GOD CARES
INTRODUCTION: Have you ever felt alone or abandoned? Felt like no one cared? “In December 2000 a German woman living in the city of Marburg, died while at home in her flat. Ten months later her landlord forced open the door to the flat, concerned that she hadn’t paid rent for a long time. It was only then that her body was discovered. It seems the woman had lost contact with her relatives and had no friends, and not even one concerned neighbor. But this is not an isolated instance. Germany regularly has cases where a body is not discovered until weeks, months or even years after the person has died. In one case, a Hamburg man sat dead on his sofa in front of his television for five years before he was found.” Ever felt like God doesn’t care either? We have certain things that happen in life and we wonder-does God care? The simple answer is-‘yes’!
1) Sometimes it may seem as if God doesn’t care.
• Mark 4:35-41 “Don’t you care if we drown?!” It seemed to the disciples that Jesus didn’t care because he wasn’t reacting to the situation the way they were. We can be like that; even with each other. I’ve been accused of that. Generally I’m pretty laid back; I don’t get intense very often. So when something happens and I don’t show the same emotions as others I can be accused of not caring even though I do. The disciples had the same misconception about Jesus. Part of their fear and frustration was because Jesus hadn’t intervened sooner. We are like that. We wonder why Jesus doesn’t come to the rescue at the first sign of trouble. Interestingly Jesus didn’t intervene until they came to him. The disciples tried to handle the storm on their own and at some point wondered why Jesus hadn’t come out to help them so they went to find him. Often times Jesus is this way with us. We think he doesn’t care because he’s not automatically coming to our rescue. Jesus does care-he’s just waiting for us to come to him; waiting for us to initiate; he’s waiting for us to ask, seek and knock.
• Luke 10:38-42 “Don’t you care that Mary has left me to do all the work?!” Initially, Jesus’ actions seemed to indicate that he didn’t care. Here he was sitting there, talking to Mary while Martha did all the work. Chances are Martha was going about wondering while Jesus wasn’t speaking up on her behalf. She got to the point where she couldn’t take it anymore and spoke to Jesus about it. Maybe we’ve been like that. Running around, busy with a million things that need doing, not catching a break, wondering why Jesus doesn’t send us some help. Does he not care that we’re all stressed? Doesn’t he care that I’m overwhelmed by everything I need to do? Did Jesus care about what Martha was dealing with here? Yes, he did care about what Martha was going through. But he cared more about what Martha was missing out on so he wanted to show her what was more important. Sometimes we think Jesus doesn’t care but in reality it’s that Jesus has different priorities than we do. When it seems like Jesus doesn’t care we need to evaluate whether or not we’ve got our priorities straight. We need to care about what Jesus cares about. Jesus cares about our spiritual growth. Jesus cares about lost souls; he cares about the advancement of his kingdom. If we don’t care about these things he will do what he needs to do to get us to care. Therefore, Jesus doesn’t care about our agenda when it’s not his agenda.
• John 11:17-27, 32-44. Jesus’ friend Lazarus was sick. John 11:6, “Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick he stayed where he was two more days.” On the surface this would look like someone who doesn’t care. But when you get to the end of the story you can see why Jesus didn’t go right away. We can be like that. Like the boat story, we think Jesus doesn’t care because he doesn’t act as quick as we think he should. Vs. 17-21. Now, Martha didn’t come right out and accuse Jesus of not caring but basically she’s saying, “you could’ve been here; you should’ve been here. You really let us down. Don’t you care?” Jesus did care. But again, he did things according to his Father’s will, not according to people’s expectations of how he should do things. Jesus uses this opportunity as a teaching moment for Martha (23-27). Then Martha goes to get Mary and Mary comes to Jesus and repeats what her sister had said to him earlier (32). Jesus’ response? Vs. 33-38. Three times in these verses you see evidence of Jesus caring (deeply moved, wept, once more deeply moved). Jesus cares when our loved ones are sick or in pain. He cares when someone we care about dies. We think he doesn’t care because he didn’t heal them or spare them from the pain and suffering. I believe Mary and Martha were wondering whether or not Jesus really cared. They were reminded how much he did. Then everyone got to witness the miracle (39-44). Mary and Martha came to understand why Jesus had not shown up while Lazarus was sick. It was God’s will to perform a more substantial miracle than healing the sick-he wanted to show everyone that he could raise the dead. God wanted to show the people that Jesus was the resurrection and the life. When we think Jesus doesn’t care we need to remember that we don’t have a full understanding of what’s going on. We need to trust that God does have a full understanding and that there’s a divine purpose and timing behind it all.
