Turn to Hebrews chapter 5. I titled the message, The University
of Suffering. The University of Suffering.
People want to know where you went to school. Where did you
graduate from? All of God's children attend
this university. This is where they learn obedience,
respect. This is where they really learn
the things that are important. They learn of God. They learn
of themselves. Verse 8, Though he were a son,
yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. He learned obedience by the things
which he suffered. We come into this world knowing
nothing. We're not religious. We have
no political affiliations. We are blank as can be. Really. We don't know anything. We have
to learn our name. We have to learn the simplest
thing there is, our name. But as we grow up, we begin to
learn, to be educated. Our parents teach us manners,
obedience. How do you learn obedience? Discipline. We learn respect, and of course,
we go on to school, we learn reading, writing, and all that
stuff. Ignorance is removed by education,
a continual education, or it slips back in. I assure you,
it'll slip back in. I heard this statistic last night.
It was amazing. People who graduate from college. By the end of that summer, they
forget 80% of what they learned. It's a proven fact. They said
you can call them back 48 hours later after they took their final
exam and most of them couldn't pass it. 48 hours later, they
can't remember half of it. That's us. That's a good commentary
of us. But our Heavenly Father takes
every one of His children and He teaches them. He instructs
them. He educates them. Every last
one of them. He teaches them. I read this
Job this morning. Let me see if I can find where
I wrote that down. I wrote it down here somewhere. I'll find
it here in a second. It's in Job. Maybe I won't. Job 36. Job 36. In Job 36, I'll
give you the verse. Look in verse 21. Take heed,
regard not iniquity, for this hast thou chosen rather than
affliction, murmuring against God rather than submitting to
the afflicting rod of God. Now listen here, verse 22. Behold,
God exalts by His power who teaches like Him. When He teaches, His
children learn. They learn. He teaches, it says
over in John chapter 6 verse 45, all thy children shall be
taught of God. They shall be taught of God.
So here in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 8, we learn that obedience is
learned through suffering. There is no going around this.
All of God's children must attend this school, all of them. He
says in Isaiah, when you go through the water, I'll be with you.
And the fire, he didn't say if, did he? He said when. When you go through it, you're
going through it. You're going through the water
and the fire. Sooner or later, if you're God's child, you're
going to go through it. He didn't say if you go through it, it's
when you go through it. Every one of God's children must
go to the university Now, the first thing that really caught
my attention of this message is this. Though he were a son,
brethren, we ought to stand amazed here. We ought to stand amazed. Who is the writer talking about?
He's talking about the eternal Son of the living God. He's talking
about the second person of the Trinity. He's saying here that
the Son of God The second person of the Trinity, though he were
a son of the Only Begotten Son, did not exempt him from suffering. There was no way for the Son
of God to redeem us from our sins without a perfect suffering
for our sins. No way. The law could not be
satisfied with his perfect representation without His perfect suffering
also. It can't be. You see, the law demands not
that just we die, but that we suffer, that we suffer. Though He were a Son, though
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, which means He's God.
He's God in every way. He's the Sovereign. He's the
Creator. He's the Ruler. He's the sustainer
of all things. All things are made by him. All
things are upheld by the word of his power. He maintains all
things. He maintains the existence of
all things. Being God, he's holy. He knew
no sin. He's good. Scripture says he
went about doing good. You have to be good to do good. He has all power, and the list
goes on. But when he became flesh, it
says in John 1, 14, the Word was made flesh. The Word in John
chapter 1, verse 1, the Word was with God, the Word was God.
In verse 14, the Word was made flesh. And when the Word was made flesh,
he became subject to the law. As our representative, he took
our curse. Our curse fell on him. It says in Isaiah 63, 9, in all
their afflictions, he was afflicted. in all their afflictions. He
was tempted. We looked at this last week.
He was tempted in all points as we are yet without sin. Look over in Hebrews chapter
2. If you're in Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 2, verse 17. Well, let me look here. Look
in verse 16. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels,
but he took on him the seed of Adam. It doesn't say that, does
it? The seed of Abraham. Wherefore,
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful, faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For
in that he himself hath suffered. He's able to succor them that
are tempted. He was made like unto his brethren
in all things, therefore he must suffer. It says also here that
he learned obedience. Here is a revelation. You see,
we have the declaration that he's a son. He's the Son, the
Son of God. Now, here's a revelation that
he's a real man. This has to do with his manhood.
