Advent means arrival.
In the Bible, there are two arrivals of Jesus.
The FIRST arrival is the one we celebrate at Christmas: when God sent Jesus the King to save us from SIN.
The SECOND advent is when Jesus the King comes again to set up His permanent earthly rule over all of creation and eliminates all SUFFERING.
The question for all of us is: how do we live between those two times?
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. —1 Peter 5:10–11 (ESV)
1. The Necessity of Suffering
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. —1 Peter 5:10–11 (ESV)
The point isn’t that you will suffer; the point is that you have to suffer.
Suffering has historically been one of the disciplines. It’s the discipline that you don’t have to go looking for; it finds you.
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. —Philippians 1:29-30 (ESV)
Your salvation and your suffering have been granted to you by God, to believe in Him and also to suffer for Him.
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. —Acts 14:22 (ESV)
God puts us through this furnace to fire your faith, to forge your character, which means if you don’t go through the fire, your faith is not forged.
This is the way we are to view suffering as a follower of Jesus:
God is protecting us from attaching ourselves to idols, from pursuing things that will destroy us, and keeping us from using Jesus for our own purposes.
2. The End of Suffering
It’s a necessity. You have to go through it, but God is going to end it.
It’s the suffering now that makes the glory later that much greater.
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. —1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)
Suffering has a shelf life.
God is going to end all suffering; all the things we endure are going to be overcome.
“Glory means a good report with God, acceptance by God, response, acknowledgment, and welcome into the heart of things. The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last.” —C. S. Lewis
3. The Place of Suffering
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. 13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. —1 Peter 5:12-14 (ESV)
The only way you make it is together in the Church.
The point is, suffer together.
You need other Christians rooting for you, rejoicing at your presence, who can sing on days when you can’t, who will remind you of the hope we have.