THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT <br><br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 4-21-19<br><br>

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LESSON TITLE: "TEARS OF SUFFERING" <br><br>

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WELCOME <br><br>

      



      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS. <br><br>



      THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. A WORK OF OUR LORD COMMITTED TO STUDYING HIS WILL AND TO DOING THINGS IN HIS WAY. AS ALWAYS, IT IS OUR HOPE AND PRAYER THAT EVERYTHING WE DO TOGETHER WILL BE EDIFYING TO EACH OF US, BUT ULTIMATELY IT IS OUR GOAL TO GLORIFY GOD, THE ALMIGHTY! LET ME ENCOURAGE EACH OF US TO DO OUR PART THIS MORNING IN MAKING THIS TIME TOGETHER PROFITABLE IN HIS SIGHT. NOW, LET'S TALK TO THE FATHER IN PRAYER! <br><br>

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE FOR THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE SERVANTS IN YOUR KINGDOM. AND HELP US FATHER TO ALWAYS SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THIS WORLD THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW YOU THROUGH US AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE A DESIRE TO OBEY AND FOLLOW YOU AS WELL SO THAT, IN THE END FATHER, WE MIGHT ALL RECEIVE THAT GREAT PROMISE AND THAT ETERNAL REWARD OF HEAVEN. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN. <br><br>

      IF THERE IS ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE IN THIS LIFE, IT IS THAT OUR GOD IN HEAVEN TRULY LOVES US. BUT HOW DO WE KNOW THIS? JOHN 3:16 TELLS US, "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE." THIS MORNING, WE WANT TO START WITH A SONG THAT REMINDS US OF THIS GREATEST LOVE OF ALL TIMES, AS WE SING TOGETHER THE HYMN, "GOD IS LOVE!" <br><br>

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DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br><br>

      WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR SERVICE TO GOD IS VERY IMPORTANT AS CHILDREN OF HIS. HOWEVER, WE OFTEN FORGET THE MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SERVICE. LET'S TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND CONSIDER ONE IMPORTANT QUALITY WHICH WE MUST ALL HAVE TO FIND FAVOR WITH GOD. READ WITH ME THE WORDS OF PETER IN FIRST PETER 5:5, THERE HE SAID, " YES, ALL OF YOU BE SUBMISSIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY, FOR GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." HERE WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO CLOTH OURSELVES WITH HUMILITY. <br><br>

      YOU AND I KNOW THAT HUMILITY IS SOMETIMES A HARD THING TO HAVE. ESPECIALLY IN A COUNTRY AND SOCIETY THAT HAS EVERYTHING TO OFFER, WHERE VERY FEW IF ANY HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TRUE SUFFERING AND STRUGGLES ARE ALL ABOUT. EVEN MANY SONGS TODAY ARE WRITTEN ABOUT HOW HARD IT IS TO BE HUMBLE. LET ME REMIND YOU OF A FACT YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN. WE MUST BE HUMBLE BECAUSE CHRIST WAS WILLING TO BE HUMBLE. IN PHILIPPIANS 2:6 TO 7, WE ARE REMINDED THAT JESUS WAS GOD, BUT YET HE WAS WILLING TO BECOME MERELY A MAN. THERE IT SAYS, "WHO, BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, DID NOT CONSIDER IT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD, BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, TAKING THE FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, AND COMING IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN." FURTHERMORE, IN VERSE EIGHT OF THE SAME TEXT, PAUL SAID, "AND BEING FOUND IN APPEARANCE AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. JESUS WAS WILLING TO MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE, TO LEAVE THE FATHER AND TO BECOME A MAN AND SUFFER. FINALLY TO THE EXTENT OF EVEN GIVING HIS OWN LIFE AS A SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS. <br><br>

