“When God’s Answer Is “NO!”
NOTE: I first preached this sermon in 1999; I’m not sure where I got the sermon idea, but it may not have been original with me.
INTRODUCTION – God ALWAYS answers prayer! SOMETIMES, His answer is YES … sometimes it’s NO … sometimes it’s WAIT … sometimes it’s “You’ve got to be kidding!” We like it when He says YES. We can endure it when He says WAIT. BUT … we can’t usually handle it when He says NO.
When God says NO, we become disappointed in God. WHY? BECAUSE … that’s not the answer we wanted … OBVIOUSLY … or we wouldn’t have prayed for it! As spiritually mature Christians, we must THINK it’s His will, or we wouldn’t have asked Him for it. We would NEVER ask for anything we knew wasn’t God’s will … would we? We think it’s BEST for us. How can God deny healing, salvation, protection, etc.?
What do we do when God’s answer is NO? How should we take His NO answer?
John 14:13-14 – all turn.
BUT … Sometimes God doesn’t do what we ask. Let’s take a look at “When God’s Answer Is NO!”
I. WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY
1.- JOB – Job was a Godly, faithful, unselfish man. He refused to curse God when the Devil had a free hand over his body. He lost his children, his wealth, his health. He was covered with boils and sores. All he asked for was some relief from his torment. LISTEN to God’s answer - Job 30:20 – “I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.”
I would have given Job what he asked for! BUT … God said NO! What happened? In the end, God gave him twice as much as he had before.
2.- DAVID – David was a man after God’s own heart. He was an ancestor of Jesus. He was the King of Israel, a writer of the Psalms. His son was sick. David was a man of prayer, and he fasted and prayed for 7 days. He prayed so intensely, that his servants feared for his life. BUT … God said NO … AND … his baby died.
3.- THE APOSTLE PAUL – Paul wrote most of the New Testament. He not only experienced miracles from God, but he was able to perform miracles. On several occasions God saved him from death. Paul had a “thorn in the flesh” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 – all turn.
We don’t know what this “thorn in the flesh” was. Some think it might have been malaria, poor eyesight, or a special demon. It was painful (“thorn”) … it was evil (“Satan”) … it was chronic (“tormented”) … it was frequent (“3 times”) … he was desperate (“pleaded”). BUT … God said NO! At least, God told him WHY … 12:9. When God told him WHY, Paul was able to handle it.
When God tells you NO, He’ll always give you the grace to live with His NO. When God tells you NO, just remember … you are in good company … Job, David, Paul.
II. WE ARE IN GOOD CARE
SOMETIMES, YES can be bad for us … AND … NO can be better for us. EXAMPLE: If your grandson asks you for a sharp knife, matches or beets, your saying NO can be the best thing for him. God really does care for you. Sometimes, He says NO in order to give us something BETTER … THOUGH … at the time, we can’t see or understand it. Remember Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
We don’t always know what’s BEST for us … BUT … God does … ALWAYS. SOMETIMES, God says YES, and gives us the desires of our heart … WHEN … we would be better off if He said NO. Psalm 106:15 – “And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.”
Let’s take a look at some EXAMPLES of this:
1.- ISRAEL ASKED FOR A KING – GOD wanted to be their King … but they insisted on a King that they could show off (Arnold S.) God gave them Saul, the King they wanted. They lived to regret it, as Saul failed both God and His people.
2.- GODLY KING HEZEKIAH – When God announced to him his death, Hezekiah prayed to God that he wouldn’t die. God said YES, and added 15 years to his life. It was the worst thing that could have happened to Israel. His son Manasseh was born, and he brought Israel down spiritually, leading them into Babylonian captivity.
God KNOWS what’s BEST for you. We pray for comfort and ease. We want the easy path. Who ever prays for life to be more difficult for themselves? BUT … the easy path usually isn’t what’s BEST for us. EXAMPLE: A butterfly struggles to get out of the cocoon. If you open the cocoon for it to help it out and ease its struggle, the butterfly’s wings will be too weak for it to fly. The easy path isn’t always the best path.
LISTEN to these verses:
• Romans 5:3-4 – “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; [4] And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
• 2 Cor. 4:17 – “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
• Hebrews 12:11 – “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”
• Psalm 119:67 – “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.
1 Peter 1:6-7 – all turn
God loves us too much to make our life a bed of roses. We are in good care, if we place ourselves in God’s care.
I. WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY
II. WE ARE IN GOOD CARE
III. WE ARE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE
We never deliberately pray for evil … or to be out of God’s will …or for what we believe isn’t the best for ourselves or others. We pray in good conscience. EXAMPLE: My prayer for Mrs. Dixon.
