The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
Page 1 of 8
Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises --- Good People Do Suffer
Philippians 1:12-18
INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
Surprise: an unexpected or astonishing event, fact, or thing. That’s the
official definition of the word ‘surprise’. Hear it again. An unexpected or
astonishing event, fact or thing. Last Sunday we concluded our series, What’s Your
Story?, with a collection of heart touching testimonies. As the pieces of cardboard
turned, they each revealed a wonderful surprise. God was at work in unexpected,
astonishing ways in the lives of people we know – people with whom we worship,
grow and serve every week. But, you know that really shouldn’t surprise us at all.
Why? Well, because The Bible, our Holy Scriptures, the Sacred Word – is chock full
of the unexpected and the astonishing. Some of those surprises reassure us; some
shake us up a bit. Still they all point us to the way God is at work in and through
the lives of His people. We can’t possibly cover all the surprises to be found within
the pages of Scripture, but we are going to spend three Sundays exploring a few of
the biggest. And we begin right now.
INTRODUCTION TO SERMON
“The moment we say no to the world and yes to God, all our problems are
solved, all our questions answered, all our troubles over. Nothing can disturb the
tranquility of the soul at peace with God. Nothing can interfere with the blessed
assurance that all is well between me and my Savior. Nothing and no one can
upset the enjoyable relationship that has been established by faith in Jesus Christ.
We Christians are among that privileged company of persons who don’t have
accidents, who don’t have arguments with our spouses, who aren’t
misunderstood by our peers, whose children do not disobey us. If any of those
things should happen – a crushing doubt, a squall of anger, a desperate loneliness,
an accident that puts us in the hospital, an argument that puts us in the doghouse,
a rebellion that puts us on the defensive, a misunderstanding that puts us in the
wrong – it is a sign that something is wrong with our relationship with God. We
have, consciously or unconsciously, retracted our yes to God; and God, impatient
with our fickle faith, has gone off to take care of someone more deserving of his
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
attention. Is that what you believe? Is that what you think the Bible teaches? If it
is, I have some incredibly good news for you. You are wrong.” (Eugene Peterson, A
Long Obedience in the Same Direction, p. 37). Those words come from Eugene
Peterson’s book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction. They express a truth
that I have encountered again and again in my ministry. There is a subtle but
sinister teaching in our midst. I’m not sure we United Methodists would actually
articulate this teaching out loud, though some traditions do. Still, even we, with all
our progressive thinking, somehow manage to convey this error, to perpetuate
this heresy and thus we practically insure that those raised in our midst will, at
some point in their lives, encounter a major faith crisis. And what is this sinister
teaching? Pretty simple really. God takes care of good little girls and boys.
Now, like most heresies, there is just enough truth here to really make this
teaching dangerous. God does take care of his people – always. But that does not
mean that bad things do not happen. That does not mean that Christians are
immune from any of the struggles, pains, and hurts of life. That does not mean
that cancer will not strike, jobs will not be lost, loved ones will not die. That is not
how God promises to take care of us. Faithful prayers are not magic wands that
force God to do what we want God to do. When we plant this teaching deep
within our people, and bad things do happen in their lives – and they will – they
have only one of two choices. God is not faithful enough or I am not good enough.
It’s a sinister teaching, friends, wrapped up in good intentions.
I had a friend from out of town visit me after our son Wade’s death in a car
crash. She is a faithful prayer warrior, a strong Christian and even though she is
from another tradition, she has always supported my ministry. She surprised me
that day and I was happy to see her because I knew she had been praying me
through those difficult days. In the course of the conversation, I explained that I
was having problems with anxiety for the first time in my life. The anxiety would
rise up when I knew Riley was on the road. Especially if I tried to call and he didn’t
answer. To be honest, I still have a little bit of trouble with this. It takes me right
back to that long night, when I kept trying to call Wade and he didn’t answer. I
told my friend that those moments were almost unbearable. And, bless her, this is
how she responded. “Jan, when you feel that way, you just ask God to send His
guardian angels to surround Riley in that car and protect him as he travels. You
just pray him safely home.” I looked her straight in the eye called her by name and
said, “I did that for Wade … it didn’t work.” And once again, a Christian offers to
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
the hurting a heresy disguised as hope – be good enough, pray hard enough,
witness boldly enough, and God won’t let bad things happen to you. Don’t you
see? Despite her good intentions, she left me only two choices. God was not
faithful enough or I was not good enough. But, Beloved, this I do know, neither of
those choices was the right choice.
