Greg Laurie - The Problem of Pain (03/03/2018)
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Pastor Greg Laurie addresses "The Problem of Pain" in Acts 14, explaining why Christians face trials and tribulations as part of entering God's kingdom. He shows through Paul's stoning and perseverance that adversity humbles us, teaches eternal truths, builds compassion, and keeps us dependent on God, urging believers to continue in faith amid hardship.
The Problem of Pain – Introduction and Opening Prayer
All right. Well let's turn in our Bibles to Acts chapter 14. We have been doing a lot of crusade things lately. So we have been out of our studies on Thursday nights as we are going through the book of Acts together. We are calling this series Upside Down Living. And we are back in that series again. And Acts chapter 14 is our text. And the title of the message is "The Problem of Pain." Some of you are saying, uh oh. I don't know if I want to hear this. I think maybe you do. So let's pray together.
Father we ask now for your blessing as we open your word. I am sure there are people here, people that are watching this message that might be in great pain right now. Maybe others don't even know about it. But they are troubled by financial issues. They are troubled by health issues. Maybe even very serious health issues. Maybe they have a marriage that is in trouble. Maybe they have lost a loved one. But something has happened or is happening that is causing them turmoil and anguish. And the question in their mind is, Why is this happening to me? So Lord as we open your word tonight we pray we will find answers to that question and more. Speak to us from Scripture now we pray. In Jesus name we ask it. Amen.
The Greatest Life – With New Problems
You know the Christian life is the greatest life there is. How many of you agree with that? Okay. Good. Good. Why is that? Well because God takes a life that was empty and aimless and worst of all headed to a certain judgment and turns it around and transforms it. He removes all of our sin. And that is more than enough right there. But then in addition He puts the righteousness of Jesus Christ into our spiritual bank account. That is called justification. He removes the guilt that haunted us. Fills the emptiness inside of us. And literally takes residence in our heart.
This all comes as a result of the gospel believed and followed. That is the good news. But we also need to know that in addition to all of that there are some new problems that come along. You get rid of an old set of problems and you inherit a new set of problems. You say, well what are those? Well as Ray Stedman, a great Bible commentator, said, quote, A Christian is one who is completely fearless, continually cheerful, and constantly in trouble. End quote.
Well what is that all about? Ok. So now that Christ is living inside of you you have a very aggressive adversary that has set his crosshairs on you known as the devil. Satan. He wants to undermine you. He wants to bring you down. So we need to be aware of that and not be shocked to discover that the Christian life is not a playground. It is a battleground.
Persecution for Godly Living
And the Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all that live godly in Jesus Christ will suffer persecution. Now when is the last time you quoted that promise? You know Lord you promised that I will be persecuted and in Jesus name I pray for that. Well we don't want to pray that. Who wants to be persecuted? The word means to be hunted. To be harassed. But this is the reality. If you live a godly life persecution will follow.
I think that a lot of people believe in a watered down gospel and thus they have a watered down faith that in reality isn't faith at all. You know they have heard so many sermonettes they have turned into Christianettes. And I read an interesting article this week from USA Today. And the headline of the article you may have seen it was, More Americans customize religion to fit their personal needs.
Customized Religion vs. Biblical Faith
And the article says, and I quote, If World War II warbler Kate Smith sang today her anthem could be God's Bless America. America is headed toward 310 million people with 310 million religions. We are a designer society. We want everything customized to our personal needs. Our clothing, our food, our education. Now it is our religion.
And the article went on to cite a particular woman who had gone through various mainline Protestant denominations and went for a time to the Baha'i faith and then transitioned from that over to Native American traditional healing practices. Yet this woman still calls herself a Christian. She said in the article and she is quoted, I am a kind of bridge between cultures. I agree with the teachings of Jesus. And I know many Christians like me who keep the Bible's social teachings. Who care for the earth and for each other. End quote.
Well that is all nice I suppose in a way. But let me just say as kindly as I can that is not New Testament Christianity. That is something else. That is do-it-yourself divinity. That is an iFaith. That is an iPhone, iPod, iPad, iFaith. You know it has sort of been customized for my needs. But it is not the faith that is given to us in Scripture.
I would even classify a view like that as another gospel. And Paul warns about this in Galatians 1:8. He says even if we are an angel from heaven preach any other gospel than when we have preached to you let him be a curse.
