Sermon Central
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You & The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Pt. 1 - Mondays Series
Contributed by Steve Ely on Feb 23, 2015 (message contributor)
Summary: It has been one of those days! You have had one, right? Things just can't seem to get any worse and then . . . they do! It feels like every day is a Monday. So what do you do?
You & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Pt. 1 - Mondays
I. Introduction
In the 60's the Mamas and Papas may have most accurately captured the sentiment of the concept of getting a "Case of the Mondays".
Monday, Monday, can't trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way
Oh, Monday morning, you gave me no warning of what was to be
Oh, Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me?
Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes
But whenever Monday comes
You can find me crying all of the time
Ever had ones of those days? It is just a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Or maybe worse you have experienced a week of Mondays! Or some of you can stand up and testify to a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Our Monday moods can be a result of sickness, relationships, or the unexpected twists and turns of life. Regardless of the cause the result is the same. Low, dark clouds overhead. Outlook impacted. Joy jolted. Peace punched. Hope halted. Monday, Monday! So now what? What do we need to know about these bad days? What can we do about these bad days? Over the next two weeks we will discuss this.
II. Text
God said to Satan, “Have you noticed my friend Job? There’s no one quite like him—honest and true to his word, totally devoted to God and hating evil.” Satan retorted, “So do you think Job does all that out of the sheer goodness of his heart? Why, no one ever had it so good! You pamper him like a pet, make sure nothing bad ever happens to him or his family or his possessions, bless everything he does—he can’t lose! “But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away everything that is his? He’d curse you right to your face, that’s what.” God replied, “We’ll see. Go ahead—do what you want with all that is his. Just don’t hurt him.” Then Satan left the presence of God. Sometime later, while Job’s children were having one of their parties at the home of the oldest son, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys grazing in the field next to us when Sabeans attacked. They stole the animals and killed the field hands. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Bolts of lightning struck the sheep and the shepherds and fried them—burned them to a crisp. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Chaldeans coming from three directions raided the camels and massacred the camel drivers. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” While he was still talking, another messenger arrived and said, “Your children were having a party at the home of the oldest brother when a tornado swept in off the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they died. I’m the only one to get out alive and tell you what happened.” Job got to his feet, ripped his robe, shaved his head, then fell to the ground and worshiped: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked I’ll return to the womb of the earth. God gives, God takes. God’s name be ever blessed. Not once through all this did Job sin; not once did he blame God.
We are not told but it had to be a Monday! All in one day every imaginable disaster. Then, if that wasn't enough, in Chapter 2 the enemy declares that if he could touch Job's body he would turn on God. So, on another day, probably also a Monday, Job loses his health.
We have talked about Job in the past but a few more thoughts in light of having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
1. Bad days reveal that God believes in you!
Notice, I didn't say that bad days reveal you believe in God. No . . . bad days reveal that God believes in you. Listen to God's statement about Job . . . "have you considered Job?" It is like God is dangling Job in front of the enemy like a trophy. He believed in Job! If you are experiencing a no good, very bad day it simply means that God trusts you with what you are facing!
Another way of saying this is "If God allows it, then He has plans for it."
Jesus' life in our midst reveals how God uses pain. As Jesus walked from town to town He would stop and heal those who were sick. So, his followers have already seen the glory of healing. Jesus gets word that one of His best friends is sick. And Jesus intentionally waited for 4 days before responding. Jesus, hearing the need allows Lazarus' condition to deteriorate until he dies. Why? Why let the day get that bad?
