The Cup of Suffering and the Way of the Cross

I'll never forget listening to Leonard Ravenhill tell of a lady who lived near his church in England when he was a young pastor. He said as he walked to his church he had to pass by a poor woman's house who never came to his church but who would watch him walk by it every day. One day she invited him in for a cup of tea.

Leonard Ravenhill said as he entered the home it not only looked like a pigsty but it smelled like one as well. There were boxes of junk and trash stacked almost to the ceiling and everywhere you walked you had to maneuver your way around the trash piles. She invited him into her kitchen and told him to sit at the table by the sink.

He said the sink was full of dirty dishes that had not been washed in some time and there was even some green mold on the stack of the top dish. She reached into the sink and pulled out a dirty cup and then grabbed a teapot off the stove that had cold tea in it. He said then she poured that black tar substance into that dirty cup and handed it to him and she looked at him to see what he was going to do.

Ravenhill said she knew I was the pastor of the church and she knew I had invited her to church in the past and she never came but now she had invited me into her kitchen to drink this cup of black goo to see my reaction if I would drink it or not and Leonard Ravenhill made the following comment he said and as I stared into that filthy cup full of that cold black tar which was supposed to be tea my mind raced back centuries ago to another man who was handed a cup and as he peered into that filthy cup which was full of my dirty rotten sins and the sins of the world he had a drink from it as well he drank the dregs of the sins of the world that were in that black cup of suffering which Jesus willingly drank for me and as I think of that story that Ravenhill told I can't help but think of the passage in scripture in Mark's gospel in chapter 14 where Jesus is in the garden of Gethsemane and he's in anguish over the cup which he has been handed to drink the text says of him that he began to be sore amazed and to be very heavy it speaks of something terrible in that hour of darkness almost too unbearable to face Jesus knew the full weight of the sins he would soon have to bear on the cross he who was holy and innocent soon had to be made a curse for us as the curse of the law was soon to be transferred onto him that cup was heavy that cup of suffering was sorrowful that cup of suffering of agony was bitter Jesus even says to his man my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death tear ye here and watch and he went forward a little and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him and he said Abba father all things are possible unto thee take away this cup from me nevertheless not what I will but what thou wilt listen friends the resignation of Jesus in Gethsemane is a sight to behold the cup of suffering he had to drink was a cup that startled the angels in heaven and shook the very gates of hell it was a cup handed to him by the father and he willingly drank it in the gospel of John in chapter 18 and verse 11 it states then said Jesus unto Peter put up thy sword into the sheath the cup which my father hath given me shall I not drink it Jesus took that bitter cup in submission to his father's will and even though it was a bitter cup he was willing to drink of it he drank of that cup for me he drank of that filthy cup for you what I wish to share with you this evening friends comes from a recent time where I have been shut up with God in my very own personal Gethsemane and today's message flows out from this recent experience and I want to ask each of us today have you been there have you been there have you ever faced a cup of suffering that was too much for you to drink a cup so terrible that you asked God to remove it from you a cup that you eventually had to drink from I say this very solemnly friends for many of us are sold a gospel and a Christianity that bears little resemblance to my bible many have bought into the prosperity gospel many have been deceived by the modern gospel of your day and mine which is a diluted gospel that speaks only of God's love it shies away from sin it shies away from repentance it speaks little about taking up one's cross in a life of discipleship in following Jesus it omits the suffering that often accompanies a Christian along the narrow way we preachers often present a Christianity that seldom resembles the one found in my bible we must preach the cross as well as the crown in the book of Acts where it relates the conversion of Paul the Lord comes to Ananias in a dream and commands him to go seek out one called Saul of Tarsus and in chapter 9 in verses 15 through 16 it declares but the Lord said unto him go thy way for he is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake did you hear that friends great things he must suffer for my name's sake if you ever want to read about those great things that Paul suffered for his testimony in Christ go and read 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 for the apostle Paul's laundry list of sufferings but we paint Christianity in a different light than what our bibles declare it is we make it sound like being a Christian is all honey and blossoms and we fail to mention the thorns or the cup or the cross I've had to drink from my own personal cup of suffering as I have learned to follow my master along the way the cross and that's the title of my message this evening friends the cup of suffering and the way the cross or if you like an abbreviated title the cup and the cross that is my subject at this hour my text is found in Paul's letter to the Philippians in chapter 3 you may turn in your bibles there now we will be in chapter 3 and verse 10 this was said lo back through his favorite bible verse in fact I have several books of his where he signed his name and beneath his name he placed this bible verse there Philippians 3 10 let me read it to us now that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable onto his death this verse of scripture is layered with many levels of powerful truth friends my central theme from it will be the fellowship of his sufferings that's what we will look at this evening for all the rest of the verse centers around that tremendous statement they each link together in a powerful way I recall a story I heard about Helen Rosevere the famous missionary to Africa she was a member of Graham Scroggie's church when she was saved