To He Who Overcomes

Essays on Surrendering to Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit to Overcome Pornography Addiction

recent posts

about

Other Topics

Paul’s Love of God’s People during Personal Suffering

2 Corinthians 11:24-28

  1. A LIFETIME OF SUFFERING FOR CHRIST

2 CORINTHIANS 11:24-27

24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness

  • We really can’t understand the level of Paul’s suffering
  • His suffering was continuous – it simply never stopped
  • Paul could have chosen a different life – he could have slowed down, and he did maybe only once, he lived 2 whole years in the same rented house, this was a long time for Paul! (Acts 28 30-31) but his love of Jesus and understanding of the mission given to him by Jesus to spread the Gospel was his one and only focus – “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” Evangelism was in Paul’s Blood. He was truly a “mission” first missionary.
  • Throughout his travels and many perils and trials, tribulations, and much persecution, Paul set an example of being truly selfless. This doesn’t mean he ignored his own basic needs or was self-condemning or was self-harming, it means he always put other’s needs before his own. Paul worked hard to provide for himself as a ten-maker, a tradesman, took care of himself always giving God glory for the provision of his physical needs, and yet we clearly see here his heart posture, it was not selfish or inward, it selfless and outward. Paul said in 1 Cor 11:1 “imitate me as, just as I also imitate Christ” – Jesus is our perfect example a perfect way to life, a perfect way to relate and treat others and we are always to look to him and we are his disciples, but Paul is telling us here, “hey if you need to see what it looks like to live surrendered to Jesus and fully die to yourself, look at me, I’m your example of living”. In Paul’s life journey we get what I believe to be the greatest example of a regular dude living his life consecrated (sold out) for Christ. We get to see and learn of his earlier life and wicked ways, he was worldly and not believing for the first half of his life (roughly 27-33 years old at the time of his conversion and 60-65 at the time of his death), came to know Christ and lived a fully surrendered life to the finish line, he fought the good fight and finished well. A life lived wholly for Jesus and from the moment of miraculous conversion he was given over to the work of Jesus’ kingdom. He apprenticed under Jesus, listening, learning, observing, spent time with Jesus in spirit, learned from Jesus and God’s word, and eventually came to do what Jesus did. He was truly transformed by God’s grace and became an image of Jesus Christ, his heart was fully humble, surrendered and changed from the inside out. No longer concerned for himself, his heart longed for his brothers and sisters in Christ, his heart constantly yearned to be with God’s people. He was truly dead to himself but alive to Jesus, in Jesus, for Jesus and in turn, Alive to serve God’s People, to love God’s people, to set an example for God’s people.
  • Paul’s Deep love and Concern for God’s people.

2 Corinthians 11:28

28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

FROM THE ENDURINGWORD.com

my deep concern for all the churches: In addition to all the stressful perils Paul previously mentioned, he lived daily with another burden. Paul lived with a deep concern for all the churches.

i. The perils Paul mentioned were not everyday occurrences, but his deep concern for all the churches never left him. Paul’s burdens were not only physical, but they were also emotional.

Paul’s deep concern was not for himself. It was for others – for the weak and those made to stumble. Paul had many burdens, but few of them were for himself. He, like Jesus, was truly an others-centered person.

iii. Alan Redpath (A British Evangelist lived 1907-1989) on what comes upon me daily: “I could not possibly convey to you adequately in the English language the force of that statement. I tried to picture it in terms of being smothered under a blanket, or by being attacked and crushed by some great animal, for he could not have used a stronger word when he said, in effect, ‘That which bears me down, that which is upon me as an intolerable load, that which is a burden, that which is something that I can never shake off day or night. It is with me always. I have no vacation for it ever. It is upon me daily. The care, the compassion, the concern of all the churches.’”

iv. Paul’s deep concern was not a “faithless fussiness.” “This anxiety was based not only on disturbing reports which came to his ears, but on his knowledge of the savage subtlety of the enemy of souls (the Devil, that Serpent of Old, Satan) who, he realized, would stop at nothing in his attempts to overthrow the work of the gospel.”

