island of Patmos and the pain of watching Jesus suffer and die Mary (the mother of Jesus)—felt the Pain of seeing her son abused, beaten, and crucified Michal (David’s wife)—the Pain of infertility Naomi—the Pain of losing her son in death Ruth—the Pain of losing her husband Lot—the Pain of realizing he had forfeited his testimony to his own family because of compromise in Sodom and Gomorrah All the Disciples of Jesus (except one)—killed for their commitment to Jesus Christ

Consider GOD HIMSELF… Jesus Christ—the physical, mental, emotional, and relational Pain that He endured like no one has ever experienced all because of your sin and my sin The Holy Spirit—the Pain, grief and quenching He feels when we sin and refuse to repent and when we refuse to surrender to His will God the Father—The Pain He endured when He had to forsake His only begotten Son because His Son became sin for us and God could not look upon sin

Consider THOSE IN MINISTRY and !3

TRUE BELIEVERS… Dietrich Bonhoeffer—Christian pastor who stood up to Hitler and his evil regime, and it cost him his life Jim Elliot—with the Auca Indians in Equador felt the pain of being killed by those in whom he was showing he love of God Pastors like Charles Haddon Spurgeon—suffered from great depression, yet is known as the greatest preacher ever since the Apostle Paul. He suffered physically as well as mentally and emotionally, yet God used him to impact the world. Charles Stanley—faced the Pain of divorce Rick Warren—suffered the Pain of losing a young adult son to suicide David Jeremiah—battled life-threatening cancer Joni Erickson Tada—the quadriplegic who has no use of her arms and legs, yet she is a mighty force for God and good in this world Saeed Abadeni—the Christian leader in the worst of the worst of Iranian prisons who is suffering right now for his faith Evangelist D.L. Moody—suffered the Pain of watching the Great Chicago Fire destroy his church and the lives of many of his members Missionary to India, William Carrey—missionary to India who suffered with all kinds of diseases and maladies such as malaria, dysentery, and cholera (along with his family)

The Church of Jesus Christ and True Believers—experience Pain, many the Pain of persecution: !4

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322 Christians are killed for their faith each month

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214 Churches and Christian properties are destroyed each month

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772 forms of Violence against Christians each month (http://www.opendoorsusa.org/christianpersecution/)

31 SCRIPTURES to Claim When You Are In Pain (One for Each Day of the Month) 1.

2.

Isaiah 41:10 not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. 10 Fear

Romans 8:37-39 amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. 37 Yet

38 For

I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers, 39 Nor

height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 3.

Hebrews 13:5b …for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you !5

helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] 4.

5.

I Peter 4:13 insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]. 13 But

I Peter 5:9-10 him; be firm in faith [against his onset— rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world. 9 Withstand

10 And

after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace [Who imparts all blessing and favor], Who has called you to His [own] eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you. 6.

II Corinthians 4:16-18 we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. 16 Therefore

17 For

our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], 18 Since

we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but !6

the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. 7.

Romans 8:17-18 if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. 17 And

18 [But

what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! 8.

II Corinthians 12:9-10 He said to me, My grace (My favor and lovingkindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! 9 But

10 So

for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength). 9.

10.

Deuteronomy 31:8 is the Lord Who goes before you; He will [march] with you; He will not fail you or let you go or forsake you; [let there be no cowardice or flinching, but] fear not, neither become broken [in spirit—depressed, dismayed, and unnerved with alarm]. 8 It

Psalm 50:15 call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me. 15 And

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11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

Nahum 1:7 Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. 7 The

Psalm 6:2 mercy on me and be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am weak (faint and withered away); O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled. 2 Have

Romans 15:4 whatever was thus written in former days was written for our instruction, that by [our steadfast and patient] endurance and the encouragement [drawn] from the Scriptures we might hold fast to and cherish hope. 4 For

Psalm 30:5 His anger is but for a moment, but His favor is for a lifetime or in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 5 For

Matthew 11:28 to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 28 Come

Isaiah 43:2 you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. 2 When

Psalm 119:50, 71 is my comfort and consolation in my affliction: that Your word has revived me and given me life. 50 This

71 It

is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes. 18.

