God Understands
II Cor. 12:7-10
v. 9—sing “For His grace is sufficient…”
Our church body has suffered many losses thru the years, many of you have suffered great loss this year…some this week.
You get up some mornings hoping that perhaps it was a bad dream…but it’s still there, it’s real, and you have to deal w/ it.
God is the only one who can help in times of great grief and heartache. He will comfort you if you’ll let Him…He understands!
Ill.—Footprints in the sand: that’s what we call “Sustaining Grace.”
We all know about saving grace…
John Newton was a drunken slave-trader. After coming to Christ as his Savior he wrote: “Amazing Grace, how sweet…” (quote)
That’s saving grace! All born again Christians have experienced it!
But there is another kind of grace available…not to lost sinners, but only to children of God: Sustaining grace!
It’s the grace that holds you up during times of trial/sorrow/loss/grief/temptation/stress/pressure
It’s the grace that keeps you going when you don’t think you CAN keep going.
Another songwriter wrote:
“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater
He sendeth more strength when the labors increase
To added affliction He addeth His mercy
To multiplied trials His multiplied peace
His love has no limit, His grace has no measure
His power has no boundary known unto men
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again!”
(the more you need the more you get!)
What Sustaining grace is NOT:
1. The absence of normal emotions
Rather, it helps you to work thru them
Ill.—not the absence of sorrow and tears…I’ve heard a preacher say that a Christian should be so full of joy that they walk into the funeral home laughing and rejoicing…that’s utter nonsense!
Tears, sorrow, and grief are a gift from God that help to relieve built up tension and emotion. They show how much we feel, care, and how deeply we love.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then tears speak a million words that we can’t get out…but “tears are a language that God understands!”
Rev. 21—God will wipe away all tears…but until then, it’s ok to cry, to grieve, to groan… God understands.
And sustaining grace is not the absence of these normal emotions.
2. Not the absence of Anger
Though a negative emotion, it’s normal.
Anger w/ God/doctor/others who say the wrong things/toward yourself, wishing you had done something differently.
“Lord, it’s not fair/doesn’t make sense/why?”
Sustaining grace is not the absence of anger…it’s a normal emotion at those times…and God will help us work thru the anger, if we’ll let Him!
Ps. 73
21 Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: F220 I was as a beast before thee. F221 23 Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Ps. 71
20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
Eph. 4
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.
Sustaining grace will grant you access to the victory that you need over haunting emotions, and replace them w/ peace and trust, and contentment and joy!
Sustaining grace is not the absence of anger, but it will help you get thru it and get the victory.
3. Not the absence of Guilt
When there’s no one to place the blame on, we turn the blame inward, and give place to the devil.
We think of what we should have done differently/when we said the wrong thing/didn’t say sorry, or I love you/we think of arguments or misunderstandings that could have been avoided/what we didn’t say and wish we had…but now it’s too late. We think of how we sacrificed what’s really important on the altar of the urgent.
Sustaining grace is not the absence of guilt…but even in our guilt…God understands.
And where we’ve truly failed, God will forgive.
And when it’s a false sense of undeserved guilt, God will help it to dissipate. And then He’ll teach us to speak, live, and love just as we wished we had before!
These who have suffered loss would admonish you never to take anyone for granted…and to give hugs/share sentiments as if they were your last!
Ill.—miners trapped in PA mine/rescued/young man said, “it was the 1st time ever I left w/out kissing her goodbye”. That was more on his mind underground than anything!
Ill.—In a previous ministry there was a dear couple who seemed so perfect in public, but behind the scenes they struggled, like any of us! But in a low time, after an argument, they both left for work in a huff, he left a note on her pillow that said, “I hate you.” He died that day in a freak accident that shook the whole state…and she returned home that night from the hospital to the note he left!
Sustaining grace is not the absence of regret, either.
Ps. 103
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
4. Not the absence of pressure
There are financial matters, personal matters, endless paperwork…and our whole being can seem to become beaten down under the load of pressure…but even in times of pressure…God understands!
