Between Adversity And The Miracle

Years ago, a large church I was on staff with at the time did a series called “Elephant in the Room”

• Prior to the series, the church was polled to narrow down the top things that were on people’s minds that it seemed nobody wanted to address.

• We even rented a live Elephant in a cage out front to attract attention, it did!

While we aren’t doing that, (this week at least), I do want to address an Elephant in the Room that is not usually talked about when people preach on Miracles…

What happens when you are caught between the time that Adversity strikes and the Miracle we are praying for?

Chances are, at some point the adversity you face today as an individual has brought you to the place where you have asked yourself a form of this question.

“Why does a good God let these bad things happen?”

We are used to being challenged with these kinds of questions from non-believers as they attempt to shoot holes in our faith.

But what do we do when we find ourselves asking that very same questions?

Even while deep down we believe…

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

…God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

The enemy at times tries his best to convince us that God meant those words for everyone else but not for you!

The way I see it, the same answer we would use in response to a non-believer applies.

• “Why does a good God let bad things happen?”

• Because Jesus himself says, “In this life you will have trouble”.

• Because we live in a fallen world full of sin which brings sorrow to individuals living on this very world Jesus so desperately wants to save!”

There are things in those times of adversity we do not understand and the answers can be hard to come by.

However, there is a peace that is available to us all for times like these that transcends beyond what we understand

Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we face adversity because of sin and wrong decisions:

• Even in those times Jesus still desires to set things right

• Several times in scripture Jesus showed up miraculously healed a situation leaving them with the words, “Now go and sin no more”.

God has not stepped down off His throne concerning your situation and even as difficult as those seasons can be, it can serve a purpose.

(John 9:1-4) Tells us the story of when Jesus saw the man blind from birth and his disciples asked, “Who sinned to cause this?”

Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Many times, things happen to serve a purpose that for now is one of those secrets that only God knows:

• But the reality is it serves a purpose none the less.

• You may even in their own struggle to make sense of it all, say something that causes you to try and put blame on yourself or even others

As I thought about this idea of that season before our miracle comes, my mind went to a miracle story in scripture that I believe can speak to us this morning, that I would like us to look at together.

1 Yes Jesus Loves Me

Why am I facing this? Does Jesus love me?

John 11:1-3 (NIV)

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

Tragedy strikes someone Jesus dearly loves…

There are several things we can take from this

• A personal friend of Jesus and a family that He dearly loved were facing a very difficult illness. (That’s okay, we know Jesus)

• They reached out to Jesus believing He could meet their need and heal the situation. (They even had faith)

• Jesus didn’t arrive with the answer in the time frame they wanted, nor in the manner they had prayed! (Lazarus was dead)

• This left them with the same questions and sorrows we face today…

2 If You Had Been Here…

John 11:21 (NIV)

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

They had faith, but this was stretching its limits.

• The doubts

• Even blame towards Jesus

• There was still a mustard seed of faith “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask”.