in her late teens and later felt called to be a missionary relating about this time she said as she went forward and approached Graham Scroggie he took her bible and signed his name and put in at Philippians 3 10 and he told her the following he softly said that I may know him this you have hopefully arrived at and you now know him as your savior may there come a day when you are privileged enough to also know the fellowship of his sufferings years later when she was a missionary in the Congo and it was 1966 a rebellion arose where Christians were being attacked and butchered Helen Rosevere was attacked by a vicious mob who cruelly kicked her they beat her with rubber hoses eventually she was raped by one of her attackers and as she was being beaten the pain was almost too much to bear and her mind raced back years ago to that chapel and Graham Scroggie and his words to her may there come a day when you are privileged enough to also know the fellowship of his sufferings she said as she thought upon his words and Philippians 3 10 it was the only thing that got her through that terrible cup of suffering I'm going to make a statement friends and it is a statement that goes against the popular version of our comparable Christianity here in the west and my statement is this any true follower of Christ who is born of the spirit of God must walk in the path which the master tried now what do I mean by such a statement as that I mean this if you desire to be Christ-like if you desire to be used of God in your generation to further the gospel of the son of God then you too must drink of the cup of suffering as you walk along the way of the cross now some of you won't like that statement some of you call me too severe that my Christianity is not your Christianity uh listen to me dear friend of which I speak I know of which I speak it is truth whether you like it or not the casual brand of Christianity which been sold in America is not the Christianity my Bible it doesn't resemble it in the least Chinese Christians know of which I speak Chinese believers count the cost and know that suffering is part and parcel of being a follower of a crucified savior but all I can say to you dear friend is perhaps you will be privileged to one day know the fellowship of his sufferings it will be a cup you will not want to drink you will shy away from it you will even shrink from it but those who submit to the will of the father and drink of that cup of suffering will know of which I speak there are four aspects I'd like to draw forth from my theme this evening the cup of suffering the first is this number one the dregs of that cup in fellowship of abandonment number two the dregs of that cup in fellowship of sorrow and grief number three the dregs of that cup in fellowship of the cross in the life of the believer and number four the dregs of that cup in fellowship of the turned face of the father I wish to look at these individually and apply them to the whole context of Philippians 3 10 listen to me dear friend hear me loud and clear one must drink from the cup of suffering to journey with him the way the cross now that is a statement you can either reject or accept but it's a valid statement nonetheless I will repeat it one must drink from the cup of suffering to journey with him the way the cross now let me draw out several aspects from scripture this evening I wish to say that if you desire to have the power of his resurrection in your life and ministry then you must share in the fellowship of his sufferings you must know the cross and the life of the believer being made conformable unto his death each of these aspects are all intertwined in the life of the child of God by the spirit of God let's now look at these one by one you may wish to take notes in the margin of your bible number one the dregs of that cup in fellowship of abandonment Jesus knew full well the pain of desertion by friends and family scripture tells us they all fled he was abandoned by his disciples those closest to him I believe men in ministry can experience this more frequently than others I look at the life of Jonathan Edwards and I see how he was thrown out of his church in Northampton uh turned out by those closest to him those who were his close friends and scenes of revival blessings he was cast out to the world with a large family with no livelihood nor a place to live until he moved to Stockbridge to work with the Indians there Jonathan Edwards knew the fellowship of his sufferings in drinking the dregs of that cup of abandonment my mind right now goes to two pastor friends of mine of whom both in the last few months have been kicked out of their church by wicked deacons both of these men are without pulpits at this present time and their anguish is real in the cup of abandonment if you are a pastor who has experienced this you know of which I speak in my own personal life I've had to drink the dregs of that cup in fellowship of abandonment I know the bitter dregs of that cup where I have been in a place of desertion by all close to me so Paul makes mention of this fellowship of his sufferings notice the word sufferings is plural let's look at this second aspect friends number two the dregs of that cup in fellowship of sorrow and grief this is a cup hard to swallow indeed and one quite out of our hands the death of a loved one is staggering the overwhelming sense of grief is almost too much to bear Jesus wept over his friend Lazarus his he felt the empathy of grief in his own heart he bemoaned the entire city of Jerusalem and wept over his coming destruction Jesus was called a man of sorrows and he was acquainted with grief I've had to drink of this cup in the fellowship of sorrow and grief the death of my wife was sudden and unexpected the loss has almost been too much to bear at times it's only by his grace I've been held up even to address you here this evening the holidays are dreadful times the empty chair the black void those who have lost loved ones know of which I speak it is only his presence that supports one through a difficult time in life and no one understands what you're going through unless they pass that way themselves number three the dregs in the fellowship of the cross in the life of a believer it has been said no cross no crown you would be hard-pressed friend to walk into a church in this country and hear a sermon on the subject of the cross in the life of a believer why it's an unheard subject today all people want to hear today are feel-good messages and an encouraging word from