      NOW, YOU TELL ME AGAIN HOW HARD IT IS TO BE HUMBLE. THE FACT IS, IF CHRIST WAS WILLING TO HUMBLE HIMSELF IN SUCH A GREAT WAY FOR US, SHOULDN'T WE BE WILLING TO LEARN HUMILITY OURSELVES FROM THE MASTER TEACHER? LET'S ALSO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS A REWARD TO THOSE WHO LEARN THIS GREAT LESSON. IN JAMES 4:10, WE READ, "HUMBLE YOURSELVES IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP." ARE YOU WILLING TO PRACTICE THE HUMILITY THAT GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE? REMEMBER THAT BEING CHRISTLIKE IS LEARNING THE LESSON OF BEING HUMBLE AS HE WAS! <br><br>

      TODAY, WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE BROTHER BRENT GREEN WITH US AS OUR GUEST SPEAKER. BROTHER BRENT IS OUR SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVE AND A FULL TIME INSTRUCTOR AT THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF MISSOURI. WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE HIM WITH US THIS DAY TO DIRECT OUR MINDS IN THE BIBLE. AS FOR OUR DISCUSSION THIS MORNING, WE WILL BE CONTINUING OUR SERIES ENTITLED "MINDFUL OF YOUR TEARS." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC THIS MORNING WILL DEAL WITH, "TEARS OF SUFFERING." SO PLEASE STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG TOGETHER, BROTHER GREEN WILL RETURN TO LEAD US IN THIS STUDY FROM GOD'S WORD. NOW, WON'T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE SING OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE DAY, THE NAME OF THE SONG, "DO ALL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD." <br><br>

      <br><br>

LESSON <br><br>

BY BRENT GREEN<br><br>

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      WHAT A JOY IT IS ALWAYS TO BE ABLE TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. AS WE BEGIN DO THAT THIS MORNING I'D LIKE TO START WITH A PERSONAL QUESTION? WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? YOU SEE, A LOT OF TIMES AS WE THINK ABOUT SUCH WE'D LIKE TO PROBABLY NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION. BUT MAYBE YOU CRIED DURING A SAD MOVIE, MAYBE IT WAS SOMETHING MORE SENTIMENTAL TO THE FAMILY. MAYBE A PET DIED. MAYBE EVEN ABOVE AND BEYOND SOMETHING LIKE THAT, MAYBE YOU LOST A FAMILY MEMBER, A GRANDMOTHER OR A GRANDFATHER OR SOME OTHER ONE YOU LOVED AND THEY PASSED AWAY AND YOU CRIED. YOU SEE, TEARS ARE SOMETHING THAT ARE PART OF OUR LIVES AND EVEN THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES, WE SEE DIFFERENT VERSES THAT DEAL WITH TEARS AND CRYING AND SADNESS. ROMANS CHAPTER 12 VERSE 15 TELLS US TO, "REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE, AND WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP." AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TIMES THROUGHOUT THAT TALK ABOUT WEEPING OR CRYING OR EVEN SHEDDING DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEARS. THERE MIGHT BE TEARS OF MERCY, TEARS OF SERVICE, EVEN TEARS OF WARNING OR TEARS OF CORRECTION. TEARS OF COMPASSION EVEN TEARS OF REPENTANCE. WHAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT DURING OUR TIME ARE TEARS OF SUFFERING, THINGS THAT MIGHT BRING US TO TEARS BECAUSE WE ARE SUFFERING IN DIFFERENT WAYS. <br><br>

