Together For The Gospel 2010: Session #8

Matt Chandler and C.J. Mahaney

Preparing Our People For Suffering

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Matt Chandler:

We may not be suffering right now. But if that’s the case, the suffering will come. And we would do well to prepare for it.

When I got to The Village, it quickly became clear that the church did not have a theology of suffering. And so I began to try to build into them a theology of suffering. I did it in small ways like, for example, when going through the sermon on the mount. Jesus tells the parable about the house built on sand and the house built on rock. What I wanted to draw their attention to was that even though the house on rock didn't come crashing down, both houses experienced the storm. It wasn't just the house built on sand. I wanted them to know that we as Christians don't get spared from the storms of life.

But what I have come to realize over these past couple of months is the amazing grace and mercy of God in that even though I thought I was preparing my church to suffer through my preaching, this whole time it has really been God preparing me to suffer.

The truths of the gospel that we’ve been talking about are not ambiguous in their applications and implications.

I have always known that Jesus is my treasure, that He's everything, that He's enough. But only now do I really know that Jesus is my treasure, that He's everything, that He's enough in a way that I couldn't have otherwise known.

C.J. Mahaney:

5 implications:

1) The topic of suffering should inform the teaching diet of our churches. Teach through the book of Job, Habakkuk, or 1 Peter.

2) Draw attention to living illustrations of glorifying God in the midst of suffering.

3) Develop a curriculum of supplemental materials, books, and articles on the topic of suffering: How Long, O Lord? by D.A. Carson, Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer sermon series by John Piper (1, 2, 3, 4, Q&A), When God Weeps by Joni Erickson Tada, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper, Beside Still Waters quotes from Charles Spurgeon

4) The most effective way to prepare the church for suffering is to preach the gospel to the church. There is no more superior way to prepare our churches for suffering or to comfort them in the midst of suffering than to preach the gospel. Those who recognize that their suffering in this life is never as great as their sins find the greatest joy in the midst of their suffering. Because the great mystery in life isn’t “Why do I suffer?” but “Why would the God who I have sinned against suffer in my place?”

5) Where and when possible, let’s be there at their side when they suffer.

“Trust God’s heart when you can’t trace His hand.”