Running To Win

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Paul wrote to Philippian believers from prison in Rome. His counsel: it is given to us to believe in Jesus and also to suffer for His sake.

Many Christians like the abundant life, but cringe at the suffering part. Today, more on our calling as believers. From The Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.

Guest (Male): Pastor Lutzer, as we learn how Paul suffered for Christ, I think today you'll be pointing us to some words of Jesus in John's Gospel.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Of course, Jesus predicted that the world was going to hate Him. And then He went on to say, “If the world hates me, it will also hate you.”

Now, if you're suffering for Jesus Christ, if because of your witness, there are those who turn against you, I remember a woman coming to Moody Church, and she had been fired from her job because she had been too honest. I told her that actually she should rejoice. After all, Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and do all manner of evil against you for my name's sake.”

What we have to do is to realize that there is blessing even in suffering. I'm holding in my hands a book entitled “Failure, the Back Door to Success.” I wrote it because I wanted to help Christians come out, so to speak, from the darkness of their failure into the light of forgiveness and hope.

For a gift of any amount, we're making it available for you, and at the end of this message, I'll be giving you some contact info so you'll be ready to write it down.

Jesus is speaking. “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it has hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world. Therefore, the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they'll persecute you. If they kept my word, they'll keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you on the account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”

You know what Jesus is saying here? Who do you think you are? Are you better than I am? You know, here I was. I mean, I was healing people. I was feeding large multitudes. I was stilling storms. And they hated me and ultimately nailed me to a cross. And you're my follower, and you think that the world is going to love you? Of course not. You're not greater than I am. A servant is not greater than his master.

Expect it. Expect it. Philippians chapter 1, verse 29. I won't turn to it because I happen to know it by memory. But it says this, “To you it has been given on behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” Bonhoeffer said that we like the first part of that verse. “To you it has been given in the name of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer.”

Suffering is part of our responsibility as believers. It is a privilege, as we shall see in a moment, that God gives to his followers. So we believe on him and we suffer with him. In fact, there are special rewards, as we shall see in a moment, if we suffer well with Jesus.

Now, the other day, I was in a cab and the driver happened to recognize me. That does not happen very, very often, but this time it did. And he quoted this verse. How many times do you have a ride in a cab and you're quoting verses back and forth? I don't know that that's ever happened.

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, says the Apostle Paul, “While evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” Do you think our present situation here in the United States has kind of caught God off guard and says, “Boy, I didn't know that things were going to be that bad by now”? God predicted it.

And the Apostle Paul says, “All who live godly lives.” If you and I have not been persecuted in any way, could it be that we're not living a godly life? We are hiding our light under a bushel.

Let's continue on, and many of you know 1 Peter chapter 4. I know one of the verses, but I don't know the verse that follows it, and so I'm going to read it. 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 12. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that comes upon you to test you.” We're going to be tested in ways that we've never been tested before, but don't say, “Oh, how could this possibly happen to us because we are the people of God?”

What he's saying is, “Don't be surprised. It is given to you to test you.” As though some strange thing were happening to you, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. “If you're insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed. The Spirit of God and of glory rests on you.”

Expect it and anticipate it. Live for Christ so that it will actually happen to you. That's the biblical position. That is our calling. He not only called the Apostle Paul, he calls us as well. Look at the example of the early church. There they are, they're thrown in prison and they're beaten and everything. You know what really amazes me? Paul is in prison when he writes the book of Philippians, for example. Never does he ask the people to pray that he'll get out of prison.

Now, I think that we should pray that people get out of prison. I think that we should, as much as possible, enter into the prisons just like it says in the book of Hebrews, we should do. But at the end of the day, that's not the biggest issue. The biggest issue that the early church faced is make us bold and faithful in the face of persecution. That's what they were praying for.

And after they were let go, you remember, they went to their company and they went and they prayed. And they did not ask that the persecution stop. They asked for boldness. And when they were finished praying, the place that they were in were shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were ready for some more persecution. So that's the way the early church went. You know, and you probably know this, that the word witness in the Bible is actually the word martyr.

