Sermon Notes: "Understanding God's Pain"

Our choir finally sang this song that I've been waiting to sing for a while...I was so thankful to be able to get back to church and be able to sing with them.  Sadly, hubby wasn't able to make it...now he has the same bug that I've had the past almost three weeks...sinus/cough/miserable...but we are thankful...it could always be worse.

Anyway, here is the song...I hope you will listen and sing along...and especially pay attention to the words.  This song is so full of hope and comfort and encouragement.

I just know someone who is reading this needs to hear this message today:

When you pass through the water,

When you walk through the fire,

When the rivers overflow

I will be with you

When you walk through the desert,

When you're caught in the storm

When you lose your way

I will be with you

When  you can't find the answer 

When you're filled with despair

When you stumble and fall

I will be with you

When you're tired of the struggle

When you're weak from the pain

Lean on Me, 

I will be with you

For I have called you by name

You've heard the echo of my voice, 

Whisper I love you

You are mine

For you are precious in My sight

And I will guide you through the night

When you walk

Walk by faith

And I will be with you

In your joy

And in your pain

If you call out My name 

I will be with you

When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death

Have no fear

I will be with you

For I have called you by name

You've heard the echo of My voice

whisper I love you

You are Mine

And you are precious in My sight

And I will guide you through the night

Through the storm

Through the rain

Through the joy

Through the  pain

When you walk

Walk by faith

And I will be with you

I will be with you

I will be with you

I will be with you

I will be with you

I will be with you

I will be with you

Now to the sermon notes...equally comforting and encouraging!  

Our scripture reference is from Luke 9:28-36, also known as The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ

The Pastor started his message out talking about the parents of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School...what a horrible tragic day that was...and what terrible pain those parents have suffered over the loss of those precious, innocent little ones...
And then he went on to talk about the parents of children with terminal illnesses...and how they watch their children suffer and eventually die and they feel so helpless to do anything about it...they tried everything humanly possible...the best doctors, hospitals, medicines, and yet the disease still took over and claimed their lives...
How do we respond to such sorrow and tragedy in our lives?
Do we get angry and blame God?
But now, let us look at the pain of Jesus our Savior...on Good Friday...He was beaten and forced to carry His own cross, then he was literally nailed to that cross and left there to suffer and die...and God, His Father, had to turn His back on Him and allow Him to die there...His Only Begotten Son, Whom He loved and cherished...

Why did Jesus have to suffer such agony?  Why did God allow Him to go through this...Jesus could have called the angels of heaven to rescue Him, but He didn't...why?

Why?  Because He loves us so much that He came to suffer and die for us, we who are sinners...we who deserved to die...He did not deserve to die...but He willingly went to the cross to die for our sins.
The God of the Universe, God Almighty, through His Son, Jesus Christ, came to suffer with us and for us.  He did this so that we would know that we are not alone...He is with us...He has suffered for us...God loves us enough to send His So to die for us to demonstrate His love for us...to give us hope...to give us love for one another...

Peter, James and John witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ up on the mountain, and saw Moses and Elijah there with Jesus.  They had a ringside seat viewing into the Kingdom of God.  If you look back at verse 27, Jesus had just told them  not long before this event that there would be "some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."  
They were so astounded at the glory of what they were witnessing...and Peter was so overcome by this sight that he couldn't contain his joy...He wanted to make three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, (see verse 33) so that they could stay there forever...?
But in verse 34-35, God speaks to Peter, James and John and tells them clearly,

"This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him."  (or listen to Him!)

Think about what Jesus was facing as He came down from that mountain...it would not be much longer before He would be betrayed and crucified.  People who die on a cross die of suffocation...it is a gruesome, painful death.  What if Jesus had chosen not to go through with that? Would His holiness have allowed Him to walk away from that?

No, God could not passively sit back and allow us to remain in our sins. He knew the only answer was for His Son to die in our place. He had to rescue us so that we could have eternal life.

Why? Why would the God of the Universe allow His Holy and Spotless Son to die for sinful man?

Because He loves us.  

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

Does this give you faith in the God Who loves you?

Does this cause you to love God back?

This same God Who loved us then still loves us today. He is not sitting up in heaven watching us suffer.  He is here with us, and has promised to always be with us. 

Now,

Back to the song above...if you read in Isaiah 43:2-4, you will see God's message for His beloved children:

2."When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

3.  For I Am the Lord your God,

The Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

4.  Since you were precious in My sight, 

You have been honored,

And I have loved you..."

Then also look at Psalm 23:4

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

In Jesus' own words in Matthew 28:20, He tells His disciples:

"...and lo, I am with you always, 

even to the end of the age." Amen.

We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful Savior...who suffered such pain and sorrow so that we could be with Him one day forever!!

Sermon Notes: FUMC, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, 4/7/2019

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given. I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously. Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said. Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear... That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts. So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

There's A New Day Dawning

Sign courtesy of Ben's Wood Signs

Another way of saying this could be:

"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man;

but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,

but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I Corinthians 10:13

Have you ever watched other people go through difficult trials in life, and have said to yourself, "I could never do that or go through that?"  Or perhaps sometimes we are smug and think that people go through hard places because of their own sin or stupidity, and we get all puffed up with pride and say that could never happen to me, 'cause I'm too smart or too good to let that happen?"

A good proverb to remember when we start feeling too good about ourselves is this:

"Pride goes before destruction, 

and a haughty spirit before a fall."

Proverbs 16:18

In our Bible study this morning in the book of James, chapter 4, we discussed several verses that seem to go along with this...and I wanted to write them down before I forget them for myself...and perhaps for others out there as well:

6.  "But He gives more grace.

Therefore He says:

God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble.

7.  Therefore, SUBMIT to God.

RESIST the devil and he will FLEE from you!

8.  DRAW NEAR TO GOD...and HE WILL DRAW NEAR TO YOU.

Cleanse your hand, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

9.  Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10.  HUMBLE YOURSELVES in the sight of the Lord, 

AND HE WILL LIFT YOU UP!"

If I have learned anything in this life, I have learned that God

"makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust..."  (Matthew 5:45)

Sooner or later, we will all walk through treacherous water and have deep valleys to cross and tall mountains to climb.  None of us will get through this life totally "scot-free" (see link for definition of this phrase).  We all have our trials and tribulations to face and work through.

But the beautiful thing about our life in Christ is that we don't have to face these trials alone.

Isaiah 41:10 says:

"Fear not, for I AM with you;

Be not dismayed, for I AM your God.

I WILL strengthen you,

YES, I WILL help you,

I WILL uphold you with My righteous right hand." 

I started to write all the verses that had something to say about God being with us in all of our troubles and trials...and I realized there were so many I would never be able to write them all, so here is a link to a page that lists them: http://www.openbible.info/topics/i_will_never_leave_you_nor_forsake_you.  You may want to looks these up and mark them in your own Bible for a future time when you need them.  Perhaps you need them now.

May we always have the hope we need to face each new day with confidence and faith that our God will always be there...helping us to handle whatever we've been given.

  

There's a new day dawning

"For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, 'Fear not, I will help you."
Isaiah 41:13