      THE MAIN TEXT WE WANT TO LOOK AT COMES IN ACTS CHAPTER 20. HERE WE FIND IN THIS CHAPTER THE OCCASION WHERE PAUL ACTUALLY CALLS FOR THE ELDERS FROM EPHESUS TO COME. HE HAS SOME FINAL WORDS TO SAY TO THEM BEFORE HE DEPARTS NOT KNOWING IF HE WILL EVER SEE THEM AGAIN. TRUE TO WHAT WE FIND THERE IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 BEGINNING IN VERSE 18. IT SAYS, "AND WHEN THEY HAD COME TO HIM, HE SAID TO THEM: "YOU KNOW, FROM THE FIRST DAY THAT I CAME TO ASIA, AND WHAT MANNER I ALWAYS LIVED AMONG YOU, SERVING THE LORD WITH ALL HUMILITY, WITH MANY TEARS AND TRIALS WHICH HAPPEN TO ME BY THE PLOTTING OF THE JEWS." I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HE SAYS THERE IN VERSE 19. THE TEARS AND TRIALS THAT CAME BECAUSE OF THE PLOTTING OF THE JEWS. THE REFERENCE THERE IS TO THE MANY PERSECUTIONS THAT HE HAD TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THOSE PERSECUTORS AND WHAT THEY DID AND HOW THEY SOUGHT MANY OTHER WAYS OF TRYING TO BRING HIM HARM OR MAYBE EVEN BRING ABOUT HIS DEATH. YOU SEE, HE SUFFERED THOSE TRIALS AND THEY BROUGHT ABOUT HIS TEARS; TEARS OF SUFFERING. CONSIDER THESE TRIALS THAT PAUL HAD TO SUFFER. <br><br>

      YOU MIGHT KEEP A MARKER OR A FINGER THERE IN THE BOOK OF ACTS BECAUSE WE WILL RETURN TO CHAPTER 20. BUT WE ALSO WANT TO LOOK AT WHAT HE RECORDS FOR US THERE IN SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11. PAUL GIVES A WHOLE LIST OF HIS SUFFERINGS THAT HE HAD TO ENDURE THROUGHOUT HIS TIME ON THIS WORLD AS HE WENT ABOUT PREACHING AND SPREADING THE GOSPEL. SECOND CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11 BEGINNING IN VERSE 23 THIS IS WHAT WE FIND. PAUL SAYS, "ARE THEY MINISTERS OF CHRIST? - I SPEAK AS A FOOL - I AM MORE: IN LABORS MORE ABUNDANT, IN STRIPES ABOVE MEASURE, IN PRISONS MORE FREQUENTLY, IN DEATHS OFTEN. FROM THE JEWS FIVE TIMES I RECEIVED FORTY STRIPES MINUS ONE. 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; 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; IN WEARINESS AND TOIL, IN SLEEPLESSNESS, IN HUNGER AND THIRST, IN FASTINGS OFTEN, IN COLD AND NAKEDNESS - BESIDES THE OTHER THINGS, WHAT COMES UPON ME DAILY: MY DEEP CONCERN FOR ALL THE CHURCHES." YOU NOTICE IN THAT LIST OF PAUL'S SUFFERINGS THAT HE MENTIONS TWICE THAT THESE ARE CONNECTED TO THE HANDS OF JEWS? SPECIFICALLY VERSE 24 HE SAYS, "FROM THE JEWS FIVE TIMES I RECEIVED FORTY STRIPES MINUS ONE." AND ALSO THERE IN VERSE 26, "PERILS OF MY OWN COUNTRYMEN." NO DOUBT A REFERENCE TO HIS COUNTRYMEN THE JEWS. PAUL SUFFERED BECAUSE THE PLOTTING OF THESE JEWS. THESE WHO USED TO BE MAYBE HIS OWN PEERS, THOSE WHO HAD LABORED WITH AS HE STUDIED AND TRAINED THERE AT THE VIENNA GAMALIEL, THOSE WHO HE MAY HAVE KNOWN, THE SANHEDRIN, THOSE WHO HE MAY HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO AND NOW BECOME HIS ENEMIES. AND WHAT DID THEY SEEK? THEY SOUGHT TO BRING HIM HARM. THEY SOUGHT TO BRING HIM PERSECUTION. AND IN DOING THAT THEY BROUGHT ABOUT HIS TEARS OF SUFFERING. PAUL WAS A MAN WHO HAD TO ENDURE THESE TRIALS AND IN DOING THAT HE SHOWED HIS TRUE CHARACTER. 

