God Is Big Enough To Comfort My Suffering

Brad welcomed us and then stated that our sermon today would be a walk through the book of Job.

Announcements included mention that we had two babies born into the church family this week. Sam and Kelly had baby Isabella on July 4. Jessie and Lisa Smith brought Lincoln Jessie Smith into the world. Because the latter was a C-section birth, meals would be welcome for the next three weeks. (Sign up in the back or call Brooke)

The Scripture reading today was from Mark 5:21-43

Before our time of prayer we prayed for those going to CHIC in a few weeks.

God Is Big Enough to Comfort My Suffering 

Some books in the Bible are wintery in that they talk about times when God seems distant. But it’s a great place to learn about how big our God is.

The story of Job begins in Uz, which was somewhere east of there… Job is righteous, pious and blessed. In the beginning of the story there is a correlation between his good deeds and his blessing. But beginning with verses 6-12 there is a change in the story.

Picture a theater with a lower stage and an upper stage. Job, his family and friends live in the lower stage. Theater goers see that God resides in the upper stage, but Job is unaware of what is going on there, a transaction between God and Satan.

The story moves to the lower stage and we see Job smitten, but he remains faithful to God.

The next scene is back at the upper stage and we see Satan asking for permission to cause yet more suffering. Satan says, in essence, to God, "Job loves you because everything is going his way. God, you turn off the faucet of blessing and you will see Job turn his back on you because the core of this man is like all men. People are fair weather friends. People are basically selfish." This is exactly the point Christopher Dawkins tries to paint in his book The Selfish Gene. 

In contrast, God says the core of the universe and our lives is self-giving, self-sacrificial love.

But things do get worse for Job. In the end Job is diseased, covered with scabs, sitting on a dung heap as his wife say, “Curse God and die.”

Brad made an interesting observation at this point. Many people paint Job's wife with a dark brush, but in reality keep in mind that she has suffered immensely as well. She lost her family, her home, all her possessions, and now her life is centered on taking care of a diseased man who will soon die, the man she loved and who has been providing for her all these years. It is a very challenging time for her. Brad's comments exhibited a merciful approach toward her remark that showed a special kind of compassion.

Yet, in all this Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. (Job 1:22)
After the second round of disasters, the Bible says Job did not sin in what he said. But the astute reader can see that he is struggling in his heart.

Job, once famous for his wealth and influence now is famous for his sorrow and suffering. So when Job’s friends arrive, begin to weep when they see him. They see immediately what a bad way he is in. They sit with him for seven days and nights…. Being there is a form of comfort

Paul says mourn with those who mourn. He does not say “give good advice” or suggest they “snap out of it.”

Job pours out chapter after chapter of bitterness. His friends reply, saying essentiall that "whatever you are experiencing is because of what you did." It's a common perspective that is with us to this day. If things are going well, it is because your choices and your troubles are because of your choices. It's conventional wisdom: you must have done something wrong. Otherwise, how do you explain this?

Job says he was the same person both before and after these mind-numbing events that occurred. So that line of argument doesn't make sense.

Yes, there are times when choices and consequences are related. But sometimes it has nothing to do with anything we have done.

"If only I could talk to God. I would present my case," he say. 

When everyone has said their piece and re-hashed all their arguments, God shows up and speaks to Job out of a storm. (Job 38)

God does not answer the questions Job asks, however, or explain what happened. Instead, God points out that Job has a finite mind, and that we can’t see the whole picture from our vantage point.

God asks questions. And the questions reveal the character of God who cares for land where people don’t even live. There's a whole section about God creating and how He is involved in things that have no value for anything other than just because they are. In short, God reveals Himself to be irrationally loving and gratuitously good.

Job never finds out what happened on the upper stage, and Job’s story is our story. We, like he, can’t see the why of anything, but we can see who God is. We can see His character. And in this the Book of Job is a foretaste of the cross, where God sent Jesus into the lower stage, and showed what kind of God He is.