False Gospels: Prosperity and Self-Customized Faith
Now another variation of a false gospel would be one that promises that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy and always successful and always prosperous. Now I am not suggesting that I believe in the opposite of that. It is not that I believe that God wants everyone sick and poor either. I just believe that God wants to be God. And that He will bless some people with certain resources. And He won't bless another with the same resources. And one will have good health and another will have poor health. And there are reasons for that.
Listen. God's bottom line is not to make you happy. It is to make you holy. The goal is not to make Jesus like you. It is to make you like Jesus. Being a Christian is knowing God and walking with Him no matter what. It means having your faith intact when the sun is shining and the sky is blue. As well as when the storm is raging and the journey is hard.
And Jesus made it clear that storms will come into every life. He told us that as you build your house on Him that storms will come. And really once those storms come it will determine what kind of foundation you are built on.
Through Many Tribulations – Acts 14:21-22
Alright so I say all that to come to a verse we are going to explore together as well as parts of this chapter. Acts 14. Here is the verse I want you to go to right now. Acts 14:21-22. When they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, We through many tribulations must enter the kingdom of God.
Look at that again. Now that is the gospel. You say, Well I do not want that. I want to fly like an eagle to the sea. Fly like an eagle. Let my spirit carry me. Fly, fly, fly. Listen bird brain. You can fly all you want. But you are going to find that there is hardship in life. No matter what you think about it or all of the denials you may have it is still going to come.
Job said it well in Job 14:1. How frail is humanity. His life is short. How full of trouble. And so this is something that is unavoidable. Jesus said in this world you will have tribulation.
The Problem of Pain – No Vacation from Suffering
Okay. So this is what we call the problem of pain. That is a phrase that C.S. Lewis coined in a book. The problem of pain. There is no vacation from human suffering and tragedy. And so a lot of people try to sort this out and understand it and explain it.
The Prime Minister of England Benjamin Disraeli gave this pessimistic quote because of his rough life that he lived. He said, Youth is a mistake. Manhood is a struggle. An old age is a regret. End quote. Wow. That is pretty depressing.
The Russian novelist and philosopher Tolstoy summed up four attitudes that people take towards life's problems and human suffering. Number one, there are those that view life as all bad and so they just try to escape from it through drinking or drugs or something else. Life is bad. Nothing you can do about it. Just try to ignore it.
Number two, he viewed those that view life as bad and struggle against it. Thirdly there were those that view life as being all bad and maybe by suicide they try to remove themselves from it. And fourth and lastly Tolstoy himself held this view that life is bad but we live on irrationally accepting it as it comes.
Well I think that Benjamin Disraeli and Tolstoy missed the point. There is a fifth category they did not identify. That there is a God who despite the worst tragedy can bring good out of bad. And that is the biblical worldview.
God's Sovereign Good in Trials
We acknowledge life can be bad. We acknowledge bad things can happen. We acknowledge tragedies. Tragedies can come into the life of a Christian. But we also acknowledge that God is sovereign which means He is in control. And we acknowledge that ultimately God can cause all things to work together for good to those that love Him and are called according to His purpose.
But some hold the view, maybe they don't state it outright, but they hold the view that because they are a Christian they won't suffer. Bad things won't happen to us. Our house won't burn down. We won't be ripped off. Someone won't break in and steal from us. Or we won't get cancer. Or a loved one won't die in an automobile accident. Or we won't have problems with our kids. Or we won't have problems in our marriages.
But the reality is we are going to face trouble too. Romans 5:3-5 says, We can rejoice too when we run into problems and trials. For we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character. And character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this will lead to a hope that will not disappoint. We know how dearly God loves us because He has given the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
Now we may have a hard time putting all of those things together in one sentence. Trials. Problems. God loves me. Now that doesn't make sense. If God loves me He will remove the trials and the problems. Right? If there is a trial or a problem then God must step in and take it away. No. He won't always do that.
But why? Because God loves you. No. No. No. It can't be. Because God loves me. If God loves me He would make it better. Well what is better? What is your definition of better?
God's Goal: Holiness Over Temporary Happiness
Let's go back to God's end game. Again. Is it to make us happy in the temporal or is it to make us holy in the eternal? Is it to keep us always earthbound or is it in reality to prepare us for heaven? Well the latter is the answer. not the former.
So God can allow tragedy. I am not saying all tragedy is good. In fact I will just say no tragedy is good. But God can bring good despite a tragedy. And so we have to think about that a little bit. Because there are times when the Lord will allow this because He loves us.