He learned obedience. As God, he knew all things. Yet, as a man, he learned all
things. It says in Luke chapter 2, verse
52, that he increased in wisdom and in stature. How can that be? Great is the
mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. Now, if you and I could really
understand that, it wouldn't be a mystery, would it? Great is the mystery
of godliness. God and man in one person. God who created all. God who
knows all. And a man who has to learn like
you and I learn, he learned just like we learned. Now, how did he learn? He said,
by the things which he suffered. Obedience is learned by suffering. Or it can be read like this.
He learned obedience by the things which he experienced. That's
what it's saying. He learned obedience by the things
which he experienced. Now, we know that Christ was
never disobedient. We know that. Yet, because he
was a son, and in this flesh, and represented us, he must suffer. He must. Because that's the way
we learn. We learn through suffering. Let me ask you this question.
Do we really learn anything until we experience it? Oh, I feel so sorry for you.
Have you experienced their pain? I know we can be sympathetic.
We can be sympathetic. We can show empathy. But to really
feel, The pain. You've got to go through it. You've got to go through it.
To really be able to sit down beside of someone that's hurting,
you have got to hurt. You've got to do it. What did
he suffer? Well, you know, at his birth,
where was he laid? In a comfortable baby bed? He was laid in a manger in a
cow stall. That's where he was laid. He
knows what poverty is. He knows what it is. When he was baptized, we looked
at this a week or two ago, what happened immediately after that?
He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be what? Tempted
of the devil. of the devil. People misunderstood
him. They slandered his name. They
mocked him. He was betrayed with a kiss. Oh, he suffered. He suffered. He bore our griefs and carried
our sorrows. He cries out, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? No believer will ever say that. No believer will ever, ever suffer
being forsaken of God. He did. He cried on the cross, I thirst. His tongue cleaved to the roof
of his mouth. He knows what pain, bodily pain
is. They drove the nails through
his hands, his feet. They lacerated his body. They
mutilated his body. He suffered. And then he suffered
at the hands of God's justice. Unmitigated wrath. Oh, he suffered. He suffered. Then he suffered
death. Now what a mystery. He learned
obedience by the things which he suffered, which he experienced. Now how do you and I learn the
same way? We learn the same way he learned. Obedience is the first course
in the university of suffering. And not one of God's sons missed
this course. It's a required course. It's
the first course. Turn over to Psalm 119. Psalm
119. Psalm 119, look in verse 67. Psalm 119,
verse 67. Before I was afflicted, I went
astray, but now have I kept thy word. Affliction gets our attention,
doesn't it? Oh, he said, none teaches like
God. Before I was afflicted, I went astray. And if you notice the next verse,
he says, thou art good and doest good. He didn't say, why'd you
do this? He said, no, you're good. The
Lord is good. When he's afflicted me, he's
good. Look in verse 71. It is good for me that I have
been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes. Affliction gets
our attention. Affliction keeps us from falling
asleep in class. It'll wake you up. It's good for me that I've been
afflicted that I might learn thy statutes. Look in verse 75. I know, O Lord,
that thy judgments are right, they're right, and that thou
in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Now, brethren, that's how
we handle affliction. We handle it like our Lord handled
it. That's how we're to handle it. I brought a message not long
ago from Ecclesiastes. In Ecclesiastes, I believe it's
seven, he says, it's better to go to the house of mourning than
to go to the house of mirth. Isn't that what he said? It's
better. For the living, he says, will
lay it to heart. We naturally want to play. We
naturally like, by nature, we like the house of mirth. But
I tell you what, that leads in a wrong direction. The living lay at the heart. You know what my favorite subject
was in school? Recess. That was my favorite subject.
Recess. When's recess? And that's us,
isn't it? That's us. Recess all the time. We'd be in recess all the time.
But God in faithfulness afflicts us, disciplines us, and teaches
us and instructs us and weans us from this world. Here's a second course in this
university. We learn by suffering how frail
we are. I used to think I was a strong
man. Because that's all relative,
isn't it? But through suffering, we learn
how frail we are, how frail we are in body. Just get a little
germ, a microscopic germ, and you'll be sniffling like a baby.
That's all it takes. And how frail we are in spirit.