Self-giving, self-sacrificial love is the core of this book.

In the last chapter, chapter 42, God let’s Job’s friends know that Job was right, and the friends, who thought they were defending God, were put on notice that they were wrong.

Brad took a moment to highlight another feature of the story. In the end, Job 42, everything Job lost was restored double. He also had seven more sons and three daughters,which has a twist to it here.

There are a lot of things in the story that we would miss today. The names of daughters mentioned, instead of the sons. And the names of Job’s daughters are all about beauty: a dove, cinnamon and makeup. And Job gave a portion of his inheritance to these daughters, not a typical act in those days. Why? Because what you gave as inheritance can be siphoned by in-laws. But his character is revealed and being hilariously giving and generous, like the creator whom he loves.

Can a human being hold on to God when it doesn’t seem to pay off at all? Job  was broke, sick, confused, suffering, in anguish… and he didn’t know how long it would go on. Yet he was faithful… he did not give up.

Our suffering matters…

But our response matters as well, more than we can ever imagine. So friends, don’t let go because our God is a big and great God.

Down, But Not Out

The new schedule began this morning, Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. and our worship service at 10:15. Despite a dreary weekend, the pews were full and a warm energy filled the sanctuary as the service began. Pastor Shannon welcomed us and reminded us that we are here to honor Jesus Christ.

Announcements

1. A rummage sale will be held jointly at Gethsemane as a fund raiser for the CHIC trip out youth are planning. If you wish to contribute goods from your fall cleaning, contact Cheryl Borndal.

2. Paula shared that there will be a Circle of Life women's get together on September 20 here at the church from 10 - 2.

3. Building committee is meeting Wednesday evening at Winships, 7 p.m.

Pastor Shannon reversed the order of the service today. Immediately following the opening introit, he commenced with his sermon about the Lord's second letter to the seven churches, this one to Smyrna.

8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Down, But Not Out

Pastor Shannon opened with a series of questions. How many of you like music? How many of you like jazz? How many of you like rock? How many of you like classical? How many of you like country?

The questions were designed to set up the observation that music is a universal language, a truth that is fairly indisputable.

Another universal language, he then pointed out, is suffering. As noted in the book of Job, "Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." (Job 5:7)

John Shelton observed that pleasure is the intermission of pain. In other words, life has more pain and struggle than pleasure. Life is hard.

Jesus Himself noted that in this life you will have trouble.

And so it is, the letter to the church at Smyrna is written to Christians who are well acquainted with sorrows and poverty.

8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death."

Of the seven cities to which the letters in Revelation 2 & 3 were written, Smyrna is the only one that is with us to this day. Now Ishmir of Turkey, the city was located approximately forty miles north of Ephesus.

Smyrna was a crown jewel of Rome, an intellectual city noted for both its size and beauty. The polytheistic Smyrna was exceptional in its loyalty to Rome. Its temple was a centerpiece of emperor worship, and their loyalty to Caesar and to the Empire made it challenging for the Christians there. After Nero, it even became deadly to be a follower of Christ, for Smyrna became intolerant of everything the emperor was intolerant of.

The letter to the church at Smyrna is filled with compassion. "I know your afflictions," Jesus says. "I know life is hard for you because you love Me. I know what you are going through."

Yes, Jesus knows first hand what pain is like. In addition, He knows what your pain is like and He cares. "I know it's hard that many of you are without jobs, that many of you are impoverished. Yet... you are rich."

Pastor Shannon reminded us that Scripture nowhere promises a pain free life. Nor does Scripture promise wealth. In point of fact, many of the most blessed Christians are serving in destitute circumstances in appalling Third World conditions.

Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:10-12, said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Here in this letter to the church of Smyrna, we read that there is still more suffering to come, but Jesus promises that it will be finite in duration... ten days, which is a short time compared to eternity with Him.