Here is a classic example. You all remember the story of Lazarus. He had two sisters. Mary and Martha. And they were friends of Jesus. They could legitimately say, Jesus Christ is our friend. He would just show up at their house unannounced with all of His friends. Hey Mary and Martha. How is it going? I brought twelve friends. And we are hungry. What is cooking?
Seems to me that Martha must have been a master chef. Because she was always working away. And Jesus felt at home there. There was hospitality in that home. Do you have the kind of a home where someone could come and feel that way. That is how Jesus felt about them. I mean they really were His friends.
That would be hard to not drop in a conversation. Wouldn't it? You know when Jesus was over for dinner last night. Jesus. He said this one thing. You know Jesus cracks me up. They could say stuff like that. Yeah I was just hanging with Jesus the other day. That is the way it was.
Jesus' Delay for Greater Glory – Lazarus Story
So when you have someone who is your friend you can call on him in a moment of need. Right? So Lazarus got sick. No problem. Jesus. He is our buddy. And we are going to ask him for help and he is going to give it to us.
So in John 11:3 we read that Lazarus was sick. And they sent word to Jesus saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. Hey Lord, your buddy, Lazarus, that you love, we know you love him, he knows you love him, he is sick.
Interesting. They did not even tell him what to do. They just thought he will take care of it. Now could Jesus have said right there, well he is not sick now. Boom. Would Lazarus have been healed? Absolutely. We already know Christ could speak the word and a person would be healed. Sometimes he would touch him with his hand. Sometimes they would touch him with their hand. Sometimes he would just speak the word. But he healed who he wanted to heal.
He could have made the illness of Lazarus go away immediately. But they were saying because he is sick the time to act is now. In other words Jesus with all due respect, drop what you are doing, get back to Bethany and heal your friend.
Here is what we read after that. John 11:4. When Jesus heard about it He said, Lazarus' sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so the Son of God may receive glory from this.
So although Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus He stayed where He was for the next two days. What? Because He loved them He stayed where He was for the next two days. Instead of running to them as they hoped He would, He stayed right where He was.
Why? Jesus delayed His arrival so He could bring greater glory to His name. It is true that God loves us and works things together for good. But it all comes down to what the definition of good is.
I think when we get to heaven we are going to see things differently. Do you agree with that? And I think the things that we saw maybe as good we will discover weren't as good as we thought they were. And I think some things that we thought were bad will actually be seen in a whole new light.
Heaven's Perspective on Good and Bad
Let me explain. We would think of prosperity, possessions, and success as always good things. Right? For some people they are and can be if they are used for His glory. But quite honestly for others they can be a great distraction and cause them to forget God.
Then we think of sickness or disability or loss or failure. And we say those are always bad. Right? Well they can be bad. But they can also be good because it causes the person to cling to God. It causes the person to have an eternal perspective. It causes the person to lean on the Lord like they never would have leaned on Him if things had been better.
So in reality that bad thing is actually a good thing from heaven's perspective. So Jesus allowed this for a greater good. They wanted a healing. Jesus wanted a resurrection.
So this will all be revealed to us in time. But until that day we need to know that through much tribulation we will enter the kingdom of God.
Why God Allows Trials in the Christian Life
Ok. Why does God allow trials and hardships in the life of the Christian? Let me give you a few reasons. And you might write these down.
Number one. Adversity levels us and keeps us humble. Adversity levels us and keeps us humble. As I already said prosperity has a tendency to make people proud and self-sufficient. We don't think we need God because we have a wallet full of credit cards. And we have a lot of money in the bank. And we have our investments. And we have our house paid off. Or our houses paid off. Or our health is really good. Or whatever it is. So we sort of ignore God.
But when an economy goes south. Or a stock market crashes. Or a home burns to the ground. We turn to God because we are reminded of what really matters.
Listen to this warning that God gave to Israel after they wandered all those years in the wilderness. They were poised to enter into the promised land. It is all good it would seem. But God says, now you guys be careful. Because when you have eaten and you are full beware lest you forget the Lord.
That can happen. We talk about the problem of pain. Let's talk about the problem of prosperity. Prosperity brings responsibility. See because I am not an owner I am a steward. Everything God gives to me is a gift. And I am held responsible for what I do with the resources that are at my disposal.
So we have to take these things seriously and we want to make sure that we remain dependent upon God.
Adversity Draws Us to Prayer and Dependence
When life gets really hard and adversity hits we pray. And so we should. But sometimes when life is going reasonably well we sort of forget about prayer don't we. Like we read about last time in Acts chapter 12 where James was beheaded and Peter was put in prison. The church started to pray and they prayed with desperation. Because they knew if God didn't come through there was no other hope.
