Down But Not Out (Part 2) Series

DOWN BUT NOT OUT (PART 2)

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-11 BRBC 2/10/08

INTRO: TEACHER GIVING A LECTURE TO HIS STUDENTS ON STRESS MANAGEMENT. HE RAISED A GLASS OF WATER AND ASKED THE AUDIENCE, "HOW HEAVY DO YOU THINK THIS GLASS OF WATER IS?" ANSWERS RANGED FROM 12OZ TO 30OZ. "IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE EXACT WEIGHT IS. IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG YOU HOLD IT.

IF I HOLD IT FOR A MINUTE, IT IS OK, IT IS LIGHT.

HOLD IT FOR AN HOUR; ITS WEIGHT WILL CAUSE MY ARM TO ACHE.

IF I HOLD IT FOR A DAY, YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL AN AMBULANCE.

IT IS THE EXACT SAME WEIGHT, BUT THE LONGER I HOLD IT, THE HEAVIER IT BECOMES. THE WEIGHT EVENTUALLY CAUSES ME TO SUFFER"

IF WE TRY TO CARRY OUR BURDENS ALL THE TIME, BY OURSELVES, SOONER OR LATER, THEY WILL CAUSE US TO SUFFER. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CARRY ON, THE BURDENS BECOMING INCREASINGLY HEAVIER. WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO PUT THE GLASS DOWN, REST FOR A WHILE BEFORE HOLDING IT UP AGAIN. WE HAVE TO PUT DOWN THE BURDENS PERIODICALLY; SO THAT WE CAN BE REFRESHED. THEN WE ARE ABLE TO CARRY ON. THIS IS WHAT GOD CAN DO AND WANTS TO DO, FOR US IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING. HE GIVES US A CHANCE TO LET DOWN THE BURDEN OF SUFFERING AND RENEWS OUR STRENGTH TO GO ON.

LAST WEEK WE SHARED ABOUT

REMEMBERING WHAT GOD IS TO YOU. V3 PRAISE

TODAY I WANT TO REMIND YOU TO

REMEMBER WHAT GOD DOES FOR YOU. V4 & 8-11

WHEN THE BURDEN IS HEAVY AND THE SUFFERING OF LIFE IS INTENSE REMEMBER THESE FOUR POINTS…

I. HE PERMITS SOME SUFFERING TO COME

A. SOME BECAUSE OF FLESH AND SIN

ILL: GODS JUDGMENT COMES ON A CHRISTIAN OR A CHURCH WHEN WE KNOW HIS WILL AND WE WILLINGLY DON’T DO IT (SIN OF COMMISSION – COMMIT), OR WE JUST REFUSE TO SEEK HIS WILL IN OUR LIFE PERIOD (SIN OF OMISSION – OMIT). EITHER WAY WE ARE REBELLIOUS CHILDREN. HIS JUDGMENT, OR PUNISHMENT OR DISCIPLINE, IS TO LET US HAVE WHAT WE WANT. RESULTS OFTEN IN OUR SUFFERING.

B. SOME BECAUSE WE ARE HIS CHILDREN

JOHN 15:18-20

V4A - HE COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR SUFFERING IRREGARDLESS AND THIS COMFORT CAN BRING GLORY TO HIS NAME

II. HE IS IN CONTROL OF OUR SUFFERING V8

PAUL DEAD - ACTS 14:19-20 - GOD IN CONTROL!

3 OUTLOOKS ON SUFFERING

1. FATE OR CHANCE CONTROLS SUFFERING. IT

JUST HAPPENS, DESTINY, LUCK – NO HOPE

2. WE CONTROL SUFFERING. LIVE RIGHT,

HEALTHY, DO GOOD THINGS - NO HOPE

BUMPER STICKER - “LIVE RIGHT, STILL DIE”

3. GOD CONTROLS SUFFERING –

(NOT CAUSE BUT CONTROL)

COMFORT, PEACE, MERCY, STRENGTH AND

GREAT HOPE, GREAT GAIN – LEARN!

ROMANS 8:28 “WE KNOW THAT

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE WHO LOVE GOD, TO THOSE WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE “

III. HE ENABLES US TO BEAR OUR SUFFERING V9

A. AS WE GROW WEAKER HE GROWS STRONGER

B. HE WANTS US TO TRUST HIM NOT OUR ABILITY

SUFFERING FOR CHRISTIAN HAS ALL TO DO WITH TRUST, V9B “THAT WE SHOULD NOT TRUST IN OURSELVES BUT IN GOD…”

LISTEN CAREFULLY …

“WE HAD THE SENTENCE OF DEATH IN OURSELVES … TRUST NOT IN OURSELVES BUT IN … GOD WHO RAISES THE DEAD!”

IV. HE DELIVERS US FROM OUR SUFFERING V10

A. "DELIVERED US FROM SO GREAT DEATH"

(SAVED YESTERDAY)

B. "HE DOES DELIVER US"

(STRENGTH TODAY)

C. "IN WHOM WE TRUST THAT HE WILL STILL

DELIVER US"

(HEAVEN TOMORROW)

GOD WILL NOT LEAVE US ALONE IN OUR SUFFERING. HEBREWS 4:14-16 “SEEING THEN THAT WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST WHO HAS PASSED THROUGH THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, LET US HOLD FAST OUR CONFESSION. FOR WE DO NOT HAVE A HIGH PRIEST WHO CANNOT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR WEAKNESSES, BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN. LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED”

THE LORD NOT ONLY COMES TO US, BUT HE HAS PRECEDED US INTO THIS SUFFERING AND HE HAS PREPARED EVERYTHING WE NEED IN THE MIDST OF OUR TRIALS.

YOU MAY BE DOWN, BUT IN CHRIST YOU ARE NOT OUT!

PRAY

DO YOU FEEL TODAY LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN HOLDING THAT WATER GLASS OF SUFFERING UP FOR A LONG TIME? YOU DON’T THINK YOU CAN GO ANOTHER DAY?

THE POINTS FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING ABOUT YOUR SUFFERING IS;

GOD PERMITS SOME SUFFERING TO COME

ARE YOU HOLDING ON TO SIN TODAY? REPENT

IS GOD GROWING YOU IN THE MIDST OF THIS

SUFFERING? PRAISE HIM

EITHER WAY GOD HAS NOT LEFT YOU, HE IS THERE.