Many passages speak of the brevity of our suffering when compared to eternal life. Paul, to the Corinthians, wrote, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (II Cor 4:16-18)

Peter elaborated on this theme in his letter to the early church.

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy... (I Peter 1:3-8)

Remember the goal: salvation of your soul. This present suffering is just for a little while. In James 1:12 we read that our reward for remaining faithful is a crown of life.

The persecution of Christians continues down to this very day with torture, martyrdom and other mayhem. In fact, more Christians have been killed for their faith in the past one hundred years than in the previous nineteen centuries combined. In the book of Hebrews we read not only of the heroes of faith, but of the many forgotten as well.

"Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground." (Hebrews 11:35-38)

Fox's Book of Martyrs tells the story of Polycarp, an early bishop of Smyrna who at age 86 was told to renounce Christ or be burned. He declared that "eighty and six years I have served Him" and that the Lord had always been faithful. How can I now be unfaithful. He accepted the flames rather than turn his back on Jesus.

In this letter, it is as if Jesus is saying, "I know you're suffering. I know what you're going through. I love you. Remember, the end is not the end, because I am the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, and you have a seat there with Me in Heaven."

Trials & Temptations

2nd Sunday after Pentecost

Pastor Shannon opened the service by mentioning that he was beginning a new series of messages on the Book of James, followed by announcements.

Announcements included a reminder that our 2008 Vacation Bible School will be held June 16-20. This year’s theme is “Cosmic City.” Stay tuned for details.

The quartet led us into worship again this morning with some wonderful and fun classics including There Is Power In The Blood, The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, Just a Little Talk With Jesus, and That Glory Bound Train.

Today’s Scripture readings:
Isaiah 49:8-16a
Matthew 6:24-34

Trials & Tribulations

Pastor Brad Shannon began by noting that there is value in getting background on the books that we study. The Book of James, he said, was probably written by James, the brother of Jesus.

It is a letter that jumps around from topic to topic, without always connecting the dots. Not written in a linear fashion, it is more like the book of Proverbs and other wisdom literature. There is, however, an overriding theme: that we mature and become like Christ.

Scholars believe the book was written earlier than many of the other New Testament books, probably around 45 A.D. The audience was generally poor and enduring much hardship. The early church during this period was suffering from Roman persecution and probably impacted by the famine that was occurring at this time.

The sermon today focused on verses 2-8 of chapter 1.

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Verse two begins the section, “Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…” The instructions here are counterintuitive. James encourages us to have a joyful attitude in the face of trials. This stands in stark contrast to our society with its preoccupation with comfort. Pastor Shannon enumerated a number of the features on new cars devoted to comfort and convenience.

There are two kinds of trials in Scripture. The enticement to sin is one kind of trial. This passage, Pastor Shannon stated, addresses our response to external pressures, adversity, persecution and hardships.

The testing of our faith develops perseverance, which is integral to developing maturity. The fires of adversity strengthen us. If we learn to be steadfast, we will grow stronger.

Pastor Brad cited an insight from a book by Henry Cloud and followed with a personal sharing of a time of trial in his own life. Brad told about his first experience as a pastor after seminary. He entered the ministry with dreams of a loving church reaching out to the surrounding community. But the realities were very disillusioning. In four years, two people were fired, marriages ended, and others from his congregation left the faith. The dream blew up and challenged him in deeply profound ways.

The issue is not about who has suffered more. “It’s not about comparing levels of pain, but in how our pain contributes to growth.” God is generous. God’s focus: when we go through trials it is vital to have it firmly rooted in our minds that God is for us.

God chooses to discipline us to help us grow. To illustrate this point, Brad told the story of a woman with no self-discipline who managed her money badly, never accomplished the things on her “to do” lists. Eventually she came to understand that her parents had done everything for her and failed to really teach her responsibility. Her failures were a growth experience.

Our usual response to trials is not joy. Often we adopt the attitude that we are victims. Another common response to the challenges life throws at us is escapism. James states that we need to remain faithful and persevere.