I think my friend and countless others like her would be shocked to discover
one of the Bible’s biggest surprises: God’s people do suffer.
Now, I have to say that I have no clue as to how this teaching – about God
protecting his people from pain and hurt – has developed among believers. I can’t
find anything at all to support this in the Bible. Bad things were always happening
to those who served God. Think about what it meant to be the Chosen People of
God for the Old Testament Israelites. They were enslaved, wandered in the desert,
were hated and despised, fought battle after battle, were taken into exile,
betrayed by their kings and occupied by foreign nations. One of the great lines
from Fiddler on the Roof is when the faithful Jewish Patriarch looks up at the sky
and says, “I know, I know. We are your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't
You choose someone else?”
The children of Israel were in no way immune to suffering in life. And the
same was true for early Christians. They were forced to live in catacombs, were
used for cruel and deadly sport by the gladiators, and were burned alive by Nero.
Tradition reports a martyr’s death for every disciple. And disciples have been
suffering and dying in spite of their great faith, and sometimes because of it, ever
since.
TWO KINDS
As I have studied the Bible, it seems to me that all suffering falls into one of
two categories. First, are trials and tribulations. These are just harsh realities of
what it means to live on this earth. Sickness, pain, the failures of our friends and
family, loss, death, struggle. Live long enough and we all experience trials and
tribulations. They are as much a part of life as growth and change. And if you
cannot see evidence of trials and tribulations in the lives of others around you,
don’t be fooled. Trials and tribulations come to everyone. We can see in the first
chapter of the book of James that the writer assumes that trials will be present.
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
James 1:2-4
2
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing
but joy, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4and
let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking
in nothing.”
The second category of suffering found in Scripture is quite different from the
first. This type of suffering is persecution for the sake of Christ and His cause.
Philippians 1:29
“For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but
of suffering for him as well—“
Before I go any further, I want to be sure that we understand these two
types of suffering and how different they are. People confuse the two all the time.
Many people feel they are being persecuted when, in fact, they are simply
suffering through the everyday trials of life. Sickness is certainly suffering but it’s
rarely persecution for the sake of Christ. Grief over the loss of a child is suffering
but again, most of the time it is not persecution for the cause of Christ. True
persecution is the suffering we experience because we are Christians or because
we have championed the cause of Christ, through word or action. There are
people all over the world who are being persecuted in brutal ways because they
are Christians.
Here at home such persecution would probably be more subtle. Christian
young people might be excluded from a party. Christian scholars are sometimes
belittled. Persecution does happen and according to the Scriptures, should even
be expected by the faithful. But we should be careful not to feel persecuted when
the everyday trials and tribulations of life come our way. They come to everyone
as the Gospel writer Matthew said ‘…he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the
good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.’ (Matthew 5:45)
So, a quick summary: it may come as a surprise to some but God’s people
do suffer and there are two types of suffering: 1) trials and tribulations and
2) persecution. Now, let’s go a little deeper.
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
Here are a couple more Bible verses that make it clear that trials and tribulations
are part of the Christian’s life.
Romans 5:3-5
3
“…we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does
not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”
And from the Old Testament:
Isaiah 43:2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers,
they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be
burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Good people – God’s people – do suffer. That will come as a surprise to
many but here’s the good news. Behind that truth comes another wonderful
surprise. Our trials and tribulations can make us better. That’s what the Romans
passage is all about … ‘suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope…’ In other words, trials and tribulations
can make the Christian better. I once did a celebration of life service for a
wonderful, sweet, sweet woman, Mrs. Allison. She suffered through many trials
and tribulations – the early death of her husband, the loss of a son in the Vietnam
War, a host of physical struggles. But what her children and grandchildren
remembered most about her was the saying that guided her life: The difficulties in
life can make us better or bitter. We all choose. She chose better. In the strength
of Jesus Christ, every believer can make the same choice. Our suffering can make
us better. That’s the surprise behind the surprise.
PERSECUTION
And persecution? Well, consider these passages. First, from the teachings of Jesus
that we call the Beatitudes:
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
Matthew 5:10-12
10
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you
and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you.”
Lots of suffering there, but notice it is for Jesus’ sake. And such persecutions lead
to an eternal reward and shared glory with Christ. That’s the surprise behind the
surprise when it comes to persecution. And remember this teaching?
