Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
During my first year of college, I was living in a dorm about 4 hours from home. It had only been about four months, but I missed my old friends dearly and wanted to see them once again. I knew it would be next to impossible to get there, because I didn’t have a car, but over winter vacation, I found out that I could hitch a ride with a group of kids that were heading that direction. The only problem was, they couldn’t fit any more people in their pickup truck. They agreed to take me, but I would have to ride in an open pickup box during an incredibly cold snow storm. I really didn’t have the right clothing, and was unprepared for what I was going to have to deal with. The first hour was bearable, but it grew steadily worse as I started to lose feeling in my arms and my legs. It was incredibly cold, as we sped down the bitter highway, shivering ferociously in the dropping windchill. Occasionally the students would slide the cab window open to make sure that I was okay, as I nodded in the affirmative. I think that during the last hour I actually started to experience hypothermia, shaking so bad that I could hardly talk. When they finally dropped me off, my clothing was so frozen that thick layers of ice were breaking off of my pants, and my hat was completely covered in thick icicles. It was quite the ordeal, and one that I will never forget, but I got through it, and arrived safely back home.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Sometimes we must go through things in life that cause us to suffer, but we must endure them if we want to get home. Jesus did this for us when He suffered and died on the cross for our sins, and we must learn to do the same for Him in return.
“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;” Philippians 1:29
What would you do for a friend? What difficulties would you go through, in order to be with them? How many miles would you walk just to see them again? To be a friend of Jesus, is to take a stand for the things that He taught, and become obedient to His will.
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” John 15:14
When you take a stand for the truth in Christ, you are going to enter into a storm of suffering. This is because we are surrounded by a sea of lies that are raging all around us. Jesus suffered for our salvation, and out of love for Him, we must do the same, preaching His message, and enduring the bitter coldness, as we pass through this sinful world.
1 Peter 4 ¹² Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ¹³ But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
This world is a harsh place, but if we want to get all the way home to heaven, we must suffer through it. You must endure the cold, embrace the pain, and persevere through all of the hardness that comes with preaching the gospel.
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:3
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;” 2 Timothy 1:8
Many people who begin the Christian Life will eventually fall away, simply because they were not prepared to go through these types of things. Rather than riding out the storm out of a love for Christ, they will abandon ship.
Matthew 13 ²⁰ But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹ Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Remember that when you take a stand for biblical truth, you are going to enter into persecution of some sort. Look what Jesus, the Apostles, and the prophets went through.
“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” James 5:10
A lot of people who run a marathon end up getting side aches, or experience other difficulties as they run their race. But in order to win, they need to push through them to reach the finish line. Sufferings for Christ, teach us patient endurance.
“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;” Romans 5:3
Sufferings must be embraced.
“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10
Sufferings bring blessings.
Matthew 5 ¹⁰ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ¹² Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Sufferings brings reward.
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him… 2 Timothy 2:12
God will avenge His suffering servants.
Luke 18 ⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
We must follow the steps of Christ, who suffered for our sake.
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” 1 Peter 2:21
“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12
The Lord Jesus has already proved His love for this world when He suffered for us. Do you have what it takes to suffer for Him? Are you ready to prove your love by enduring the cold storms of this world? Are you ready to go the entire distance, doing everything you must, even if it requires taking a long cold ride in the back of……..
………The Pickup Box
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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