HOW GOD REDEEMS OUR SUFFERING (4 OF 4)
by Steve Jones
Scripture: Romans 8:28
This content is part of a series.
How God Redeems Our Suffering (4 of 4)
Series: The Will of God and Suffering
Steve Jones
Romans 8:28
INTRODUCTION: What do I mean by the word ''redeem'' in the title of this message? Redeem can be take in one of two ways. First, ''to buy back'' as when you redeem a coupon at the store the store is buying it back from you. Or you redeem something at the pawn shop - you're buying it back. The second definition is make something worthwhile. In this lesson that's how I'm using the word. To offset a bad effect with something good.
Remember the movie ''Rocky'' starring Sylvester Stallone (I'm talking about the first one)? Think how confusing it could be if you tuned into to the conclusion of that movie, having never seen it before. You would see this boxer, he has just lost a match for the heavyweight championship of the world. He has obviously been beaten very badly because he can barely open his eyes. And as the ring announcer is announcing the judges' decision wherein he loses, Rocky is yelling hysterically for someone named Adrian. And yet, this seems to be the happiest day of the badly beaten, losing, hysterical boxer's life! What in the world is going on? If you've seen the movie then you know what's going on. He's happy because: he went the distance! That was his goal. It was a total long-shot that he would ever be in a title fight in his life and not only was he in it but he went the distance. That made all the suffering leading up to that point worth it for him. That made the suffering meaningful. That moment redeemed all of Rocky's suffering.
It's not that we're made to suffer, per se, that is so troubling, it's the fact that suffering seems to be gratuitous; it has no meaning, no redeeming value.
Today, in our last message on the will of God as it relates to suffering, we're going to look at some of the ways God redeems our suffering. Some of the ways in which he can bring about some good result that makes the suffering less gratuitous and ...
Series: The Will of God and Suffering
Steve Jones
Romans 8:28
INTRODUCTION: What do I mean by the word ''redeem'' in the title of this message? Redeem can be take in one of two ways. First, ''to buy back'' as when you redeem a coupon at the store the store is buying it back from you. Or you redeem something at the pawn shop - you're buying it back. The second definition is make something worthwhile. In this lesson that's how I'm using the word. To offset a bad effect with something good.
Remember the movie ''Rocky'' starring Sylvester Stallone (I'm talking about the first one)? Think how confusing it could be if you tuned into to the conclusion of that movie, having never seen it before. You would see this boxer, he has just lost a match for the heavyweight championship of the world. He has obviously been beaten very badly because he can barely open his eyes. And as the ring announcer is announcing the judges' decision wherein he loses, Rocky is yelling hysterically for someone named Adrian. And yet, this seems to be the happiest day of the badly beaten, losing, hysterical boxer's life! What in the world is going on? If you've seen the movie then you know what's going on. He's happy because: he went the distance! That was his goal. It was a total long-shot that he would ever be in a title fight in his life and not only was he in it but he went the distance. That made all the suffering leading up to that point worth it for him. That made the suffering meaningful. That moment redeemed all of Rocky's suffering.
It's not that we're made to suffer, per se, that is so troubling, it's the fact that suffering seems to be gratuitous; it has no meaning, no redeeming value.
Today, in our last message on the will of God as it relates to suffering, we're going to look at some of the ways God redeems our suffering. Some of the ways in which he can bring about some good result that makes the suffering less gratuitous and ...
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