Let him that thinketh he standeth, that he lest he fall. We learn through suffering that
His grace is sufficient. It is, isn't it? We learn the
power of grace. It's not just a word. It's an
experience. And we learn the power of God's
grace and that His grace is sufficient. Paul said, when I am weak, then am I strong. And we learn through suffering
to depend on Christ for all we need. He teaches us to lean on
Him, to depend on Him. Without me, you can do nothing. It teaches us these things. We
learn how frail we are. We learn that His grace is sufficient. We learn to depend on the Lord
Jesus Christ for all things, in all situations, at all times. And then the third course in
this university is we learn this. How to comfort. How to comfort. You've been around people that's,
you know, you go, if you're around someone that's really going through
a real heartache and it's something you've never experienced, don't
you find it hard to find something to say? I mean, it's just tough. It's
tough. In Isaiah 50, verse 4, it says
concerning Christ that He speaks the word in what? Season. You
see, suffering, afflictions and these trials, and enable us to
speak a word in season to a brother or sister going through the heartache.
That's the only way you'll learn to do it. Turn over to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. Look in verse 3, 2 Corinthians
chapter 1 verse 3, Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who
comforteth us in our tribulation. Now listen, that we may be able
to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith
we ourselves are comforted of God. Where the sufferings of
Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And whether
we be afflicted, it's for your consolation. Also, what I'm going
through will enable me to be of real comfort to you. And it's for your consolation
and salvation, which is effectual in, listen now, which is effectual
in the enduring of the same suffering which we also suffer. Or whether we be comforted, it's
for your consolation and salvation. Oh, who comforteth us in all
our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are
in trouble. You can't comfort anyone until
you've walked in their shoes. Our Lord can comfort every one
of His children because He walked in their shoes. He walked in
them. He walked in. You know, there's things I'll
experience that you won't. There's things you will experience
that I won't. But there's nothing that we will experience that
he didn't. Attempted in all points. Tried
in all points. We can only be of real comfort
to someone when we have experienced their pain and the comfort that
God gives us in that situation. Here's the fourth course, and
I'm going to close. The fourth thing that we learn
and that happens in this school, this university of suffering,
is maturity. There is nothing to make you
grow up like suffering, like affliction. I'm a child of God. I'm talking about a child of
God. We are not freshmen. We are not sophomores or juniors. We are now seniors. We are grown
men and women in Christ, ready to graduate from this life. Now, you don't graduate until
you leave this life. You know, one of the biggest
problems is people get the idea that they graduate from school.
You don't ever graduate from learning. Do you really? Now,
if you use your brain, you don't. ripe fruit. There's nothing that
will ripen you for heaven, for God's presence, like going through
suffering and affliction. I said to Henry one time, I said,
about the time we really learn something, it's time to go. And
you know what? That's right. That's right. Trials teach us obedience, how
frail we are, that His grace is sufficient. It teaches us
our dependence on Him. It teaches us true humility.
It teaches us how to comfort. And it matures us. It makes us
ripe for heaven. Let me read a couple of scriptures,
but let's go over 1 Peter first. 1 Peter chapter 1. Look at verse 3. 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead. to an inheritance incorruptible,
undefiled, and that fate is not away, reserved in heaven for
you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season." Now listen. Remember this. All trials are for a season. They do have an end. Now for a season, if need be. Our Father knows what we need,
does He not? Our Lord said that. There in the Sermon on the Mount.
Your Father knows what things you have need of. And if need
be, you need to suffer a while. Affliction, if you need affliction.
He's faithful. We read that. And He'll give
it. He'll give it. His faithfulness. If need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." Now listen, here's
the importance of it. Here's the importance of it.
"...that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than
of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might
be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of
Jesus Christ." I want to know I have faith,
real faith now. Now, we'll close with 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Look in verse four, I mean, let's
look in verse 17. You can tell that the man who
wrote this, Apostle Paul, was mature, grown up now. Because he says, for our light
affliction, our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, a season, worketh for us. Our affliction works
for us, not against us. Don't think it's against you.
Don't think losing something is against you if God's taking
it. It worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at
the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things
which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earth
and house, if this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building
of God and house not made with hands. eternal in the heavens. Oh, my soul. Every one of God's children,
every one of them, must go to this school. It's where we learn. It's where we learn obedience. It's where we learn our frailty,
our dependency, his sufficiency, how to comfort, and it ripens
us for heaven. Now, would you miss that? You
can't put a price on that. You graduate from the universities
in this world, you usually end up owing about 50 grand. Listen
here, you inherit glory.