In his book The Problem of Pain C.S. Lewis writes, quote, God whispers to us in our pleasures. He speaks to us in our conscience. But He shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. End quote.
And as the psalmist said in Psalm 119:67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept Your word.
Number two. Adversity teaches us eternal truths we would not otherwise learn. Again adversity teaches us eternal truths we would not otherwise learn. I mean I don't know about you but I avoid pain at all costs. That is why I don't run. Because running hurts. And I have tried running and it hurts. And you know I have even had people say just run a little. You know walk and then run from here to there. Ok. And I do it. I hate it.
You know so I avoid things that cause pain. That is why I don't like to go to the dentist. I have a really good dentist by the way. But it always hurts. This won't hurt. It hurts. You know even when they tell you it won't there is just I think the anxiety of just those drills and all that stuff they have in there.
You know so we try to avoid pain. And we want to get in shape. But I want a pain free workout. I don't want to hurt at all. I don't want my muscles to be sore the next day. But you have heard the expression right. No pain what? There it is.
Well guess what. What is true for the gym is also true of life. No pain no gain. If you are looking for a pain free life you are not going to gain spiritually. You see pain reminds us of a deeper need.
Lessons in the Valleys – Eternal Perspective
I experience a certain kind of pain every day. I don't know if I would call it pain but it is called hunger pain. Hunger pain. It is just you could set a clock to my stomach. I mean the moment I get up I want to eat and as lunch time rolls around I am basically hungry at ten o'clock. But I am just waiting. Lunch is coming. Lunch I want to call it that.
Reminds me of a deeper need. So when I have pain in my life it reminds me of a deeper need which is a need for God. And the Lord will teach us lessons in those valleys we would never learn on mountaintops. Things we need to know and things we need to share with others.
Think about your life. Think about some of the greatest lessons you have learned. They have come through adversity. Haven't they? And those are the things you pass on and share with others. You will remember those times when the Lord came through for you.
And that is why we need to understand that God is in control of these things. I mean think about the apostle Paul. All that he went through in life. Yet he was able to press on.
And by the way here in the book of Acts we are transitioning now from Peter being sort of the featured apostle to Paul being the featured apostle. We don't really read that much of Peter from this point on. And Paul formerly Saul of Tarsus converted on the Damascus road now emerges as the lead character in this amazing story.
But as we will see Paul had his mind set on heavenly things. And I will tell you why that is in a moment.
Number three we have a new compassion for others who are in pain. When you go through adversity you have a new compassion for others who are in pain. Listen. The world is a place of pain and hurt. Everyone has it. It has been said if you preach to people who are hurting you will never lack for an audience.
And it has also been said success builds walls and failures build bridges. And what that means is everything is always perfect and life always is firing on every cylinder. You know people don't relate to that. Ok. But they relate to a person going through pain as you share with them how God has helped you.
And Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 He comforts us in all of our troubles so we can comfort others when they are troubled. And we will give them the same comfort God has given to us. For the more we suffer for Christ the more we can comfort others who are also suffering.
Through many tribulations we enter the Kingdom of God. That is what the Scripture says.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra – From Worship to Stoning
So we come now to Acts chapter 14. As I mentioned Paul emerges as the lead character. Paul man I tell you there is never a dull moment with this guy. Wherever he went something was happening. Usually either a conversion or a riot.
Acts 17:6 says Paul and Silas turned the rest of the world upside down. And now they are disturbing our city. And that is what we need more of today. A holy disturbance. G. Campbell Morgan said, Organized Christianity which fails to make a disturbance is dead. If we are not making a disturbance something isn't right.
I think sometimes instead of us turning the world upside down the world is turning us upside down. Instead of us impacting culture, culture is impacting us. So let's see how Paul and Silas lived. Let's see the kind of life they lived. Or rather Paul and Barnabas in this particular instance.
So I am going to read Acts 14:8-19. And by the way just for the narrative I am going to read from the New Living Translation. But read along whatever your translation is.
While they were at Lystra Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth. He had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him Paul realized he had faith to be healed and called out to him with a loud voice, Stand up. And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
And when the crowd saw what Paul had done they shouted in their local dialect, These men are gods in human form. They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and Paul was Hermes. And he was the chief speaker.
