For what thanksgiving can we render again to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sakes before our God;
You know Paul, he said, "Hey, I'm gonna suffer tribulation man." He prophesied it, and he said it came to pass. Now this is an interesting thing to me. Paul said, "I was appointed to this." When Paul was converted on the way to Damascus and the Lord spoke to Paul and called him to go to the Gentiles, the Lord told Paul on the road to Damascus all of the things that Paul was gonna have to suffer for Jesus' sake. Huh? That's no way to call a man into a ministry in my estimation.You know, when we seek to inspire men to the ministry, we try and tell them of all of the glorious things that will happen to you as a servant of Jesus Christ, you know. Oh, you'll have the joy of seeing lives transformed and you'll have the thrill of being able to, you know, share God's love with people. And we try and, you know, the people are out there hungry; they're, you know, wanting to hear the gospel. They're waiting to hear. And oh, you'll have the chance to just . . . you know. That's not the way the Lord called Paul. When He called Paul to his ministry He said, "Now, Paul, these are the things that you're gonna suffer for my name's sake. You're gonna be beaten; you're gonna be stoned." And He went on and laid out for Paul all of the sufferings.Jesus, when he called Ananias to go pray for Paul there in Damascus, and Ananias said, "Heh, heh, heh, oh no, not Paul. Hey, you've made a mistake. I've heard about that guy. He's a terror. He's been ripping up the church in Jerusalem, and he's come down here to imprison everybody that's calling on Your name." And Jesus said, "He is a chosen vessel unto me, and I have showed him all of these things that he is gonna suffer for my name's sake." So, for whatever reason or purposes, God chose Paul to suffer affliction. He told him in advance.Now, I do believe that at that point Paul did have the power of choice and he can say, "Lord, call someone else. I don't think I like that. I think I'll just as soon spend the rest of my life making tents and tarsus and living a quite peaceable life. You know, get someone else to do your dirty work." Paul went knowing that it was going to be affliction, knowing that he was gonna suffer, knowing that he was gonna be persecuted. God help us who are looking for the easy path. Lord, can't you plant roses along the side. You know, just sort of carry me along and make it easy. Lord, as long as things are going smooth, I'm gonna serve You with all my heart. But the moment some affliction or trouble comes along, "Aw, wait a minute, I didn't bargain for this."No wonder the writer of Hebrews wrote to those who were complaining and said, "What have you got to complain about? You've not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin. Show me your scars.""So don't be upset," Paul said, "because of the affliction that came, I told you it was gonna happen. You remember that."