1.- SO DID PETER, JAMES AND JOHN – When Peter, James & John were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, the body of Jesus was glorified. They met with Moses and Elijah. They asked Jesus for permission to build 3 shelters. It sounded like a good idea … they asked in good conscience. BUT … Jesus had a BETTER idea. Rather than go off and gather wood, they got to listen to God’s voice – Mark 9:7 – “This is my beloved Son; hear Him.” This was much better than gathering branches!
2.- SO DID MARY & MARTHA – They asked Jesus is good conscience. Their brother Lazarus was sick and dying. They prayed for Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus said NO! Mary & Martha were disappointed in Jesus. John 11:21 – “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
They prayed in good conscience … thinking it was best for Lazarus, them and Jesus. BUT … Jesus had something BETTER in mind. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. John 11:4 – “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
I. WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY
II. WE ARE IN GOOD CARE
III. WE ARE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE
IV. THEY ARE IN CONTRADICTION
Sometimes when we pray, we seem to put God on the spot (although that can never really happen). For EXAMPLE:
1.- A farmer prays for RAIN … so his crops won’t die. BUT … a church prays that their Homecoming Dinner won’t be rained out.
2.- You pray for the GATORS to win on Saturday. BUT … Christians in Tennessee are praying for the Volunteers to win. Wait, I thought everybody knew that God is a Gator fan … that’s why He made the sky blue and the sun orange!.
3.- CIVIL WAR – Christians fought on both sides. Didn’t the Confederate soldiers, wives, parents and Pastors pray too?
Who does God listen to? To the one who prays the loudest … the longest … the hardest … the one who gets more people to pray with them … the holiest? Does God answer prayer based on the POINT SYSTEM?
Look at John 14:13-14 again. “in My name” = ‘in My will’. That doesn’t mean that you tack “in Jesus’ name” onto the end of your prayer. What does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ name”?
If I tell you to go to a bank and get $100 out of my checking account, I’ll write you a check to take with you. The check will have MY SIGNATURE on it. They’ll give you the $100 if the request in done “in my name”. If my signature’s on it, they’ll know that it’s “in my will”.
SOMETIMES … we don’t know God’s will … BUT we THINK we do. We THINK we know God’s best. BUT THEN … God doesn’t answer our prayer like we prayed. God says NO! What happened? God didn’t put His signature on the check.
CONCLUSION:
When we pray, let’s leave the results up to God. AFTER ALL … He is OMNISCIENT. WHO is more capable to decide what’s BEST for you … YOU … or Almighty God? REMEMBER … God doesn’t make any mistakes.
God sees what we cannot see. He knows what we cannot know. He chooses more wisely than we can choose. When we don’t understand why God says NO … we just have to accept the fact that God knows what He’s doing. God will ALWAYS do what’s BEST … BEST for HIM … BEST for YOU.
God loves you. He’s your Heavenly Father. He wants what’s BEST for you. When God says NO!, thank Him. It proves that He loves you deeply enough to tell you NO! He tells you NO! when it’s best for you … even though it might hurt for the moment. SOMETIMES that kind of love is hard to understand … BUT … it sure is GOOD, isn’t it?
STAND - PRAYER
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“When God’s Answer Is NO!”
INTRODUCTION: God ALWAYS answers prayer.
- Sometimes His answer is “NO!” – John 14:13-14
I. WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY
1.- Job – God told him “NO!” – Job 30:20
2.- David – God told him “NO!”
3.- Paul – God told him “NO!” – 1 Corinthians 12:7-9
- BUT – God told him WHY – 12:9
- God’s “NO!” means He will give you the grace you need to handle His “NO!”.
II. WE ARE IN GOOD CARE
- Sometimes, “NO!” is better than God’s “YES!” – Romans 8:28
- God knows what’s BEST for us – Psalm 106:15
1.- Israel Asked For A King – They regretted God’s “YES!”.
2.- King Hezekiah – God’s “YES!” meant trouble for Israel.
- We often pray for the EASY path, that may not be BEST for us.
- Romans 5:3-4 … 2 Cor. 4:17 … Hebrews 12:11 … Ps. 119:67
- 1 Peter 1:6-7 – We are in good care, when we place ourselves in God’s care.
III. WE ARE IN GOOD CONSCIENCE
- When we ask God for something, it is in good conscience.
1.- Peter, James & John – God had a BETTER idea – Mark 9:7
2.- Mary & Martha – They were disappointed in God’s “NO!” – John 11:21 … God had a BETTER idea – John 11:4
IV. WE ARE IN CONTRADICTION
- Sometimes our prayers are selfish, and contradict the prayers of others.
- Who does God listen to? John 14:13-14
- “in My name” = ‘in God’s will’.
- If God’s signature isn’t on it, it’s not His will.
CONCLUSION:
- God doesn’t make any mistakes … He will ALWAYS do what’s BEST for you.
- Thank Him when He answers “NO!”.
- God is good … all the time!
