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October 12-13, 2002 WHEN YOUR BACK’S
AGAINST THE WALL! Selected WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER
PAIN & SUFFERING! *** Jeremiah
12:1 “Lord, when I bring my case to you, you are always right. But I want to ask you about the justice you
give. Why are evil people
successful? Why do dishonest people
have such easy lives?” [New Century
Version] This isn’t just Jeremiah’s
question… *** John
16:33 “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth
you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome
the world." [New Living Translation] *** Deut.
29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God….” [New
International Version] *** 1 Cor.
13:9-12 “Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has
revealed is incomplete. But when what is complete comes, then what is
incomplete will no longer be used. When
I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a
child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then
we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have
complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me.” [God’s Word to the Nations] WHEN WE ENCOUNTER
PAIN AND SUFFERING THERE ARE: 1. SOME THINGS WE CAN KNOW! A. GOD IS NOT THE CREATOR SUFFFERING! *** Genesis
1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” [NIV] ! GOD GAVE MANKIND A FREE WILL! ! TWO RESULTS:
1. MORAL
EVIL! *** Romans
3:23 “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory.” [CEV] 2. NATURAL
EVIL! *** Genesis
3:17-18 “And to Adam, God said, "Because you listened to your wife and
ate the fruit when I told you not to, I have placed a curse upon the soil. All
your life you will struggle to extract a living from it. It will grow thorns
and thistles for you….” [Living Bible] *** Romans
8:22 “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time.”
[NIV] B. GOD CAN USE SUFFERING FOR HIS GOOD! 1. GOD CAN
USE PAIN TO DRAW PEOPLE TO HIM! ·
“God whispers to us in our pleasure.
He speaks t us in our conscious.
But He shouts to us in our pain.
Pain is God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world!” C.S. Lewis ·
2 Cor. 7:10 “For God can use sorrow in our lives to help us turn
away from sin and seek salvation.” 2. GOD CAN
USE PAIN TO SHARPEN OUR CHARACTER! ·
Romans 5:3-4 “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings,
because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character;
and character, hope.” [NIV] 3. GOD CAN
USE PAIN TO DISCIPLINE! ·
Hebrews 12:9-11 “We have all had fathers here on earth who
disciplined us, and we respected them. So it is even more important that we
accept discipline from the Father of our spirits so we will have life. Our
fathers on earth disciplined us for a short time in the way they thought was
best. But God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as he is. We do
not enjoy being disciplined. It is painful, but later, after we have learned
from it, we have peace, because we start living in the right way.” [New Century Version] *** Romans
8:28 “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.” [NIV] *** Genesis
50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish
what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” [NIV] C. GOD WILL END SUFFERING AND JUDGE
EVIL! *** 2 Peter
3:9 “The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise to return, as some
people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to
perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” [NLT] D. GOD’S REWARDS WILL EXCEED ALL
SUFFERING! *** 2 Cor.
4:17 “For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet
they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!” [NLT] *** Romans
8:18 “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give
us later.” [NLT] *** 1 Cor.
2:9 “However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no
mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” [NIV] 2. SOME THINGS WE CAN DO! A. IDENTIFY DON’T IGNOR THE PAIN! *** Leviticus
20:4 “And if the people of the land pretend they do not know what the man
has done….” [Living Bible] B. RESOLVE DON’T RUN FROM THE
PAIN! *** Psalm 55:8 “I would hurry to my place of
escape, far away from the wind and storm." [NCV] C. SEEK HELP DON’T HIDE FROM THE
PAIN! *** Psalm
32:3 “When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all
day long.” [New Century
Version] *** James
5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so God can
heal you.” D. RELEASE DON’T REHEARSE THE
PAIN! 1. Job 5:2 “To
worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to
do.” [Today’s English Version] E. BE BETTER DON’T BE BITTER FROM
THE PAIN! *** Job 18:4 “You
are only hurting yourself with your anger.” [TEV] ! BITTERNESS
ALLOWS THE PAST TO CONTROL OUR PRESENT! Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the
brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.” [NLT] |