Called to Suffer – Ministers’ Conference 2025

Mr Kevin Swanson

I. Introduction

A. My Experience in 25 Years

Faithful Churches in my country are increasingly persecuted by the world. . . especially if we offend the world by upholding God’s standards of righteousness. . .

We identify with Paul - 2 Cor. 4 — 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Eg. When I was 18 years old, my parents were preparing to return to the mission field. They left me in America. . . and I took this hymn as my marching orders. . .

Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease
While others fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?

B. God’s Calling
When your government calls you to serve in the military. . . that’s an authoritative call. . .
We call that a High Call.

But when GOD CALLS. . . when the LORD JESUS CHRIST CALLS. . . the KING of KINGS, and Lord of Lords calls. . . That’s a Very High Call. That’s the Highest Call of All.

Eg. The difference between a Job and a Call
A Job is signing up to be a Captain of a Ferry boat across a river. . . You can quit on Saturday.
A Calling is signing up to Captain on a Ship across a 356,000 Mile Ocean. You can’t quit!

WE ARE CALLED TO SUFFER. This is the message of the Bible.
Jn. 16:33 — Jesus: “In this world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Acts 14:22 —- Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

Romans 12:1 — I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

A LIVING SACRIFICE — A lifelong sacrifice. . . A sacrifice of a life to God. . .

REASONABLE SERVICE — Totally acceptably, rational, and logical service.
Eg. When someone lights the fire on the altar. . . we instinctively shrink back. It is counter to our natural instincts to stay on the altar. We want to crawl off of it.
It seems UNNATURAL. UNREASONABLE.

But THIS IS ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.

1 Peter 4:12 - DO NOT THINK IT STRANGE concerning the fiery trials as though some STRANGE THING HAPPENED TO YOU.

II. The Reason for Suffering. Because this is our CALLING. This is our LIFE.
6 reasons. . .

1. God has ordained it. This is God’s way for us.

2. A servant is not above his Master. We follow the Master.

John and James’ mother comes to Jesus in Matthew 20: “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, [e]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

If you sign up for ministry, you will be beaten, until you go to heaven.

2 Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

3. We declare war on Satan. We rob his house.

4. This is the modus operandi of the kingdom. This is the way the kingdom advances.
We conquer by suffering.
We are Lambs to the slaughter, and MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

In ALL THESE THINGS — What Things? tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. . . we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

5. Suffering is essential to our spiritual life, and sanctification.

The Christian who does his best to avoid all suffering is probably going to be in sin.
The world gives us the nice devil and the mean devil. .. . The “nice” more friendly devil tempts us to sin, and the mean devil beats us mercilessly.

6. God wants faith. . . God tests our faith. . .
1 Peter. 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

III. Six Effects of Suffering Upon Us

1. This world doesn’t matter much anymore to us. Money doesn’t matter much anymore.

2. What can the world do to us? We do not love our lives unto the death.

3. We are convinced, more and more convinced. . .that the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us.

The saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
And seize it with the eye!

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all thy armies shine
In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

4. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

5. Tribulations produce perseverance, and perseverance develops character and character hope.

a. Patience, Endurance and Steadfastness. . .
b. That produces proven character — STEEL. TOUGHENED. UNBREAKABLE. . .
We have been characterized by a TOUGHNESS in fire.
We went to 1,000 degrees — and came out tougher.
We went through 3,000 degrees— and came out tougher yet.
We went through 10,000 degrees - and came out tougher yet.

c. And that proven character produces more hope. . . and hope does not confound us, consign us to dishonor and shame and depression and pessimism.
OUR EYES SHINE BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER in the trials of life.

6. The confirmation of the love of God in our hearts. (Vs. 5)
Eg. Metallurgists who study steel, aluminum, and Titanium. . . discover different forms of STRENGTH. . . Tensile, Impact, Compressive, and Endurance Strength .. .

Metallurgists have determined that ALL metals will fail. “If enough stress cycles are performed, even the smallest stress will eventually produce fatigue failure.”
BUT. . . this love is stronger than steel. At 800 MPa of pressure force, 10,000 MPa of pressure force . . . that love will still hold for a billion cycles of stress.

The LOVE OF GOD best demonstrates itself to you, when you are going through water and fire.

Isaiah 45: 1 — When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.

Eg. The Martyrs, the suffering saints — one universal testimony. . .
They learned of God’s love more so in the fire.
Eg. There is the fourth man in the fire.
Eg. HERE WE EXPERIENCE, the DEEP FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS.
Eg. John G. Paton in the SOUTH SEAS. . . the uttermost parts of the earth. . .

Eg. Almost lost his life 20-30 times. . . . I walked straight in the middle of them, unarmed. . .and cried out, “My love to all of you men in Tanna! Fear not! I am your friend! I love you everyone! I am here to tell you about Jehovah God!”

We read from Paton’s autobiography: “A club was raised to follow the blow of the killing stone, but God baffled the aim,. They encircled us in a deadly ring, and one kept urging another to strike the first blow or fire the first shot. My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus, I saw Him watching all the scene. My peace came back to me like a wave from God. I realize that I was immortal till my Master’s work with me was done. The assurance came to me, as if a voice out of Heaven had spoken, that not a musket would be fired to wound us, not a club prevail to strike us, not a spear leave the and in which it was held vibrating to be thrown, not an arrow leave the blow or a killing-stone the fingers, WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF JESUS CHRIST, WHOSE IS ALL POWER IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH. HE RULES ALL NATURE, ANIMATE AND INANIMATE AND RESTRAINS EVEN THE VIOLENT WARRIORS OF THE SOUTH SEAS.”

That love poured out upon you and me. . .enables us to love our worst enemies. . .

Eg. Richard Wurmbrand — describes a pastor tortured. . .bloody and beat up. . . tossed into the cell with others. THEY COULD HEAR HIM MUMBLE out the words: “Please, please do not curse the communists. . . we must pray for them. We must pray for them.”

1. Be examples to the flock.
2. Shepherd on. . . Preach on, in season and out of season!