I Peter 5:6-7 !8

6 Therefore

humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, 7 Casting

the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. 19.

Psalm 22:4; 24 fathers trusted in You; they trusted (leaned on, relied on You, and were confident) and You delivered them. 4 Our

24 For

He has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him, but when he cried to Him, He heard. 20.

Lamentations 3:22-23; 31-32 is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not. 22 It

23 They

are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness. 31 For

the Lord will not cast off forever!

32 But

though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His lovingkindness and tender mercy. 21.

22.

Psalm 34:18 Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent. 18 The

Romans 8:28 are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into 28 We

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a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. 23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

Isaiah 49:13 for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted. 13 Sing

Isaiah 40:8 grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 8 The

Matthew 5:4 and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted! 4 Blessed

Joshua 1:9 not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 9 Have

Psalm 27:13 what would have become of me] had I not believed that I would see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living! 13 [What,

Proverbs 3:5-6 on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. 5 Lean

6 In

all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. 29.

Romans 8:18 [Paul]consider that the sufferings of this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared 18 …I

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with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us! 30.

II Corinthians 1:3-4 be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy (pity and mercy) and the God [Who is the Source] of every comfort (consolation and encouragement), 3 Blessed

4 Who

comforts (consoles and encourages) us in every trouble (calamity and affliction), so that we may also be able to comfort (console and encourage) those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort (consolation and encouragement) with which we ourselves are comforted (consoled and encouraged) by God. 31.

Psalm 120:1 my distress I cried to the Lord, and He answered me.

1 In

QUOTES about Pain “You may never know that JESUS is all you need, until JESUS is all you have.”—Corrie Ten Boom “One of the main ways we move from abstract knowledge about God to a personal encounter with him is living reality through the furnace of affliction.”—Tim Keller “We can sometimes see more through a tear than through a telescope.” –Anon “Tears are often the telescope by which men see far into heaven.” –Henry Ward Beecher “Pain and suffering are not necessarily signs of God’s anger; they may be exactly the opposite.” –John Blanchard

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“God understands our suffering because he has experienced it.” –Francis Bridger “The staying power of your faith is neither demonstrated nor developed until it is tested by suffering.” – C. A. Carson “There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained only through the discipline of pain and suffering.” –D. A. Carson “Suffering is God’s furnace in which he tests the quality of our faith.” –Herbert Carson “Sufferings are but as little chips of the cross.” –Joseph Church “Tears are part of the existence on this earth. They have flowed from Eden right down through history to the present day.” –Wayne Detzler “Without a doubt, what helps us most in accepting and dealing with suffering is an adequate view of God—learning who he is and knowing he is in control.” –Joni Eareckson Tada “Suffering prepares us for glory.” –David Kingdon “God whispers to us in health and prosperity, but, being hard of hearing, we fail to hear God’s voice in both. Whereupon God turns up the amplifier by means of suffering. Then his voice booms.” –C. S. Lewis “There is nothing the body suffers that the soul may not profit by.” – George Meredith “Probably one of the hardest aspects of suffering to endure is the fact that our suffering is not explained. It would be much easier if we know why.” –Frank Retief “There are no gains without pains.” –J. C. Ryle “We must shed tears if we would hereafter have them to wipe away.” –J. C. Ryle !12

“God does not witness to the world by taking his people out of suffering, but rather by demonstrating his grace through them in the midst of pain.” –C. Samuel Storms “I would…suggest that some form of suffering is virtually indispensable to holiness.” –John R. W. Stott “The best of saints have borne the worst of sufferings.” –George Swinnock “The Bible has a great deal to say about suffering and most of it is encouraging.” –A. W. Tozer “Pain can either make us better or bitter.” –Tim Hanse “God uses chronic pain and weakness along with other afflictions, as his chisel for sculpting our lives.” –J. I. Packer “If I ever wonder about the appropriate ‘spiritual’ response to pain and suffering, I can note how Jesus responded to his own: with fear and trembling, with loud cries and tears.” – Philip Yancey

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©2015 Jay Dennis "Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible,
 Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
 Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Dr. Jay Dennis, Senior Pastor 1010 E. Memorial Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33801 863-682-0163 ChurchAtTheMall.com

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