So the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priests of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths and flowers to the town gates and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening they ripped their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people shouting, Friends why are you doing this? We are human beings just like you. We have come to bring you the good news that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God who made heaven and earth the sea and everything in them.
In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways. But he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.
But even with those words Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their sight. And they stoned Paul and drug him out of town thinking he was dead.
But the believers gathered around him and he got up and went back into the town.
The Devil's Attacks: Outward Persecution and Pride
Here is an amazing story. Here are Paul and Barnabas preaching. And these people turned from worship to war. They go from thinking these men are gods in human form. And they are thinking in the Greek God way. You know the Greek culture as emulated by the Roman culture was filled with many gods. They had Zeus and Hermes and so forth. And they had all of these gods. They had Nike the god of shoes. No it was. But they had all these gods that they worshipped and prayed to and so forth.
And they figured that Paul and Barnabas were gods come to them. You say but where would they get something like that. Well it goes back to local folklore. There was a tradition in Lystra that is actually recorded by the Roman poet Ovid who died in AD 17 that the gods Zeus and Hermes once came to earth incognito.
And they arrived in Lystra. And they asked for food and lodging and everyone refused them. Finally an old peasant named Philemon took in these two gods. And all the inhospitable neighbors were drowned in a flood. Sent by the vengeful gods. And Philemon and his wife were blessed by these gods. And their humble cottage was turned into a great temple. And after their death they were turned into two stately trees.
So this was an urban legend. A myth. It was folklore. But these people believed it. So when Paul and Barnabas come along and miracles are being done they thought, oh they are back. We better not mess it up this time. So they begin to worship them.
How fickle people can be. Reminds us a little bit of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. And the people lay palm branches at his feet and say, Hosanna. And the same people only days later were crying in unison, crucify him. So these were a fickle people.
But it shows in this story how the devil will attack us. It shows his two primary methods of attack in the life of the Christian.
Number one. There is outward attack. Look at verse 19. They stoned Paul and they drug him out of town. Why did they stone Paul? Because he was preaching the gospel. And you in the same way will be persecuted because of your faithfulness to the Lord. Your very presence and belief in God bothers some people.
Sometimes you don't even have to say anything. You just need to breathe. They just look at you. You are like, bug me. Your little Christian face. You know. Your little prayers to God. You are like a bright light in a dark place. You are like salt in an open wound. And praise God if you are.
Because Jesus said we are to be light in this world. And we are to be the salt of this world. Jesus said in John 15:18, If the world hates you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world the world would love its own. Because you are not of this world. But I chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word I said to you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they persecuted me they will persecute you.
Listen. If you are a chip off the old rock they are going to treat you the same way they treated Him. And if they don't treat you that way and you don't experience persecution you have to ask yourself the question, Am I living a godly life?
Jesus said, Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. He did not say blessed are they who are persecuted for being self-righteous. Or for being holier than thou. Or for being obnoxious. Or tactless. Or condemning. Or for being moronic or idiotic. And a lot of times Christians are persecuted for those reasons.
No. Blessed are those that are persecuted for righteousness sake.
Persecution as Proof of Godly Living
Ever heard of John Wesley? He was a great preacher. He was riding along a road one day on his horse. He realized that three days had gone by and he had not been persecuted in any way. Not a single brick had been thrown in his direction. He had not been hit by an egg. Three days.
So he actually stopped his horse and said out loud, Could it be that I am backslidden or I have sinned? And slipping from his horse Wesley got down on one knee and asked God to show him if there was anything wrong with him spiritually.
Well some guy was on the other side of like a hedge and heard him. He said, I can't stand that guy. So he picked up a brick and threw it at Wesley. Barely missed the preacher as he was praying. But when Wesley saw the brick fly by he said, Thank you Lord. I know I still have your presence.
No wonder he was such a powerful preacher. You know sometimes persecution can show itself in a brick coming our way. An egg. Or physical harm. Sometimes even death. And other times it can show itself in mockery. Or rejection. Or losing a job. Or losing friends. But if you are living a godly life you will face it.
So it is outward attack. We kind of get that one. But here is the tricky way the devil gets us. Number two. He attacks us through pride. This is more subtle. Like a sneak attack.
See it is one thing to stone them. It is another thing to praise them. Popularity is more deadly than persecution. Someone starts believing their own press and they become inflated with pride.
See the devil will come to you and say you are worthless. You are a piece of garbage. God would never use someone like you. You say well I don't know. Because the Bible says if I confess my sin he is faithful and just to forgive me my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. You know the Bible also says that God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. So I think God will use me.