      BACK IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 WE LEARN QUITE A BIT ABOUT PAUL. WE SEE THAT HE WAS NOT A SELF-SEEKING MAN. HE WAS NOT DOING THESE THINGS FOR HIS OWN GAIN. NO, THERE IN VERSE 18 VERSE 19 OF ACTS 20 HE SPOKE THE FACT THAT HE WAS ONE WHO LIVED AMONG THEM IN HUMILITY. THOSE FROM EPHESUS KNEW THE CHARACTER OF PAUL. HE LIVED AMONG THEM AND SHOWED HIMSELF TO BE A HUMBLE MAN. HE WASN'T SEEKING TO MAYBE BRING UP HIS OWN NAME. HE WASN'T SEEKING TO DEFINE A PLACE OF GLAMOUR OR A PLACE OF SUPERIORITY. HE WAS SIMPLY SEEKING TO DO THE WORK OF GOD. IN DOING THAT HE DID IT VERY HUMBLY. WE ALSO LEARN THERE IN VERSE 19 THAT THIS WAS HIS WAY OF LIFE. THAT HE WAS A MAN WHO CONTINUED TO LIVE THIS WAY. BUT THERE ARE MORE THINGS THAT WE LEARN ABOUT PAUL. LOOK THERE ALSO IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 IN VERSE 20. HE GOES ON AND SAYS THAT HE, "KEPT BACK NOTHING THAT WAS HELPFUL, BUT PROCLAIMED IT TO YOU, AND TAUGHT YOU PUBLICLY FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, TESTIFYING TO JEWS, AND ALSO TO GREEKS, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST." WHAT WAS HIS LIFE ALL ABOUT? IT WAS ABOUT EVANGELISM! HE WOULD TEACH BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS ALIKE, HE WOULD TEACH THEM PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY. WHEREVER HE HAD OPPORTUNITY HE WAS SEEKING TO TEACH THE GOSPEL. HE WANTED THOSE WHO WOULD LISTEN TO THE SAVING MESSAGE TO REPENT AND TURN TO GOD. HE WANTED THEM TO HAVE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH AND THAT HE COULD SAVE THEM FROM THEIR SINS. THIS HUMBLE PREACHER WAS ABOUT PREACHING THE GOSPEL SEEKING TO REACH THE LOST WITH THAT SAVING MESSAGE. WHAT ELSE DO WE LEARN ABOUT PAUL? WE FIND THERE IN VERSE 22 THAT HE DIDN'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT EVEN AS AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST. VERSE 22 HE SAYS, "AND SEE, NOW I GO BOUND IN THE SPIRIT TO JERUSALEM, NOT KNOWING THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME THERE." MAYBE THE JEWS THERE IN JERUSALEM ALREADY HAD PLANS TO DO GREATER FORMS OF PERSECUTION TO PAUL. MAYBE THEY WERE ALREADY PLOTTING TO TRY TO END HIS LIFE. HE DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN BUT HE WAS STILL WAS GOING TO GO. <br><br>

      NOW THERE WAS SOME INDICATION HERE ON THIS OCCASION THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN MORE PERSECUTIONS TO COME. LOOK THERE IN VERSE 23. ALTHOUGH HE SAYS I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN HE SAYS THIS, "EXCEPT THE HOLY SPIRIT TESTIFIES IN EVERY CITY, SAYING THAT CHAINS AND TRIBULATIONS AWAIT ME." MORE PERSECUTIONS WERE GOING TO COME. BUT HE SAYS IN VERSE 24, "NONE OF THESE THINGS MOVE ME; NOR DO I COUNT MY LIFE DEAR TO MYSELF, SO THAT I MAY FINISH MY RACE WITH JOY, AND THE MINISTRY WHICH I RECEIVED FROM THE LORD JESUS, TO TESTIFY TO THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD." HE MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN EXACTLY WHAT WAS AHEAD. MAYBE SOME FORM OF PERSECUTION INDEED WAS COMING SO HE SAYS THAT WASN'T GOING TO DETOUR ME. HE WASN'T GOING TO BE DETOURED FROM PREACHING GOD'S SAVING MESSAGE. HE WAS GOING TO GO TO JERUSALEM. IF THAT MEANT MORE PERSECUTION, THEN SO BE IT. HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A GREATER JOY AND A REWARD THAT ULTIMATELY WOULD COME IN A HOME OF HEAVEN IN THE PRESENCE, IF THAT MEANT SUFFERING MORE, MORE PERSECUTION, IF THAT MEANT BRINGING ABOUT MORE TEARS OF SUFFERING, THEN SO BE IT! THAT WAS THE ATTITUDE THAT PAUL HAD IN THIS LIFE. <br><br>

