New Covenant Church
Join us next week online at 9:30 CT at wearencc.com, or at one of our four in-person services: 9:30AM or 11:15AM at our South Campus and North Campus.
Acts of the Apostles 7:54-60 NLT
How many have ever gone through pain or suffering? Everyone goes through suffering.
Western/American view of God can be that God owes us if we’re doing the right things.
Other parts of the world to be a follower of Jesus known upfront you’re going to suffer
You can do everything right…and still go through suffering. Stephen did everything right.
Psalms 34:19 NLT
John 16:33 ESV
HOW TO SUFFER WELL
1. Look Up - Stephen gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus
- Where you look during suffering determines where you gather strength.
Psalm 121:1-2 ESV
Our first instinct is to look at the problem, look at the pain or look at the natural solutions. - When we focus on our pain, our pain magnifies. What you look at you magnify
- What you focus on will determine your thoughts. - Be careful what you dwell on
- Keep your eyes in the scripture. - Your thoughts on Him. Get an eternal perspective.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
We don’t suffer like those who have no hope…we have a hope of a future with Jesus
2. Point others to Jesus - “Look! I see Jesus in Heaven”
- People are watching how you go through what you’re going through.
- Your pain has a purpose - Don’t waste your pain!
1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT
This is why we need each other - don’t suffer alone.
3. Pray Through The Pain- Stephen prayed in the middle of suffering. - Recognized need
- Most of us pray to avoid suffering…power comes when you pray THROUGH suffering.
The hope we have in Jesus is not a promise to avoid pain and suffering, but rather that God Himself meets us in our pain and empowers us to overcome our suffering.
Romans 5:3-5 ESV
Suffering is unavoidable…but endurance is possible.
4. Forgive Those Who Hurt You - Father don’t hold this against them. Release their debt.
- Forgiveness reminds us that people are not our enemy. He wasn’t taking a victim approach.
- Un-forgiveness makes us a victim and people the enemy
- Un-forgiveness keeps us stuck in the pain. In suffering. Stuck in bitterness.
- The quicker we forgive those who hurt us the quicker we grow through the suffering.
The world can't understand a person who suffers this way. Who doesn’t want revenge, isn’t bitter, has joy in trouble, you keep going and persevere through problems with a good attitude.
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT
Suffering well gives the world a glimpse of the transformative power of Jesus in our lies.
We don’t see life through the perspective of our pain, but the perspective of our God.
1 Peter 5:10-11 ESV - 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
For the believersuffering is not THE end, but it has AN end.