Faith, Love, Because of Hope
2/2/1997
GR 967
Colossians 1:3-5
Transcript
GR 96702/02/1997
Love is Evident Because of Hope
Colossians 1:3-5
Gil Rugh
We all experience difficulties and trials in our lives even as believers. Suffering and hardship can have both a positive and negative impact upon us. All of us as Godís people have experienced hard times. Itís during those hard times that we sometimes become a little bit self-focused. When I have particular trials that come into my life, my first question is, ìWhy, Lord? Why is this happening to me? Havenít I tried to be faithful? Why am I having this difficulty?î And usually the next step is to look around at other people. If I see people who seem to be having a little easier time than me, then my next question is, ìWhy am I having this trouble and they ëre not?î Pretty soon Iím taken up with me and the difficulties that Iím having. If Iím not careful, I become self-focused. Iíll want to talk about my troubles, my problems and how hard life is for me. And even if Iím not talking about it, Iím thinking about it. Yet trials and difficulties can do just the opposite. They can cause me to take my focus off this life and place it upon the Lord. By doing that, I can appreciate more fully that He is sovereign, that He is working His purposes to use me for His honor and glory, and to prepare for the glory of His presence.
The Apostle Paul is the example of a man in whom suffering had such a positive impact. You remember when God saved Paul on the Damascus road. God reached down, took hold of Paul and turned him around. Paul bowed and believed that Jesus Christ was the Savior, and he was gloriously saved. God sent Ananias to talk to Paul, to restore the sight of Paulís eyes which had been blinded. God said to Ananias in Acts 9:15 that Paul ì...is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.î Note what He then said in verse 16: ìfor I will show him how much he must suffer for My nameís sake.î Interesting. God says, ìI am going to use him to accomplish My purposes, and I will show him how much he is going to have to suffer for Me.î And from that point on, the Apostle Paulís life is one of trial and difficulty and suffering.
Turn to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. Here Paul gives a summary of the kinds of things he has experienced in his service for the Lord up to this point. 2 Corinthians was written about four or five years before the letter to the Colossians was written. So weíve added to the list that he gives here by the time he writes Colossians. But you get some idea of what the life of the Apostle Paul was like. The context in 2 Corinthians is that some people were challenging Paul. Did he really serve the Lord? Was he a genuine apostle?
Well, Paul says in verse 23: ìAre they servants of Christ? - I speak as if insane - I more so.î In other words, he is saying that he hates to even have to talk this way, but itís necessary on this occasion. He has been ì...in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number...î How would you like that? Heís been beaten so many times that heís lost track of the count. ì...often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes.î The Old Testament law in the book of Deuteronomy said for certain crimes that a man could be given 40 lashes, but you had to be careful. If he died and you gave him 40 lashes, that was a consequence of his punishment. If you gave him 41 and he died, you were responsible, because you went beyond what was allowed. So the Jews always cut it one short, just to be sure they didnít miscount. They gave 39 lashes. But you get some idea of the severity of the punishment this would have been. Paul said, ìFive times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods...î That was the Roman form of punishment. They used rods for their beatings. ì...once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangeê¨˛?˘˙Û˛π§ v˝ì˝( ≥¨<πˇ`˛˛…˛ k<Ω˚ AˇX˛ß ®I3˛MÊ”>˘◊7ä/∂˛b„9flÏ˘›∑Ã74ˇX˙ô¯√˛ìËà Ó˘˛À’≤ # ·ˇø õüLy ó˚Õ˚·ˇ›é S R˛\˝ˇÂJ罉¸ëˇMÒ¯ˇˇUˇHˇÿ˛kˇ± äRy ˇê˛¬ ≥ o˝=ˇ Ïöˇ5¸Ï¸Ö Δà ”ˇ˚˝˛¸˛« i Lˇˇñˇj Èˇkˇ-ˇ$ˇ ˇ’ t0¸˝K¸&˛ˇ—˛Ú Lˇˇ õª73©ˇ+ˇö˛n˛˘ ŸŒc˛k˙q˝ | ¬ˇ«ˇˆˇ ! ¡˛¬˛™ F ≥˛j˛∞ˇ: "ˇ¸ˇb∑≈ c˛◊˝˜˛∂ ≠cÏ 2 Æˇˇw ƒ ˇ\˛èˇ≤ ˇ4ˇ – o˚˛¸o˛u¡ ˛.˛«ˇ ˇ7ˇ÷˛8˛%ˇπ € e∏Bf£%˛˙˝xˇΔ˛íˇˇd˛A˝˛ íÇ;,O˛H˛˝¥˝l‘ >ˇ Ôl˝Á¯[ˆbÙ"Ò^Ú0˛@
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