      WHAT WE LEARN FROM HIS CHARACTER IS THAT HE WAS AN EARNEST MAN, A SINCERE MAN. A MAN WHO ENGAGED IN WORK OF THE LORD AND THAT BROUGHT ABOUT TEARS OF SUFFERING AND HE WOULD SHED THOSE TEARS OF SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF GOD AND FOR THE SAKE OF JESUS CHRIST. WHAT REALLY BROUGHT ABOUT THESE TEARS? IT WAS PERSECUTION. WE READ IN ANOTHER PLACE IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 VERSE 12 PAUL WOULD WRITE THERE THAT ALL WHO DESIRE TO LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION. PAUL LIVED THAT. THAT WAS HIS LIFE. HE INDEED SUFFERED PERSECUTION FOR THE SAKE OF GOD BECAUSE HE LIVED GODLY AND THOSE TRIALS CAME. AND ALONG WITH THOSE TRIALS CAME ONCE AGAIN THESE TEARS OF SUFFERING. THEY REALLY WERE BROUGHT ABOUT NOT BECAUSE, NOT NECESSARILY HE WAS FEELING A PHYSICAL PAIN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE PERSECUTION, THOSE WHO WOULD STAND OPPOSED TO HIS MISSION, STAND OPPOSED TO JESUS CHRIST AND HE KNEW THAT AS HE CONTINUED THIS MISSION THERE WOULD BE MANY MORE WHO WOULD STAND IN HIS WAY. BUT HE WOULD NOT BE STOPPED! AND ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT KEEP THEM FROM SOMETIMES BEING ABLE TO REACH THOSE WHO NEEDED THAT SAVING MESSAGE HE WOULD KEEP ON THOSE JOURNEYS. HE WOULD KEEP PREACHING AND HE WOULD KEEP TEACHING. IF HE HAD TO SHED MANY MORE TEARS OF SUFFERING HE WOULD DO THAT KNOWING THAT HE WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CAUSE OF CHRIST. <br><br>

      AS WE PAUSE HERE FOR A MOMENT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT OURSELVES. THAT VERSE THERE IN SECOND TIMOTHY CHAPTER 3 VERSE 12 IS ONE THAT SHOULD CAUSE US TO REALLY REFLECT. ALL WHO DESIRE GOD IN CHRIST JESUS WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION. WE MIGHT NOT LIVE IN THE SAME EXACT CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH PAUL LIVED. MAYBE OUR WORLD DIFFERS IN MANY WAYS BUT ARE YOU SUFFERING PERSECUTION? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME THAT YOU CRIED? NOT JUST TEARS IN GENERAL, BUT TEARS OF SUFFERING FOR THE SAKE OF CHRIST? HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED THAT? I THINK IT REALLY CAUSES US TO REFLECT AND THINK ABOUT THE WAY WE'RE LIVING. ARE WE WILLING TO DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO PREACH AND TEACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS? ARE WE WILLING TO GO TO WHATEVER EXTREME THAT MIGHT BE JUST LIKE PAUL DID AND SUFFER ALL THESE THINGS FOR THE SAKE OF JESUS CHRIST? WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED TEARS OF SUFFERING? THESE AREN'T THE ONLY TYPE OF TEARS OF SUFFERING WE CAN FIND IN THE BIBLE. INDEED, THERE ARE ACTUALLY MANY MORE EXAMPLES THAT WOULD SHOW US INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING IN DIFFERENT WAYS. NOT JUST PERSECUTION BUT FROM OTHER THINGS. <br><br>