Luke 9:23-24
23
“Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24For those who want to
save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”
Suffering for Christ, we may well lose life as the world understands it but we save
our lives from God’s eternal perspective. To take up our cross, friends, means that
we choose to take upon ourselves the same persecution that Christ suffered. And
that is certainly what the Apostle Paul, great missionary of the early church, did. It
is, I believe, Paul’s experience that can best help us understand what the suffering
called persecution is really all about. Paul is writing back to his beloved
congregation at Philippi in response to their concern for his welfare. Paul is in
prison, persecuted for the cause of Christ and his friends are anxious and worried.
I suspect the Philippians wanted to know about the conditions of his
imprisonment … was he comfortable, cold, abused, sick or well? But that’s not
what Paul thought was important. Here’s Paul’s take on his time of suffering and
persecution.
Philippians 1:12-18
12
“I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually
helped to spread the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole
imperial guard and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ; 14and most
of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my
imprisonment, dare to speak the word with greater boldness and without fear.
15
Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. 16These
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of
the gospel; 17the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but
intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. 18 What does it matter?
Just this – that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or
true; and in that I rejoice.
Here’s another surprise behind the surprise. Just as God uses the trials and
tribulations of a believer’s life to make that person better, so God uses the
persecutions of believers to further the cause of Christ. Paul saw this happening
three ways:
1. The Gospel had been made known to the imperial guard. In other words
Paul’s imprisonment provided him access to a group of people he would not
have been able to reach outside of prison.
2. In verse 14, Paul says that other Christians have been made bolder in their
witness because of his persecution. In other words, his attitude toward
persecution is inspiring others.
3. And then Paul says that the Gospel has been advanced in a strange way.
Even the opponents of Paul have become greater proclaimers of the Gospel.
In verses 15-17, Paul questions their motives, but he still celebrates the
outcome: “What does it matter? Just this – that Christ is proclaimed in every
way.”
Paul could rejoice in his persecution. Why? Because the cause of Christ was being
furthered. That’s the surprise behind the surprise.
NOT FOR SUFFERING’S SAKE
Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I do not believe that there is
value in suffering for suffering’s sake. That, too, is I believe a heresy. I couldn’t
help but think of a humorous story I read years ago. A wealthy businessman
hosted a spectacular party. He had filled his swimming pool with sharks,
barracuda and other dangerous fish. Then, he announced to his guests a
challenge. He would give a new home in the mountains, a trip around the world
for two or a piece of his business as a prize to the first person to swim across the
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain
The Bible’s Biggest Surprises – God’s People Do Suffer
Rev. Jan Brittain, October 23, 2016
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Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church
pool. No sooner had he made the announcement than there was a splash and a
young man swam rapidly across the infested waters, bounding up and out on the
other side. The millionaire said to the dripping man, “That was a stunning
performance. What prize do you want?” The man answered him tersely, “Right
now I really don’t care about the prize. I just want to get the name of the turkey
who pushed me in.”
Now we laugh but the truth is that, historically, the Bible’s attitude and
teaching about suffering has been used to push people into similarly infested
waters. It’s called asceticism and it is a very extreme approach to Christianity
where believers punish their own bodies in mind-boggling ways. They jump into
the infested waters of suffering and encourage others to do the same. I don’t
believe that’s what the Bible intends. Paul is not telling them to jump in and he’s
not giving them a shove. Quite the opposite in fact. Paul is trying to give them a
way to make it through the infested waters, a way to understand, to endure and
even to use their suffering for good. Paul is telling them that what God has done
for him in prison, God can do for them in their persecution. God takes something
bad and uses it for good. That’s the surprise behind the surprise.
CONCLUSION
But there is some choice here. Oh, we don’t get to choose whether or not
we will suffer. Everyone suffers. Still we do have a choice to make. Years ago in
seminary, I encountered a book by Dorothee Soelle, entitled simply Suffering. The
one thing I remember from that book is a teaching that has shaped my ministry
and now shapes my own suffering. We do not choose whether or not we will suffer
in this life. We do not even get to choose how we will suffer. But we do choose and
we are the only ones who can choose – to what end we will suffer.
Either we offer our suffering, in bitterness and despair, to the power of evil,
Satan, the Devil – whatever you choose to call that force at work against God in
this world, and allow it to be used for destruction of self and others. Or we offer
our suffering to God so that he might surprise us and use it for good – to make us
better or to further his cause. God’s people do suffer and God uses that suffering
for good. It’s one of the Bible’s biggest surprises and I believe, one of its best.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Unpublished work ©2016 Julianne Brittain