Phil. 1:29, Prison letter from Rome as a personal letter, .

sailed 2 days from Troas to Neeapolis (Port) 10 miles from there to Philippi, a roman colony, a city of district of the Macedonia. Lydia, slave girl, philippian Jailers, Pauls Romans citizenship. 10 years ago he and Silas sang the songs in prison at Philippi, from there Macedonia. All the years Phillippians are partners in his work, when they heard he is prison they send some donation with Epaphroditus Thank you note and wish to address some other issues as he heard from Epaphroditus. 1:29, 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 Faith The gift of faith enables us to believe in Christ. Without this gift from the Lord, we would never be saved. By such faith our sins are forgiven& become reconciled to God. Eph. 2:8 (been saved through Faith). Disbelief and disobedience caused sin and eternal death. Without God in the World. John 3:16, Who ever believes in him shall not perish, but eternal life. Rom.1:16, I am not ashamed of the Gospel, it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. Saved by faith, Justified by faith, sanctified by faith, Glorified by faith. We live by faith, walk by faith not by sight. fight the good fight by faith. We overcome by faith. Heb, 11, By faith chapter By faith we wait for the hope of righteousness. We should ends our lives by faith. Keep the faith until death. Suffering: It is the gift nobody wants and might be strange to think about as a gift or a privilege But it is Scriptural , it is a part and parcel of Christian life. It is packed in the package of salvation given those follow Christ faithfully. Not a play ground but battleground, fighting with the world and satanic forces. Donald English: There is no authentic Christian service that does not have suffering written into it. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship Jesus and suffering, Phil. 2, Heb. 12:2

 Jesus understands suffering for he has walked this road as no other man. School of suffering and cross, a cup full of suffering and pain. Lived under the shadow of Cross, death on the cross Cross: it is only reserved for those on the bottom rung of the social ladder such as slaves, hardened criminals and enemies of the state. In Romans time cross was a vulgar word not used in polite company. According to Cicero, the great Roman statesman and philosopher, the word was so vulgar that Roman citizens should never even mention it: it should never pass through their thoughts, eyes, or ears. Crucifixion purposely carried out in public places as to public entertainment and public mockery and crucified naked even though crucified figures of Jesus covered with a loincloth. It was common for the victim to be denied burial. Crucified victims served as food for wild beasts and birds of prey. For the early hearers of the gospel found difficult to accept cross as a mark for salvation(1 Cor.1:23) stumbling block, sheer madness. St. Augustian said: God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering. Frank Lake: the events surrounding the cross portray every variety of human suffering and evil. He suffered injustice, felt the shame of nakedness, deprived of his rights, endured taunting, became the focus of the rage of others, mockery rejected and forsaken. Physical pain, hunger, emptiness, torment, confusion finally death. He was abused, despised and rejected, neglected, deserted, betrayed, treated unfairly, mocked, naked. Abandonment , rejection by God. It is the answer to age old question Where is God when innocent suffers Having personally experienced such breadth and depth of human suffering, Jesus truly identify with us when we suffer. Apostles Apostle before the Pentecost they ran a way from the suffering but in Acts 5:40- 41, beat them & Charged. Rejoicing and counted worthy to suffer Call of Paul. Acts. 9:16. How much he will suffer for my names sake 2 Tim.1:12, For this reason I also suffer but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed. Teaching of Paul: Acts 14:22, through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

