Hebrews 2:10 For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Big Idea: Suffering is part of following Jesus. Hebrews 2:10 For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ James 2:19 - New Living Translation You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. There is a difference between believing in God and believing God. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time. “Christ could not be a perfect sympathizer unless he bore our suffering. He did not look at sin from the distance of heaven, but he walked and lived in the midst of it. He knows all shapes of suffering: disease, sickness, poverty, need, friendlessness, hopelessness, and desertion. You cannot cast human suffering into any shape that is new to Christ. In him there is every pang that tears the heart, every grief that forces tears from the eyes. Everything that is inevitable to flesh and blood, to hearts that break, and spirits that are depressed, Jesus knows.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon Matthew 8:20 Jesus told him, “Foxes have dens, and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Matthew 26:31-35 Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing. “...his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man.” “He was despised and rejected by men…” But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; “He was oppressed and afflicted…” Hematidrosis occurs when the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that feed the sweat glands rupture, allowing blood to mix with sweat. This can be triggered by intense stress, fear, or anxiety. In the context of Christ's experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, the immense emotional and spiritual anguish He faced—anticipating crucifixion and bearing the weight of humanity's sins—could have induced such a severe stress response. “We are not prepared for our Canaan but by (suffering). By war the soldier is fitted for peace; by a storm the traveler is fitted for home; by toil the laborer is fitted for his bed. Yea, we are better prepared by greater sufferings for a richer heaven, and it will be sweeter to us when we arrive there: ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Cor 4:17)” Thomas Jollie Job 1:20-22 Then Job stood up, tore his robe, and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worshiped, saying: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything. Job 2:9-10 His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build; a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider: God has made the one as well as the other… Matthew 16:24 “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him… False Teachings About Suffering: “Suffering is a part of the curse; you don’t have to accept it.” - Kenneth Copeland “God wants you to be healed and whole; suffering is not His plan.” - Joyce Meyer “Suffering is a result of not knowing your rights in Christ.” - Creflo Dollar James 1:2-4 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. "I have painfully concluded that too often, I don’t trust God. If something is going well, it seems He wants to take it away from me, perhaps to see if I love him more than what I’m holding onto. He becomes a “taker” in my mind, a spoiler, a teaser. That’s a perverted view of God, of course; but emotionally that’s pretty much what I’m feeling… "We aren’t asked to be happy about our circumstances or our suffering. We’re told to consciously consider the deeper joy that will result from it. (2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.) Calvin Miller wrote, 'Happiness is not the goal of the Christian life, rather it is the result of it.'” William H. Gross - The Gift of Suffering Next Step: I will seek God in my suffering Next Step: I will ask God what he wants to teach me in my trials Next Step: I will ask God for the strength to endure my trials Next Step: I will submit my life to Christ