      LET'S TAKE A MOMENT HERE TO THINK ABOUT THESE OTHER PASSAGES AND RETHINK ABOUT THE GREATER EXAMPLES THAT WE FIND CONCERNING TEARS OF SUFFERING. WHAT ABOUT EVEN HERE IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 ONCE AGAIN. THERE ARE MORE TEARS TO BE SHED HERE ON THIS OCCASION. LOOK DOWN THERE WITH ME IN ACTS CHAPTER 20 IN VERSE 36 AND FOLLOWING. THERE IT SAYS, "WHEN HE HAD SAID THESE THINGS, HE KNELT DOWN AND PRAYED WITH THEM ALL. THEN THEY ALL WEPT FREELY, AND FELL ON PAUL'S NECK AND KISSED HIM, SORROWING MOST OF ALL FROM THE WORDS WHICH HE SPOKE, THAT THEY WOULD SEE HIS FACE NO MORE. AND THEY ACCOMPANIED HIM TO THE SHIP." TEARS OF SUFFERING FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT THEY WERE SUFFERING FROM THE FACT THAT THEY MIGHT NEVER SEE THE FACE OF PAUL EVER AGAIN. ISN'T IT A SAD OCCASION WHEN WE HAVE TO PART FROM THOSE THAT WE LOVE? MAYBE IT IS FROM THE TRAVELS THAT MIGHT TAKE SOME OF YOUR FAMILY ONE PLACE AND OTHERS ANOTHER PLACE NOT KNOWING IF YOU'LL SEE THEM AGAIN? MAYBE YOU VISIT A CONGREGATION FROM ANOTHER STATE OR MAYBE EVEN ANOTHER COUNTRY AS YOU DO MISSION WORK NOT KNOWING IF YOU WILL EVER SEE THOSE BRETHREN AGAIN ONCE YOU LEAVE THEM? THAT DOES BRING ABOUT A TYPE OF SUFFERING AND TEARS OF SUFFERING CAN BE SHED EVEN ON THOSE OCCASIONS. <br><br>

      ANOTHER TYPE OF TEARS OF SUFFERING WE MAY FIND WOULD BE A RESULT FROM BAD DECISIONS. WE FIND THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER 27 VERSE 38 SUCH AN EXAMPLE AND THAT BEING FROM ESAU. IF YOU REMEMBER THE ACCOUNT OF ESAU, ESAU WAS ONE WHO HAD SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGHT TO HIS BROTHER JACOB. NOT A VERY GOOD DECISION TO DO THAT AND WE FIND THERE IN GENESIS CHAPTER 27 VERSE 38 THESE WORDS. IT SAYS ESAU SAID TO HIS FATHER, "'HAVE YOU ONLY ONE BLESSING, MY FATHER? BLESS ME - ME ALSO, O MY FATHER!' AND ESAU LIFTED HIS VOICE AND WEPT." NO DOUBT HE COULD REFLECT UPON THAT BAD DECISION THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THESE TEARS. HE WAS SUFFERING BECAUSE HE LOST HIS BIRTHRIGHT AND WOULD NOT RECEIVE THIS BLESSING OF THE FIRSTBORN. AND THOSE TEARS OF SUFFERING WERE SHED AS A RESULT OF HIS BAD DECISION TO SELL THAT BIRTHRIGHT AND ALSO THE FACT THAT HIS BROTHER AND HIS MOTHER EVEN TRICKED HIS OWN FATHER INTO GIVING THAT BLESSING TO THE YOUNGER. THINK ABOUT ALSO OTHER TEARS OF SORROW. MAYBE IT'S FROM WHAT YOUR ENEMIES WOULD BRING UPON YOU. <br><br>