 Macedonian church, Thessalonian, Corinthian Church etc. 2. Tim. 3:12, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Christians around the World are suffering Letter to Diagnosus , Christians love all men but suffer by all men The number of Christian martyrs, those who have died for faith in Christ, in this century alone is greater than all the other centuries combined. It is approximately 35 millions. Every year some 163,000 Christians are killed. 2/3 of the worlds population lives under governments which persecutes Christians 10 top most countries persecuting Christians, Myanmar, China, Egypt, Iran, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, N.Korea, Vietnam, India. Millions of missionaries across the nations proclaiming the love of Christ under threat and communial forces. Books like John Fox, Mennonite Martyrs(1920-40). Graham Stianes, an Australian missionary. Why Christians are suffering: John 15:18 ff, Phil. 3:20, 1:27 manner of life as poleteimoi citizen of the gospel. New citizenship. Christians love all and suffer by all.
The letter to Diognetus, expressed well this paradox of the Christian life, namely our dual citizenship: Christians are not distinguished from the rest of humanity by country, language or custom but while they live in both Greek and Barbarian cities and follow the local customs in dress and food and other aspects of life, at the same time they demonstrate the remarkable and admittedly unusual character of their own citizenship. They live in their own countries, but only as aliens; they participate in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners They live on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven In a word, what the soul is to the body, Christians are to the world.

Why it is a gift 1. Draws near to Jesus and Jesus near to us. We can see him closely. Stephen, John, Daniel friends Identifies with Jesus, share the sufferings of Christ. Partakers/fellow sufferers with Christ. Koinonia Participation in the sufferings of Christ. Baptism in suffering, United with him, If believers share the cross with Him, they will share in His crown. Glorified with him when his glory revealed Matt. 5:11-12, Blessed are you when men revile you, persecute and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely y on my account Rom. 8:17, We suffer with him in order that we may also glorified with him, 2 Cor. 4:17, for this slight momentary afflictions is preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparision 2 Tim. 2:12 If we die with him, we also shall live with him, if we endure we shall also reign with him I Pet. 4:14. if you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of Glory and of God rests upon yo u 2. Identifies with the saints 3.One of the tools God uses to mold his children into vessels that bring glory to Jesus. Purifies the believers. Resembles the Lord. Make you more like Jesus Heb. 2:10. Jesus pioneer of our salvation perfect through suffering. Perfection through suffering. Phil. 3:10, I may share his sufferings, becoming like him It builds the character of a Christian. Let the people see Christ in us. Suffering, sickness comes to Glorify God 2 cor. 4:10, Always carrying the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal lives Living Gospels, let the world outside the church should see Christ. you are writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do, and the words that you say. Men read what you write. 4. Increase testimony to others, carries the message of Gospel. Phil. 1:12, what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, became known through out to all that rest.. Through the suffering he would be a testimony for Jesus for Jesus Christ. Where ever church been persecuted there church is growing, blood of the martyrs is seed of the Church Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church 4. It brings Glory to God, I Pet. 4:16, if one suffered as a Christian , let him not be ashamed, but in that glorify God

He is gloried and lifted up. 5. 2. Cor. 1:3-5, Through our suffering we can comfort others, sympathize with others, once upon a time Paul was a persecute the church, now he is able to comfort and consulate, Response to suffering Christian is not known by his actions but his reactions in the midst of suffering. Satan wants us to think we are alone in the battle, that our difficulties are unique, but such is not the case. Paul reminded the Philippians that he was going through the same difficulties they were experiencing hundreds of miles from Rome! A change in geography is usually no solution to spiritual problems, because human nature is the same wherever you go, and the enemy is everywhere. Knowing that my fellow believers are also sharing in the battle is an encouragement for me to keep going and to pray for them as I pray for myself. A great cloud of witness surrounded Suffering will never be more than we can bear The Lord never abandon you in the midst of suffering. God is with us in our suffering. He knows the depth, width and height of the suffering. Your life cannot be taken without Gods permission. Fear of death, we are on his palm. Conclusion New time gospel de emphasis the message of suffering, sacrifice and struggling, is clearly out of vogue. Name it claim it, prosperity rather than purity. Dr. J. H. Jowett said, Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing. If there is to be any blessing, there must be some bleeding. We want our Easter to come without the necessity of a good Friday. We want glory of the kingdom without sufferings of the cross. Remember, Always Cross proceeds the crown 1 cor. 12:26 if one member suffers, all the members suffer with another. Heb. 13: 3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them. Ps. 126: 5-6 , sowing with tears