And His promise is that His grace will be sufficient for the burden at hand. He promises wisdom and strength that are equal to the task!
v. 9 of our text says…
Phil. 4:13—I can do all things…
Ps. 55:22—Cast thy burden…
Ps. 46:1-4
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst F145 of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. 4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
His grace is sufficient!
So, sustaining grace is not the absence of these negative emotions, it’s the strength to get you thru them.
Mt.
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Consider 3 things:
1. The proposition
“come unto me” (Jesus)
There’s plenty of places you can go and not find sustaining grace.
Some choose science over religion…but science cannot offer you sustaining grace!
Philosophy/logic/reason
Some choose a bottle, a pill, or a syringe.
Only Jesus is the Rock in a weary land…
…the shepherd of the flock
…the water of life to a thirsty soul
…the bread of life to a hungry soul
…the burden bearer for the heavy laden…
…only He can satisfy your soul/give you sustaining grace.
Because only Jesus left heaven’s glory to come live the perfect life we couldn’t, to die the death WE deserved, to pay for OUR sins. Only Jesus conquered death for us!
“If that isn’t love, the ocean is dry…”
Many churches are trying to take Jesus to the world, dropping Him to a level they’d consider tolerable…and yet Jesus said, “come unto me.”
For saving grace, for sustaining grace…He is the source!
2. The persons
“all ye”
His grace is offered to any who will come to Him…the poor as well as the rich/cultured-ignorant/educated-uneducated/thief on cross-religious Nicodemus!
Think of all the invitations given in the Bible to “come”
Genesis—God told Noah to come into the ark
(an invitation from God to come into the place of safety…it applies to you and me today! God is our refuge!)
Isaiah 1
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
An invitation to come to the place of cleansing. (it applies to you and me today!)
In Matthew, Jesus invited us to come to the marriage, to sit at the table w/ Him, the place of provision (it applies to you and me today!)
In Revelation 22
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will…
(it applies to you and me today!)
I don’t know what you need sustaining grace for this morning…but if you don’t need it today…you will!
I believe there’s as many needs in this room as there are people…and all are invited to come!
We’ve seen the Proposition: Come…
The Persons: All ye…
3. The Promise
“and I will give you rest”
The question is this: Is Jesus capable and qualified to give you the rest that He promises?
Well, in the Bible, names mean things…names describe the character and nature of people.
God has over 300 names in the Bible which help us to understand him.
In Gen. 22:14—Jehovah Jireh: “the Lord will provide.”
He provided a lamb in the OT, the Lamb of God in the NT. He provides saving grace to all who will come to Him, and sustaining grace to all who will accept it!
Ezek. 48:35—Jehovah Shammah: “the Lord is there”
…in times of trouble (just ask David)
…loneliness (ask Elijah)
…bereavement (ask Mary and Martha)
…sickness (ask Hezekiah)
…persecution (ask Paul)
…temptation (ask Joseph)
…disappointment (ask the disciples)
Jer. 23:6—Jehovah Sidon: “the Lord our Righteousness”
He’s a holy God, and He wants us to be holy as well…and praise God, it doesn’t depend upon our righteousness…but He imparts to us His righteousness.
Ex. 6:3—El Shaddai: “the Lord is sufficient”
…for our spiritual needs/emotional/physical/material/our troubles/burdens
Ex. 15:26—Jehovah Rapha: “The Lord our healer”
He heals broken lives, and broken hearts!
Ex. 17:15—Jehovah Nissi: “The Lord our banner”
…giving us victory…over sin, death, hell, self.
Judges 6:24—Jehovah Shalom: “The Lord our peace”
Peace of heart/mind
Gen. 14—Jehovah Elim: “The most high God”
Omnipotent—all powerful
Omnipresent—all places at once, helping her at the same time He’s helping him over there!
Mt. 1—we see the full and final revelation of the character and the nature of God…and the angel said, “His Name shall be called Jesus!”
The sweetest Name above all names
Honey to the taste, harmony to the ear, healing to the soul!
And only Jesus can satisfy your soul!
(sing w/ me: “O His grace is sufficient…”)
His grace is available: saving/sustaining…to all who will come!
