Christian Suffering, Introduction & Pt 1

Suffering is as old as the fall in the Garden of Eden. As believers, we need to be prepared with the right attitude and fortitude to endure hardship and suffering when it comes our way because while we cannot control the circumstances we face, we can cultivate an attitude of humility and a God-ward facing posture. This topical study of suffering is not only intended to increase biblical literacy, but to provide practical spiritual tools to overcome in the midst of adversity. By the end of this study, you will have a new framework with which to endure suffering, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: God wants to transform you and to work through you. All verses are from NKJV

Housekeeping: upcoming construction, upcoming Deeper Life Conference starting Fri Feb 20th, VOM book option, group guidelines, intros/ways that make you feel heard, tools (listed below)

Recommended annotation tools: highlighters, sticky notes, page marking tabs. It is recommended to create two pages in the back or the front of your Bible for that includes categories of Scripture verses. These are grouped by:

• Reasons for Suffering

• Attitude Toward Suffering

• Suffering to be Expected

• The Call of Jesus is One of Denial and Suffering

The next two are much longer and broken up over several lessons. They may benefit from being on their own page, with two columns.

• Christ In Our Sufferings

• Positive Benefits of Suffering

Introduction

As we explore suffering, we will need to frame it within its sources. By making efforts to identify the reason, we can respond cooperatively to the Lord working in our lives.

**Note this in the back of your Bible on a blank page. We will call this the "Suffering References" page going forward.

Reasons For Suffering

Other people: Genesis 45:5

Circumstances of life: Ruth 1:3-5

Your ministry: Hebrews 11, 2 Ti 1:11-12

Direct Satanic activity: Job 1-2

Your own sin: Jonah 1

1. The People of God and Their God

Genesis 24 ² So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, ³ and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; ⁴ but you shall go to my country and to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

Just as Abraham sought to wed his son Isaac to a bride of his own people, God the Father seeks to wed His Son Jesus to His own people. People who are distinctly different from the people of the world. We who know Jesus as Lord and Savior have been adopted into God's family and are united in Christ. We have been redeemed from our pasts, we are chosen, we are set apart.

It is the responsibility of God's people to bring truth while being gracious and merciful, especially when facing the topic of suffering. Discuss the questions below.

1. What are some sources of discomfort or suffering? Are discomfort and suffering always bad?

2. What was Abraham trying to avoid by having his servant go to his homeland to find a bride for his son? Why might that have been important in light of Genesis 26:4? Discuss the question then revisit this question after reading the material below.

Historical Observations

• The people of Canaan, during this time 2000-1500 BC, included Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Their gods included the infamous Baal and Astarte.

  
  

• Baal worship included temple prostitution, fertility rites, animal sacrifice as well as child sacrifice. He was a prominent Canaanite god of storm and rain, fertility, livestock, crops, and growth. Today the spirit of his worship includes materialism, lust, power, pleasure and self-gratification. It is an echo of the ancient's focus on abundance through illicit means, including the killing of children for the promise of abundance or rather, the promise of no lack.

• Astarte, aka Ashtoreth, was perceived as the powerful, ancient Near Eastern goddess of love, fertility, sexuality, and war. She originated from Mesopotamian's Ishtar before being assimilated to Isis and Hathor in Egypt, and was later assimilated into the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Astarte was frequently considered the warrior sister of Baal and they were frequently worshipped alongside each other. Today this entity appears as a demon in the Japanese video game Megami Tensei and the spirit of her worship includes sensuality, devotion to personal pleasure, and blurring gender.

**Abortion is not a political issue; it has been taken up by political parties. For a more extensive history of Baal and Ashtoreth, read this series.

Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5, Exodus 21:22–25, Luke 1:41-44

1. What are some reasons women have abortions? How can having a baby create financial/material insecurity?

2. What are people trying to avoid by abortion?

3. Moral neutrality means that something is neither good nor evil. Is avoiding hardship always morally neutral? Give some examples of ways our society tries to avoid hardship.

4. To help us understand the scope of the argument, assume the pro-abortion stance from a Biblical worldview. Gen 2:17,Ex 21:22-25

5. The blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for all missteps. What might you say to someone who has experienced the effects of abortion (male or female) that speaks grace, acceptance, and truth? What emotions would you expect them to be experiencing? What questions would you ask them and why?

Locally, Promise of Life Network is a ministry that seeks to minister to women in various stages of life. They have a ministry called "Step Into Hope" that is specifically designed to minister to women who have experienced abortion. It is crucially important to discuss the topic of abortion sensitively and gently, without condemnation and with grace. Feeling condemnation is a source of "church hurt" for many people who are already experiencing fear and guilt. This demographic does not need condemnation. They need hope.

We are all stepping out of our past and into God's best. As we walk with someone who has views differing from ours, it is important to deliver truth with mercy and grace. If everyone completely understood God's truth, no one would actively choose idolatry. Frequently, fear is the catalyst for decisions we later regret.

Delivered from condemnation: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice on the cross that redeems us. We have all sinned and fallen short of your perfect standard. Help us to identify attitudes in our own heart that seek to avoid suffering or justify actions that go against Your Word. We trust that You will always lovingly welcome us back to You no matter how we feel about the magnitude of our sins. We trust in the sufficiency of Jesus' blood to cleanse us and make us whole. Give us light, Lord, that we may see areas in our lives that are idolatrous, and grant us the glorious grace to walk away from it. In Jesus' Name.

Part 2