And so God does use you. And then the devil changes his whole mode of attack. And instead of trying to tear you down he then comes back and whispers in your ear you are so hot. I mean you are the man of God. You are the wonderful woman of virtue. I mean you breathe and you are heavy. You know everything you say is wonderful. You are so great.
And you are saying oh thank you very much. Yeah. And you are soaking it up. Why does the devil do that? Because he knows that pride goes before a fall. So if you start believing all these things and you think you are all that. And you become so filled with yourself you better watch out.
That is what brought Lucifer down from heaven. Because he said I will be like God. I will ascend into the throne of God. And that is really what brought Adam and Eve down. We think it was the attractiveness of the fruit. No. It wasn't the fruit. It was what the fruit promised.
Satan said go ahead and eat of this fruit. For in the day you eat thereof you will be as a God knowing good and evil. Ooh. That appealed to their pride. Eve listen. You will be a goddess. Adam you will be a God. Come on. Go for it. And they did.
But Paul and Barnabas did not. And they resisted this. And so verse 19 reminds us. They stoned Paul, drug him out of town thinking he was dead. And as the believers gathered around him he got up and went back into the town.
Paul's Heavenly Vision – 2 Corinthians 12
The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. Now many commentators believe that this may be the moment when Paul was killed. We know there came a moment in the apostle's life where he died. How do we know that? Because of another text we are going to turn to.
So keep your marker here in Acts. And let us go over to 2 Corinthians 12 for a moment. Because this is a verse you have probably read before. But now let me try to put it together for you chronologically. I do not know this with certainty. But this may be the moment that Paul was describing when he was caught up into the third heaven.
If this is not the moment it was another instance. Paul had plenty of beatings and so forth. But this is one instance in particular where he was thought of as dead. So it may be that he died and God raised him back again.
Paul is describing this event in 2 Corinthians 12. It says it is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body I don't know. God knows. Such a one was caught into the third heaven.
And I know such a man whether in the body or out of the body I do not know. God knows how he was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
So Paul is describing his experience in heaven. He calls it the third heaven. In this scripture there are three heavens. Number one there is the sky, the clouds, the atmosphere surrounding the earth. Secondly there is outer space. The sun, the moon, the galaxies, the stars, etc. And then thirdly there is the dwelling place of God and the future destination of believers.
Now we tend to think of it as being way, way, way, way out there. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Maybe it is just another dimension. Maybe we are very close to it. But it is described as a third heaven. It is not reachable humanly.
But when we die, when this body stops functioning, the soul goes on, if you are a Christian, to this place, the third heaven. Or just heaven in the Bible.
You know periodically books are written about heaven. Where people claim to have had visions of heaven. It is interesting because this is one instance that we know is legit. Right? Paul went there. Why didn't he write a book? I mean he wrote a lot of books. He wrote a lot of epistles. Certainly a topic as exciting as this would have merited its own book. The Book of Heaven by the apostle Paul. He could have told us all about it. But he didn't.
Now that is not to say there are not descriptions of heaven in the Bible. Because the fact is that John the apostle speaks at great length about heaven in the book of Revelation. And gives us descriptions of it that are a little bit hard to wrap our minds around quite frankly.
But all Paul would say was, Look, I can't really describe it. He says, I heard inexpressible words. But what he does tell us is it was paradise. And he uses an interesting word there. I was caught up into paradise.
That word is used three times in the New Testament. The first time it is used is when Jesus spoke to the thief on the cross. And you remember that that thief came to his senses and believed in Jesus. After our Lord prayed, Father forgive them for they know not what they do. And he said, Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said, Verily I say to you, Today you will be with me in paradise. That is the word.
So that is one instance. Another time it is used is in Revelation chapter 2 to describe our future dwelling place. And it is sometimes translated as the royal garden of a king which means there was no verbiage to really do justice to the meaning of the word. The royal garden of a king conveyed the idea of a beautifully cared for and manicured garden owned by a man of royalty who had unlimited resources. But there was really nothing you could say to express it.
Another translation of what Paul said was, I heard things so astounding they cannot be expressed in words. But here is the thing we need to know. Heaven is a place of sight and sound. It is a tangible place not a state of mind.
The King James Bible uses the word heaven 582 times in 550 different places. Heaven is a real place. I like what D.L. Moody once said of it. Quote, Heaven is as much of a place as Chicago. It is a destination. It is a locality.
