Where Is God When Life Hurts?

Where is God when life hurts?

Mark 5:21-43

November 6, 1999

Morning Service

INTRODUCTION

I. You know it’s going to be a tough day when….

 You wake up face down on the pavement

 You look to see the birds outside your window and see nothing but buzzards

 Your B-day cake collapses under the weight of the candles

 You wake up to discover that your waterbed broke and then you remember that you don’t own a waterbed

 Your horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a motorcycle gang on the freeway

 You come home to find that irritating investigative reporter from channel six in your front yard

II. The pain of tough days

A. We all have tough days

1. Days when you wished you hadn’t gotten out of bed

2. Days that are filled with pain are tough

B. Phrase: “If it doesn’t kill; it will only make you stronger”

1. This is totally untrue

2. Pain works on us

a.) Pain ebbs away at our lives

b.) Pain steals our quality of life

c.) Pain saps our strength

III. Pain is the only constant reality of life

A. Three types of personal pain

1. Physical Pain – Focus on our personal relationship to ourselves

2. Emotional Pain – Focus on our interpersonal relationships with others

3. Spiritual Pain – Focus on our lack of relationship with God

B. We all live with pain

1. No one can go through pain for us

2. We don’t have to bear it alone

Q - Where is God when life hurts?

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BODY

I. Jesus offers hope in the midst of our pain

A. Jesus is never too busy for you

1. Jesus is always there when you need Him

a.) Jesus will never leave you or forsake you

b.) Jesus wants to help you in times of pain

2. Jesus can help you in your pain

B. Jesus is waiting to help you

1. Jesus is always available in times of need

2. Jesus is waiting for you to ask

a.) Jesus cannot help you unless you go to Him

b.) Jesus cannot heal your hurts until you offer them

II. Jesus offers healing for our pain

A. Jesus wants you to bless you with peace

1. Quote: “Christ did not come to do away with suffering; He did not come to explain it; He came to fill it with His presence” – Paul Claudel

2. The peace Jesus offers allows us to live

a.) Peace gives us power for life

b.) Peace gives us the ability to weather any storm that life may bring

B. Jesus wants to free you from your pain

1. Jesus gives you love

a.) The love of Jesus transforms life

b.) The love of Jesus begins the healing process

2. Jesus gives you healing

a.) Jesus can heal any hurt in your life

1.) Do you believe this?

2.) Do you accept it for your life?

b.) Jesus can heal the pain deep within your heart

1.) We tend to hold onto our pain

2.) There is nothing Jesus doesn’t already know about you

 He knows your every weakness

 He knows your every care

 He knows your every difficulty

 He knows your every heartache

 Now is the time to stop hurt in your pain and start handing it over to Christ

III. Jesus offers wholeness from our pain

A. Jesus wants to restore your life

1. Jesus wants to heal your pain

2. Jesus wants to restore your wholeness

a.) Our pain steals part of our life

b.) Jesus wants to put back what you have lost and more

B. Jesus wants to give you new life

1. Jesus makes life worth living

a.) Jesus brings completion to our lives

b.) Jesus takes the old pain and offers new living

2. Jesus allows us to find wholeness

a.) Without a personal relationship with Jesus; you will never be whole

b.) Wholeness begins and ends with God

1.) The Father created you – Wholeness was a part of who you were meant to be

2.) Jesus restores you – Wholeness can be regained

3.) The Holy Spirit empowers you – Wholeness can be a way of living

CONCLUSION

Illustration: The Fire

I’ve been through a fire that has deepened my desire, to know the living God more and more. It hasn’t been much fun, but the work that it has done in my life has been worth the hurt. You see sometimes we need the hard times to bring us to our knees, otherwise we do as we please and never heed him. For he always knows what’s best and it’s when we are distressed that we really come to know God as he is.