How To Suffer Successfully

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

Sermon Points/Outline:

God balanced Paul’s blessings with a burden to keep him from becoming arrogant.

God allowed Satan to make Paul suffer emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

No matter what the cause or nature of our suffering is, we can relate to Paul’s experience.

Paul’s experience teaches us how we should deal with suffering.

Three possible responses to suffering:

-       We can seek to escape suffering.

• If we escape suffering, we see it as an enemy.
• Paul pleaded with God to remove his suffering.
• When suffering comes, we should not ignore the means God uses to help us.
• God is under no obligation to remove our suffering just because we are obedient.
• God can bless us in our suffering.

-       We can seek to endure suffering.

• If we endure suffering, we see it as a master.
• The Roman culture taught people to endure the things they cannot change.
• Sometimes we face pain we cannot stand on our own.
• If we try and endure suffering on our own, all of our energy is focused on ourselves.

-       We can seek to enlist suffering.

• If we enlist suffering, we see it as a servant.
• God wants to make suffering work for us not against us.
• Five steps to make suffering build us up:
  • Go over the head of Satan and accept suffering as a gift from the hand of God.
  • Give suffering back to God so you can work it out together.
  • Rest on God’s Word.
  • Draw upon God’s grace.
  • Use suffering for God’s glory.

Jesus turned thorns into a crown and the cross into glory. We can do the same thing.

God’s grace is sufficient for our suffering.