A FEW EXAMPLES OF PAUL’S LOVE and PRAYER FOR THE CHURCHS:

ROMANS 1:8-12

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve [a]with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

EPHESIANS 1:15-21

15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your [a]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality[b] and [c]power and [d]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

PHILLIPIANS 1:3-8

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. 8 For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-4

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

  • PAUL’s EXAMPLE FOR US TODAY – Steadfast devotion to Jesus Christ, Persevering through personal Suffering and Trials, and a Love for God’s people, both in word and conduct but also specifically through fervent, enduring, and unwavering Prayer.
  • Christ was Selfless, he came to serve and not to be served, Paul was Jesus’ disciple, or apprentice, he learned from Jesus and did was Jesus did, they are both our examples today in how we should see the world and interact with the others both unbelievers and believers.
  • Do we get hung up on personal sufferings and trials? Do we go inward, complaining, moaning, groaning over the hurdles in our own lives? Paul called his suffering “light afflictions” – who are we to complain and gripe and moan? We could and should often think about the incomparable blessings we all have living in this country. God’s Provision is beyond what any of us could say we deserve. He loves us and takes care of us – he loves his people in this country and around the entire world. Please read “when Faith is Forbidden” put out but the not for profit Organization “the Voice of the Martyrs” – there are 40 quick testimonies of God’s work in our brothers and sisters globally around this world, many of which suffer daily persecutions for their Faith, many have better understanding of Paul’s sufferings than we do and yet as you read their stories, you also see undeniable Joy, love, and compassion that have, even for their tormentors. This is not to make anyone feel guilty, this is to bring some perspective into our own hearts and minds.
  • What are we willing to give up for the work of Jesus in our country, state, and culture? Are we willing to be “set apart” as Christ is, to be Holy as he is, to “consecrate ourselves” as God says to israerl in Levitate 20:7? Think of the things we waste our precious time on. TV, Movies, Youtube, Doom Scrolling on social media, Instagram or facebook, sports, music, concerts, or worse, things like drugs, or alcohol, partying, looking at pornography, the list keeps going and going. One thing is certain, Our time on the planet is short – our days are numbered; we are but a vapor in the wind the bible says – when is enough of the world ever enough? Will we ever be willing to admit to ourselves that we are still entirely compromised by the ways of the world? Will we admit that the world will never satisfy us? will the longing in our hearts ever be filled in this life? The world will never fill the void, only Jesus can fill the void, only Jesus can give us true life and life more abundantly. As I’ve given up more and more for Christ, I haven’t found myself bored, I haven’t found myself lacking, nor even wanting to be a slave to the TV or internet anymore, I’ve found peace, comfort, calm, love, mercy and all sufficient grace from Jesus Christ, which is daily transforming me into his image. With all we do, with all the time we waste, can we not spare our time to be with Jesus, to learn from him, to marvel in his presence and allow his glory to shine on us? Might it be time to take a step of Faith or a further step of Faith? To surrender your time and life and your resources over to Jesus? Can we not spare a few minutes a day to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we have a heart outward towards others, or inwards only thinking of ourselves and our needs, captives inside the bubble of our own little worlds and routines, slaves to the hurry of life and the to do list? Are we imitating Paul as he was (and still is) imitating Christ? If not, you can start today, right now, by coming to Jesus, putting your faith and trust in him, surrendering your life and your will and your desires to Jesus and asking him to fill you with the Holy Spirit. As a body of Believers, we are the body of Christ, your body is his body in this world, we must come around one another in prayer. We must be lifting each other up in full awareness and knowing that our enemy wants to tear this down, this community, this love, this family, he wants to tear us all part, to kill us, causing division from within, causing distractions and for us to wander way, to destroy any sense of joy we have in Jesus, to leave us alone and in despair and returning to the old ways of self-medicating ourselves with so many worldly things, self-medicating to the point of self-harming.  but my friends, my brothers and sisters, be of good cheer, for Jesus has over come the world and he (the Holy Spirit) who lives inside of us, is greater than he who lives in the world. Hebrews 3:7-8 says “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says ‘Today if you will hear His (Jesus’) voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness” – if you hear his voice calling you, respond by accepting his free gift of salvation today.