      DAVID ALSO HAD MANY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT TEARS AND SOME OF THAT IS WHAT WE FIND IN PSALM SIX. PSALM SIX BEGINNING IN VERSE SIX DAVID SAYS THIS, "I AM WEARY WITH MY GROANING; ALL NIGHT I MAKE MY BED SWIM; I DRENCH MY COUCH WITH MY TEARS. MY EYES WASTES AWAY BECAUSE OF GRIEF; IT GROWS OLD BECAUSE OF ALL MY ENEMIES. DEPART FROM ME ALL YOU WORKERS OF INIQUITY; FOR THE LORD HAS HEARD THE VOICE OF MY WEEPING. THE LORD HAS HEARD MY SUPPLICATION. THE LORD WILL RECEIVE MY PRAYER." DAVID WAS PRAYING BECAUSE HIS ENEMIES WERE AFTER HIM. HE CALLS THEM WORKERS OF INIQUITY, THOSE WHO ARE SEEKING TO DO HIM HARM. AND THE WAY THAT HE DESCRIBES HIS TEARS THAT THEY WOULD EVEN CAUSE HIS BED AND HIS COUCH TO BE WET BECAUSE HE CRIED FOR SO LONG. MAYBE YOU HAVE PRAYED PRAYERS TO GOD BECAUSE YOU'VE ALSO SHED TEARS OF SUFFERING BECAUSE OF YOUR ENEMIES AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO YOU. WHAT ABOUT EVEN TEARS OF SUFFERING BECAUSE OF A CONSEQUENCE OR PUNISHMENT THAT MIGHT COME ULTIMATELY BY THE HAND OF GOD, WHAT HE MIGHT ALLOW? PSALM 80 WOULD SPEAK OF SUCH. PSALM 80 IN VERSE FIVE FROM THE STANDPOINT OF GOD WOULD GIVE US THESE WORDS. CONSIDER THERE WHAT THE PSALMIST SAYS. PSALM 80:5 SAYS OF GOD, "YOU HAVE FED THEM WITH THE BREAD OF TEARS, AND GIVEN THEM TEARS TO DRINK IN GREAT MEASURE." SOMETIMES BECAUSE OF OUR CHOICES GOD ALLOWS US TO SUFFER IN THIS LIFE THAT WE MIGHT LEARN OUR LESSON TEARS OF SUFFERING BROUGHT ABOUT AS A CONSEQUENCE AGAIN BECAUSE OF CHOICES. WHAT ABOUT EVEN TEARS FROM ANOTHER STANDPOINT. <br><br>

      HANNAH IS MENTIONED THERE IN FIRST SAMUEL CHAPTER 1 THAT SHE WAS BARREN AND WHEN SHE CAME TO THE TABERNACLE THERE TO PRAY SHE PRAYED EARNESTLY AND SHE WEPT BECAUSE SHE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A CHILD. SHE HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE A MALE OFFSPRING FOR HER HUSBAND. OR MAYBE THE GREATEST EXAMPLE IS EVEN OF JESUS HIMSELF IN JOHN CHAPTER 11. AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS FRIEND LAZARUS AND SEEING THE SISTERS THERE, MARY AND MARTHA MOURNING, JESUS SEEING THAT SCENE HIMSELF AS RECORDED THERE IT SAYS HE WEPT. AGAIN TEARS OF SUFFERING. TEARS OF SUFFERING MIGHT BE SHED ON MANY DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BUT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THOSE TEARS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE INDEED THE TEARS OF SUFFERING WE SHOULD BE SUFFERING IN THIS LIFE. <br><br>

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      CLOSING COMMENTS   <br><br>   

      LET ME THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. I HOPE AND TRUST, THAT TOGETHER WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM THIS SERVICE TO OUR LORD. LET ME ALSO INVITE YOU TO JOIN US EVERY LORD'S DAY MORNING AT 7:30 AS WE GIVE THIS TIME TO OUR CREATOR.    <br><br>   

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AS GOD'S PEOPLE, MAY WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT WE HAVE GOD TO COUNT ON AND LEAN ON WIN LIFE COMES CRASHING IN. THERE ARE NO TROUBLES IN THIS LIFE THAT GOD IS UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH. OH, WHAT A LOVING AND GLORIOUS GOD WE SERVE! CAST ALL YOUR CARE ON HIM TODAY!

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