2) But the fact is that God does care.
• The God of the universe is mindful of us. Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” When David recognized that the creator and caretaker of this vast and magnificent universe has such regard for each and every one of us he was awestruck. It was like David was saying, “with everything else you got going on; with all the wonder of creation you orchestrate, why is it you pay so much attention to us? In the whole grand scheme of things we are so small yet you care so much. Thank you.” We may seem like we’re insignificant in the whole scheme of things but we are not to God. We may be treated like a number in society but that’s not how we’re treated by God. He cares for each and every one of us intimately. Matt. 18:12-14, “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” He’s willing to leave the 99 in order to go and find the one. Jesus cares about us as individuals. We’re precious to him.
• He is compassionate. Compassionate is another word for caring. Ex. 22:26-27, “If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” God cares if one of his little ones doesn’t have his cloak. We might think that the God who is keeping watch over the whole universe wouldn’t care about a piece of clothing. It might not be a big thing to God but since it would obviously be a big thing to the person missing it God takes notice because he is a compassionate and loving Father. God not only cares about little ‘ol me, he even cares about the little things in the life of little ‘ol me. God is interested in what is on our mind; even the little things. We know oftentimes it’s the little things that matter most. A good parent cares about the seemingly insignificant things because it’s coming from their child-whom they love. God is no different. It’s not unimportant to God when it’s coming from one of his little ones. [Story about woman who lost contact lens]. That was a little thing in the whole grand scheme of things but it was something that mattered to his child so God intervened. God does countless things like that for us. God cares; even about the little things. God is compassionate towards us.
• He is sympathetic Heb. 4:14-16. Sympathetic is another synonym for caring. Jesus knows we are weak. He knows we need help. Jesus cares that we are tempted. Jesus can be caring about our struggles because he knows what it’s like to struggle through temptation. No one knows temptation better than Jesus-he was tempted in every way. When we encounter someone who’s going through what we once went through, we have a deeper sense of sympathy and compassion than someone who hasn’t been through it. Jesus cares about Satan’s attacks on us because he knows what it feels like and he wants to help us in our time of need.
3) Because God cares, we should…
• Give him our cares. Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” What are the things we are concerned about in life? Finances, kids, health. What do we do about that? Worry ourselves sick over it? We could, but God has a better plan-come to him. In James 5:13-16 we’re told that we should pray when we’re in trouble and pray when we’re sick. We need to lift our cares and concerns up to the throne of God. God cares about our troubles whether they’re legal, financial, spiritual or otherwise. God cares about our sickness whether it’s physical, emotional, psychological or spiritual. God cares about all the afflictions and struggles we deal with. He wants us to be free so he calls us to bring all these concerns to him. 1st Pet 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” God doesn’t want us to carry our burdens around-he knows we will eventually collapse under the pressure. God is saying, “Give them to me; I can handle their weight-you can’t.” And when you do give them to God-don’t take them back-it’s never wise to do that. God knows what he’s doing; we never have to worry about that.
• Care about others. Phil. 2:1-5. Since we have received encouragement, comfort, love, fellowship, tenderness and compassion; since we have been shown countless ways how Jesus cares about us, we need to have the same attitude toward others. There are many different ways we can show someone that we care about them. We can call, write or visit; we can help them do something, we can minister to them, encourage them; build relationships with them. When we care about others we are being like Jesus. Because he cares about us, we need to care about others.
CONCLUSION: Charles Wygle was an evangelist, singer/songwriter. When he became an evangelist his wife told him she didn’t want to be a preacher’s wife so she left him. She got caught up in sin and ended up contracting a disease. She called for her husband and asked him to forgive her. He did. After she died Charles, who lived in Florida, had taken a walk out onto a pier. The devil was tormenting him, telling him no one cared about him. “If your wife really cared about him she never would’ve left you. Even God doesn’t care about you. So just jump in and end it all because no one cares about you.” Charles contemplated it until the Holy Spirit spoke up and told him that no one cares for you like Jesus. Charles turned around and rushed back to his room. He sat down at his piano and within minutes had the music and lyrics to his hymn, “no one ever cared so much for me”. Verse one: There’s no other name as sweet as Jesus; no one ever cared so much for me. As to shed his precious blood to save me; no one ever cared so much for me. Chorus: there’s no one who cares like Jesus; there’s no friend so precious to me. Who would walk and carry a cross up to Calvary; no one ever cared so much for me. Verse Two: When I see him face to face in glory; I will bow at his nail scarred feet. And I’ll thank him for the pain he suffered; all because he cared so much for me.” God cares.