I hope it is better than Chicago. I like Chicago. I like deep dish pizza from Chicago especially. Hopefully we will have some of that in heaven. And then that Chicago hot dog isn't bad either. You can tell where my head is at. Where my stomach is at. But it is a real place.
Jesus said I go to prepare a place for you.
Adversity Keeps Us Usable – Paul's Thorn
So with this in mind Paul can get through hardship. Let us go back to our theme. Through much tribulation we enter the kingdom of God.
So Paul has this vision of heaven. Now do you think that could make you a little arrogant? Imagine going to heaven? Imagine sitting around with a bunch of people and they are talking about where they went for vacation this summer. What did you do this summer? Oh we went to the river. Nice. How was it? It was good. Very hot. Good. Where did you go? Oh we went to Hawaii. Here where did you go? Oh we went to Tahiti. Oh well we went to Italy. Oh we went here or there.
Paul would be like where did you go Paul? Heaven. No no where did you go? Heaven. Heaven. I went to heaven. What was it like? Can't really explain it. Better than where you went.
So he would not be filled with pride. The Lord allowed adversity into his life to keep him usable.
Paul continues on there in 2 Corinthians 12:9. Most gladly I will boast of my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Listen to this now. I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches and needs and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak then I am strong.
The Phillips translation goes as follows. Therefore I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses. Because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ. I can even enjoy weaknesses, suffering, persecutions and difficulties. For my very weakness makes me strong in Him.
There it is. So God may allow hardship. In Paul's case it was a Thorn in the flesh. What does that mean? Well it seems like it is physical because it is a Thorn in the flesh. He did not say a Thorn in the spirit.
There are a lot of opinions that are offered. It could have been many things. I mean don't forget this guy was shipwrecked. He was beaten. In this case he was left for dead. He was stoned. So it could have been just some kind of an injury from those things.
Some think it might be his eyesight that was failing perhaps. But we do not know exactly. But whatever it was three times he asked the Lord to take it away. And three times God said, My grace is sufficient for you.
God allowed it in his life to keep him usable. And he was very usable.
I love what happened here. Now he is beaten and left for dead. If this is the point where he literally dies and goes to heaven we can't be certain. But maybe it was. But whatever the case he was beaten badly and thought of as dead.
Look at verse 20 back in Acts 14 now. As the believers gathered around him he got up and went back into the town. What? I would have said, I am done for today. I think I put in a good day's work. Can we like go get a falafel or something?
Paul is like OK. Yeah. Wow. OK let's go. That was Paul. That is why he changed the world.
And that brings us back to a statement in Acts 14:21. And when they had preached the gospel of that city and made many disciples they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith saying, We through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.
Continue in the Faith – Tested and True
Continue in the faith. You say well my faith has been tested and I can't handle this. Listen. The faith that cannot be tested is the faith that cannot be trusted. If your faith cannot make it through adversity then with all due respect let me say to you, you don't have real faith. Because real faith gets stronger through hardship. Not weaker. It becomes more resilient. It doesn't fall apart.
So if your faith would shatter at hardship in your life then that would mean that you probably never had real faith. So the bad news is your faith is lame. The good news is trade it in and get real faith. This time from the Lord.
Continue in the faith. And then through those tribulations you will enter in the kingdom. It doesn't say continue in the feeling. Emotions come and go. I hope you know that. There are times you feel God's presence. Don't you? And then there are times you don't. Now what? Well you just press on.
That's what? The just shall live by faith. And so I feel you today Lord. Wow I don't feel you today Lord. That is okay. I am going to press on because this is a walk of faith. And you don't really worry about emotions. You don't focus on emotions that fluctuate. You remember God is there with you. And one day you are going to join Him in glory.
A.B. Simpson, no relation to Homer, wrote. He is a Bible commentator. Once it was the blessing. Now it is the Lord. Once it was the feeling. Now it is His Word. Once His gifts I wanted. Now the giver alone. Once I sought for healing. Now Himself alone.
I like that. I think when you are a young Christian I want the blessing. As you grow you say I want the Lord. When you are a younger believer I want the feeling. When you mature in your faith yeah now it is His Word. I am living by what His Word says.
When you are younger in the faith you want the gifts. Now you just want God. That is a mark of maturity.
We need to continue in the faith that the skies are blue or if they are filled with clouds. We must press on if our health is good or if it is not what it used to be. Press on even if loved ones have gone before us. Because we know we will see them again. And we know in that final day it will all be worth it.