their pastor so pastors give their people what they want instead of what they need but if you truly want to follow Christ friend then you must tread the way of the cross you must come to the place in your existence where you willingly surrender to that cruel cross where you give up your rights and submit to all the claims and that Christ has on you for you are not your own you were bought with a price he must be a complete master you must come to a place and drink that cup and climb up on that cross and yield all your rights crucify all your desires all your hopes all your freedoms to live your life in the way that best pleases you for a person who is crucified has no rights and they cannot make any demands they are oddly helpless they are oddly at the end of all their human resources the way the cross is there to face every one of us if we are willing to face the severity of it the solemnity of it the power that lay hidden in it for it is here that one experiences the other aspect of our verse the power of his resurrection for without the cross and death of Christ there would not have been the resurrection listen to me brother pastor listen to me fellow evangelists listen to me dear missionary friend if you want power from on high to be upon your ministry then the only path is the one in which the master tried and the one in which he paid for us to follow and that is the way of the cross a crucified christ must have crucified followers the underground church in china knows this power of his resurrection they experience that power in prayer they experience that power in their preaching that's why the church in china is exploding into a force to be reckoned with i repeat if you want this power this anointing from on high then you must be willing to drink the dregs of the cross in your own life and nail every hope nail every pleasure nail every purpose nail every single aspect of your life and will to that cross from my bible declares it's not by power nor by might but by my spirit sayeth the lord of hosts every great revival was birthed from this process of a crucified life a hidden life of prayer an empowered life of preaching god's resurrection power through men which raises the dead and brings them to life salvation is the experience of this power it takes dead men and brings them to life if you desire transforming ministry friend then submit all your rights to that cross surrender every one of every one of them to the will of the father and drink the dregs of the cross in the life of a believer where every aspect of your life is nailed up there where you're not in control any longer but someone who is far more capable far more able far more powerful is in control and the people will say this is the lord's doing and lastly number four the dregs of that cup and fellowship of the turned face of the father when jesus was on the cross with the weight of our sins upon him and the nails piercing his hands and his feet the combination of the physical pain and the spiritual pain was more than any of us could ever hope to bear only the christ the god could endure such immense suffering but the aspect of the cross which i feel was the hardest to bear for christ jesus was the moment that the father turned away from him because a holy god could not look upon sin jesus cried out in anguish of soul my god my god why hast thou forsaken me that friends was the most terrible aspect of calvary that angels and men ever beheld the turned face of the father away from his beloved son david experienced this awful cup when he cried out distress of soul my god my god why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring have you ever been there friend where the heavens seem as brass and god's ear is deaf when the winds of adversity blow into our lives and our faith is put to the test and we pray and seek god at these times and it seems like he's a million miles away where you feel like joseph in prison and there's never going to be a way out for it seems as if god has forgotten you it's a real feeling it's a real experience but listen to me dear friend god has not forsaken you his divine delays are painful trying and hard to fathom but they have a divine purpose in them for our good the turned face of the father is only momentarily it does not last we see in the book of isaiah a demonstration of god's withdrawn presence for a time alongside his declaration of his love for israel look at isaiah 54 beginning in verse 7 for a small moment have i forsaken thee but with great mercies will i gather thee in a little wrath i hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will i have mercy on thee saith the lord thy redeemer there is hope in that first friend there is food for the hungry there is rest for the weary there is an old hymn which i love which states though troubles upset us and trials beset us god is still on the throne and god will take care of his own god is still on the throne friend and if jesus is still on the mountainside in a uh watching you toil in a boiling sea he will eventually come to your rescue because god is a god who delivers his people everywhere i look in my bible i see that my god is not a bankrupt god who has no power uh rather he is a god of moses and the red sea he is the god of abraham and isaac he is a god who raised the dead made the blind to see and the deaf to hear the lame to walk and leap he sets the captives free he is still that kind of god my friend my god is a living god who rules from the heavenly throne and the earth is his footstool even the hearts of kings are in his hands he is an almighty sovereign whose hand is not too short to save he is a mighty deliverer let me reread our verse of philippians 3 10 to us right now that i may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death that verse not only comprises divine truth it comprises a cup and a cross to every believer who follows christ along the narrow way the way where he tread for one must drink from the cup of suffering to journey with him the way of the cross there is power there there is power there there is wonder work and power there which flows from that cross it is resurrection power like our text declares the power of his resurrection it's available to those individuals who drink from the cup of the fellowship of his sufferings and who are willing to be made conformable unto his death which was on a bloody cross listen dear friend in the christian life one must drink of the cup of suffering as you walk along the way of the cross the cup and the cross let us pray