So when Jesus says, “You shall be my witnesses,” what he was saying is, “You shall be my martyrs.” Now, you see what happened is, so often when people believed on Christ, they were martyred, that that's the word that you actually have in the New Testament today. “You shall be my martyrs,” says Jesus.

You know, when it says in Hebrews chapter 12, after that long list of persecution, you remember it says, “And others were tortured, but they did not accept deliverance, believing in a better resurrection. Others were stoned and imprisoned. They walked about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, men and women of whom the world was not worthy.” That's Hebrews 11.

And then you get to chapter 12 and it says, “Since we are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses,” we could say, “since we are surrounded with such a great cloud of martyrs, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and run faithfully the race that is set before us.”

So what we have is the fact that in the early church, persecution was expected. And when you get to the end of time, you read the book of Revelation, chapter 12, 13, all of the persecution is ratcheted up. Because Antichrist now has at his disposal all of the weaponry, all of the means of torture that have ever been invented, and he will inflict it upon people. All who dwell upon the earth shall worship him, except those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life from before the foundation of the world. And the text tells us that those kinds of people will be beheaded, just like ISIS is beheading people today.

My fellow brothers and sisters, the reason I'm so stirred about this is, I saw, I think for the first time with clarity, the fact that persecution is our calling. Let's respond with boldness and grace. Let me give you a second important principle in developing a theology of persecution.

Suffering strategically positions us. I'm going to take this slowly. Suffering strategically positions us for blessing. Yes, indeed. You heard me correctly, and for the glory of God. This morning, I was signing a book for a friend whose wife went home to heaven. And I used 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and didn't know that this verse was there or had forgotten. It says, Paul says, “If I am afflicted, it's for your good.”

And in Ephesians chapter 3, shall we take time to just look at it very briefly. The Apostle Paul makes the amazing statement. He says that, “God who created all things so that through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places. This was according to his eternal purpose, he is realized in Jesus Christ, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him.” Now notice this verse. “So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

Paul is saying, “I am being afflicted for your good.” You and I have no idea all the things that God is doing through the persecutions that are happening in the world. Paul himself was greatly impacted by the persecution of Stephen and his stoning. In fact, they took Stephen's garments, and they gave them to Paul for safekeeping, and he watched. And later on, in his testimonies, he referred to that.

You have no idea. I have no idea what God may be doing through persecution. And then in the fourth chapter of 1 Peter, I read it a moment ago, it tells us about the fact that as a result of our faithfulness, God is going to bless us. This is so important. I have to reread one of the verses. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. You're strategically positioned for special blessing.”

That's why Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. That's your calling.”

I know that it is more easily said than done, but there's one other verse that I must refer to, because I just can't get over this. In the book of Hebrews, it says this, “Recall the former days when after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle of suffering, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, sometimes being partners with those who are so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison. You joyfully.” Can you believe this? It's in the Bible. I'll read the rest.

“You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since you know that you yourselves have a better possession and an abiding one.” Paul, are you serious? That there are Christians who joyfully accepted having their property plundered because these Christians knew they had a home in heaven that was a lot better than their home here on earth.

Let me give you one other principle. We are called to suffer. Suffering strategically positions us for God's blessing. I'm speaking to you parents now, because you're going to have to make decisions regarding school systems. I'm speaking to those of you who are going through trials of many different kinds. I wanted to include Paul's own thorn in the flesh, which is the next chapter in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. That story is in chapter 12.

But let me tell you this. This is number three now. We are to boast, we are to boast in God's comfort, in God's comfort in the midst of our sufferings. Now your Bibles are open one more time, most assuredly, to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and 12.

Paul is referring here to himself in contrast to the false apostles. They are always speaking about their strength. Paul says, “I want to talk to you about my weaknesses. I want to talk to you about my hardships.” Have you ever been in a discussion with somebody and they're talking about some great thing they did and you know right well you did something bigger than they did and you can hardly wait until they're finished, because you want to tell them what you did.