And so I wake up every morning and say well Lord I do not know if this is the day or not. But like Paul I can say to live is Christ and to die is gain.
You know. Lord I want to live this day to its fullest. I want to glorify you with what you give me. I want to be responsible. I want to do what I am supposed to do. But then I know if this is my last day I am ready to meet you.
Are You Ready for Heaven? Invitation
Listen. There are only two kinds of people in the world. Those who wake up in the morning and say good morning Lord. And those who wake up and say good Lord it is morning. Which one are you?
So one last question. Are you ready to go to heaven? You knew I would not give a message like this without asking that. I am an evangelist after all. No. But are you? Seriously.
You have to be ready. You do not go down to John Wayne Airport and just board a plane of your choosing and go wherever you want without buying a ticket and being humiliated through security. No. You have to go and buy your ticket. And then you have to go through all of the processes of getting on the plane and into your seat and so forth.
And in the same way you do not just go to heaven as a default destination. I am a good person. I am an American. I go to heaven. No. You have to have a real relationship with God and that only comes through Christ.
Two thousand years ago Jesus came to this earth and walked among us as a man and then went to the cross and died for our sin and rose again from the dead. And now come and forgive us of all of our sin and give us the absolute assurance that we will go to heaven when we die.
But we must turn from our sin and put our faith in Him. Have you done that yet? Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Are you prepared? If not you can be tonight.
In a moment we are going to pray and I am going to give you an opportunity to get right with God. So if you do not have the certainty that you would go to heaven when you die respond to this invitation that I will now extend. And if you have fallen away from the Lord come back to Him tonight as we close now in prayer.
Let us all bow our heads if you would. Father thank You for Your Word to us tonight. And I pray for any that have joined us who may not yet know You. Help them to see their need for You tonight Jesus. And help them to come to You and receive Your forgiveness.
Now when our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we are praying. How many of you would say tonight, Greg, I want Christ to come into my life. I want Him to forgive me of my sin. I want to know with certainty that I will go to heaven when I die. Pray for me.
If that is your desire wherever you are sitting. If you want Christ to come into your life. If you want your sin forgiven. If you want your guilt removed. If you want to go to heaven when you die. Would you lift your hand up wherever you are sitting. And I would like to pray for you right now. Just lift your hand up where I can see it please.
God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Wherever you are just lift your hand up. I will pray for you tonight. God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else just lift your hand up. God bless you there in the back. Final moment. If you have not lifted your hand yet. You want to get right with God. You want Him to forgive you of your sin. Let me pray for you tonight. Lift your hand up. I will pray for you. God bless you.
While our heads are still bowed. Sometimes they are still bad. Maybe some of you would say, you know I have fallen away from the Lord. There was a time when I walked with Him and had this great relationship with Him. But I have let other things crowd Him out. I have forgotten all about God.
Well the good news is that God has not forgotten about you. He loves you. And He will forgive you. But you must come back to Him. If you have fallen away from Christ and you want to return to Him tonight let me pray for you right now. If you would lift your hand please. You want to return to the Lord.
God bless you. God bless you. Yes. They are in the back. God bless you. Anybody else? God bless you too. God bless. God bless you. And you. And you.
Lord thank You for each one of these. We know You love them with an everlasting love. Now we pray that they will make a lasting commitment to You. We ask this all in Jesus name. Amen.
Public Commitment – Come Forward
You know those whom Jesus calls He calls openly and publicly. We are going to do the same tonight. In a moment we are going to have a song of invitation sung for us. And I am going to ask if you raise your hand with me during that last moment of prayer where you are saying I want Christ to come into my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to go to heaven when I die. Or you are saying I want to come back to Him again.
I am going to ask that when this song begins you would get up out of your seat. Walk down here to the front and stand here. And when you all get here I am going to lead you in a prayer.
You say well why do I need to walk down there? Well Jesus said, If you will acknowledge Me before people I will acknowledge you before My Father and the angels in heaven. But He added, If you deny Me before people I will deny you before the Father and the angels.
So this is a way to acknowledge Him publicly. Maybe you did not raise your hand but you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Christ you come as well.
So again if you raise your hand, even if you did not, but you want Christ to come into your life. You want your sin forgiven. You want to go to heaven when you die. You want your guilt taken away. Or you have fallen away from the Lord. And you want to come back to Him tonight as the group sings. You get up. Come on down here and stand. And I will pray for you when you get here. Get up and start coming right now.