Hope: When All Else Fails

When All Else Fails

Scripture: Mark 14:32-40

In this passage in the bible we read of this moment when Jesus – God’s Son is about to carry out the biggest thing in history.

He KNOWS!! He knows what’s about to happen.

He’s spent time teaching on it.

He’s just had Passover with His disciples (significant).

And now He takes some of them down into the valley (symbol-ic?) to do the most important thing anyone can do when things are a mess – when things aren’t together. Pray!!!

And during this time, the Lord involves those close to Him

“Stay with me. Keep watch”

So He prays and He prays! Deep, prayers

“Father . . . take this away!

It’s soooo immense.

Then, sensing the Father ministering to Him, Jesus says, “Yet – not what I will, but what You will.”

“When all else fails” that’s the title of today’s message.

I put the title on this Sunday 3 months ago!

I had in mind to talk about when life falls apart and every-thing doesn’t make sense – what do I do?

I had no idea that today . . . . coronavirus . . .

What a mess!!!

When in a mess, when facing a time that’s so immense - Jesus looked up

• He could have looked down

• He could have looked at the shadows around Him

• He could have looked at the frail tired disciples

• He could have looked for an escape root out of the garden

BUT He looked UP – to the father.

Why?

Because the father had

the answer

The means to get through

The full plan

You know we don’t often have the full plan, all the answers, the way to get through

We don’t even see the complete picture

Sometimes life can seem like a handful of pieces….

Try and put it together….

It can be hard on our own

We think we got it sorted. It looks reasonable, but . . .

The disciples saw Jesus.

They put the pieces together – it looked reasonable – good teacher, could become ruler/king/leader.

They could be his aids.

The pieces started to fit.

They didn’t even comprehend the words he had said about being handed over, dying, rising.

They didn’t even notice that part of the picture.

It wasn’t what they imagined.

They didn’t see the big picture

But it was there.

They so focused on one area, they didn’t see it was part of a much bigger picture.

You know, we like to think we have the picture, and we can work out how to put things together.

We even think we got the full picture and we can tell God how to fix it and put it together.

But – you know what?

We don’t have the picture – we don’t even have half the picture.

Look at the video of Frances Chan called “the awe factor of God” on YouTube. In it we see PART of the universe.

VID: The Awe factor – Frances Chan

We never will see God’s big picture!!!

The disciples didn’t have the full picture in Gethsemane

We haven’t got the full picture either

What we should be saying in our prayers is, “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord” I want to see more than I do with my physical eyes.

Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIVUK)

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

Open the eyes of my heart!

Can I suggest you do something each day, as we going into this isolated time?

You seek the Lord

Read His Word more each day

Spend greater time in prayer

Spend great time listening to Him

Ask Him to show you a bigger picture -

Of what’s happening in the world

Of what’s happening in your own life.

We like to box things in.

The disciples did…

But God has a bigger picture

Look up

And say, It is well with ….. my soul

I’m going through this messy moment – with my God.

Because, I know He holds the future, and I’ll be guided by His hand

With God, things don’t just happen – He has the big picture – he has the big plan.

Keep growing in your walk with the Lord over this time

I look forward to us holding Sunday services again – hopefully soon.

In the mean time – remember: “Look up!”