Paul says, “Don't do that. Think of some weakness.” If you're talking to Peter, don't, don't get excited about Peter speaking at the Day of Pentecost and 3,000 people were converted. Ah, that's wonderful. But that's not what I want to hear about Peter. I want to ask him, “Peter, you know, when you denied Jesus under pressure, what were those three days like? And what sorrow did you go through? And how did Jesus actually restore you? And what did it feel like when Jesus restored you and recommissioned you?” That's what I want to know about. I want to know about your weakness.

Look at what Paul says. He says, “If I must boast,” verse 30, “I'll boast of the things that show my weakness.” Chapter 12, he's talking about the thorn in the flesh, which has been given to him by God, and God would not take it away, because God said now in verse 9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then.” Can you believe this? But it's in the Bible. I'll keep reading. “I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships.”

We could say, being hauled into court because of your convictions. “I'm, I'm at peace with all the persecution and calamities, for when I am weak, at that moment, not two weeks later, in my weakness, I am strong, because I have nothing but God to depend on.” This is so desperate. I'd like to just boast about my weakness.

Don't tell me about all the successes you've had. Though it's okay under certain circumstances to do that. But tell me how God ministered to you during those days of deep depression. Tell me how he comforted you when you have a wayward child that has not yet come home. Tell me how he has helped you when you have a thorn in the flesh, when you have a migraine headache. How does God help you during those moments and show his comfort?

How does God help you when the school system says that your child must take a certain course, and you don't want your child to take it, and you're praying to God for wisdom? I don't want to hear simply about all the things that have happened. That's why I've been so interested in Nazi Germany, not just because of the history, but because I happen to know that there are many stories of faithful families who sought God and were faithful to the Gospel. Oftentimes, it cost them their life, but they were faithful to the Gospel in the midst of persecution.

I want to know about God's presence when people are going through a hard time. Tell me about your weaknesses. Tell me how God restored you and brought you back. By the way, in Nazi Germany, one man said, “The time has come in Germany when the Gospel can no longer simply be proclaimed in words. It must be proclaimed in suffering.” And the time may come to America when the Gospel can't just go out in words. It has to go out in suffering.

Now, Paul talking about weakness? Oh, I can't believe this, but again, it's in the word. Do you believe this word, by the way? Do you bring the word to church on your cell phone at least? Ah, yes. I'm sure God has approved of cell phones.

I'm in chapter 13. He says, “You're seeking proof that Christ is speaking through me.” This is about in verse 2 or 3 or 4. For, verse 4, “For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.” Jesus is crucified in weakness. Look at him there on the cross, allowing them to nail him there. He's crucified in weakness. But it was in weakness that you and I were redeemed.

Listen, Jesus did his greatest work, not, not with the miracles. I mean, he fed the multitudes, but they were hungry the next day. He helped people get well and they still had to die. Even Lazarus had to die. I was explaining to some folks the other day. How would you frighten Lazarus? Lazarus, I'm going to kill you. No big deal. I've been there. I've done that, right? That wasn't the way Jesus changed the world. Jesus changed the world by hanging on the cross and by redeeming us. That's how he changed the world.

And when you and I see ISIS kill Christians and murder them and crucify them, as ISIS frequently does, would you and I remember that those believers are following a crucified Christ, who was crucified in weakness? And Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”

You know, there is a story about a man, and by the way, if you've never believed on Jesus, that gift that he gives you as a result of dying in our place is a free gift. If the Holy Spirit has spoken to you, you can even receive it by faith now, if God grants you the faith to believe. But having done that, we're supposed to carry our cross, right?

There is a story about a man who had a dream, and in this dream, his cross he was carrying was so heavy. He thought, “If only I could make it lighter.” And he noticed a woodsman, and he said, “Would you cut off part of this cross?” So the woodsman did it, and the man went along and was so happy because he had a lighter cross.

And then he came to a chasm where two mountains were separated, and he wanted to use the cross as a bridge, but you've already guessed it. He was short the amount that had been cut off. And he could not continue his journey. Today, from my heart to yours, the lighter our cross, the weaker our witness. It is when we bear a cross for Christ.