SOAKED IN JOY: part 4

JOY COMES THROUGH SUFFERING FOR JESUS
April 13, 2008
with Adam Waters

INTRO: Growing up in Illinois, my favorite sport has always been basketball. Hoosiers was for during season, but WHITE ME CAN’T JUMP was for the off-season. Tell of Billy Hoyle’s (Woody Harrelson) struggles… and Wesley Snipes always bailing him out of trouble.
Besides basketball, another of my passions is playing cards. So when the movie ROUNDERS came out, we went right away to see it in the theatre. Tell of Matt Damon’s relationship to Worm (Ed Norton). Worm was always making bad decisions and Mike (Damon) felt like he had to help him because, “no one had ever stood up for Worm before.”
Both Snipes and Damon, felt that their friends were their “cross to bear.” Today, we need to discuss what it means to bear our cross…

GETTING RID OF WASTE
I want to uncover 4 MYTHS ABOUT SUFFERING
**If I become a Christian, my life will get easier. (John 16:33- I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”)
**If you’re a Christian and suffering, it’s because you’ve sinned. (Matthew 5:45 - For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.)
**If you’re suffering, you’re operating outside God’s will. (John 9:1-3 ~ As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.) JOSEPH story also.
**Suffering isn’t good for me. (James 1:2-4 ~ Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.)

As a swimmer, I will…
SATISFY the Spirit’s leading.
WIN the battles of the flesh.
INHERIT the Kingdom.
MANIFEST the character of God.

Philippians 2:29-3:11
SWIMMING LESSON: JOY comes through suffering for Jesus
We need to recognize that SUFFERING is easier with friends. (2:19-24)
Those who’ve endured SUFFERING deserve an open home. (2:25-30)
SUFFERING is worse when our eyes are closed. (3:1-3)
After we’ve endured SUFFERING our perspective changes. (3:4-11)

WRAP IT UP:
Snipes and Damon had their crosses to bear. Many of us run from our crosses! OR have already run OR are right now running from your cross to bear. As a Christian, you have a cross to bear… it’s being a follower of Jesus. It’s bearing His cross. One that has pain in this life sometimes (not all), but has a great retirement program (refer to Jesus in Philippians 2).