We’ll never, in this life, know why bad things happen to good people. There are some things we’ll never understand till the hereafter. But it’s not what happens to us that is significant, rather how we respond is what is important. Our job is to keep running the race.

God is good. He loves and cares about us. If there were easier or better ways to mature us, God would do it.

We need to remember to look beyond adversity. God has promised a crown of life to those who persevere. Take the long view to the eternal prize, for “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Life is not about comfort. It’s about becoming more like Jesus. Pay attention to your responses to trials. Are you choosing to be joyful? Are you believing God is for you, even though you do not understand why you’re going through this difficult trial?

We know that God is big, but He also cares about the little things. He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, and the number of tears you’ve shed and have been unable to shed. You can trust Him. He cares about you.

Hold On

Trinity Sunday / First Sunday After Pentecost

At the beginning of the service we shared a moment of silence for Chauncey Wargin, who departed to be with the Lord this week.

This was followed by several important announcements including the following.
1. Beginning next Sunday, worship will start at 9:30 for the duration of the summer.
2. Pastor Shannon will be presenting a new series of sermons taken from the Book of James.
3. The last Adventure Club of the year will be Wednesday night, with an Art Show following. Dessert and special entertainment will be enjoyed by all.

Our Sunday School teachers and Adventure Club leaders were also given recognition.

After the reading of Psalm 121, Ed Newman lead the Children’s Challenge, beginning with an examination inside the kids’ mouths to see if he could find something he was looking for. Turns out, no one had an eraser in their mouths. The message: words can be used for good, but can also hurt others, and unfortunately, we do not have an eraser on our tongues.

After Scripture readings from Ps. 8 and Matthew 28:16-20, Pastor Shannon began his message.

Hold On

The message today dealt with very sober issues. Not everything in the world is good. War, rape, abuse, crime, scandals… no matter what part of the newspaper you look at you will see stories that underscore this truth. Real evil exists. No rational person can deny that there is evil in the world.

How did the world get so messed up? The answer is that sin has entered the world. Our sin has done real damage. Before Adam and Eve sinned, the world was perfect. But since then, it is fallen, corrupt, a broken planet.

No one is without sin. I don’t live up to my own standards, let alone those of a perfect God. As the Scriptures state, “All have sinned,” and “There is none righteous, not one.”

Sin causes great damage. In today’s sermon, Pastor Shannon outlined five realms where sin causes harm and suffering… (1) the Natural, (2) the Physical, (3) the Emotional, (4) the Relational, and (5) the Spiritual.

1) Natural disasters occur because the earth is broken, no longer in harmony with God’s order. For this reason we have earthquakes, Tsunamis, and other devastation. In Romans 8:20-22 we read that the whole of creation groans for release from its bondage to decay, caused by the entrance of sin into the world.

2) The physical real is subject to decay and death. Our bodies weaken, we age. All things in this world are subject to the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

In actuality, death is actually good. This world is imperfect, and a source of suffering. Jesus has prepared for us a better place. Death is a door to this better world.

3) Sin also damages us emotionally. At this point he shared how engaged couples often spend as much of a year working out every detail of a wedding, that lasts but a few hours, without working on the important issues of the marriage, which is a lifetime.

4) Sin causes relational damage as well, and this is nowhere more visible than in the context of a marriage. Either we grow up or grow apart. It is the place where we must learn to be unselfish.

Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed. They had no hang-ups, no baggage from abusive parents, bad school experiences, etc. But then, they sinned, and everything changed. In Genesis 3:7 we see that they hid themselves. And clothed themselves in fig leaves. (What’s your fig leaf?) They also blamed, as we still do to this day, blaming others for our bad behavior.

5) Spiritual discontent and sadness is the fifth consequence of sin. Pascal noted that we have a God-shaped who in our hearts, and only God can fill it. Augustine, a thousand years earlier, wrote that “our hearts are restless till they find their rest in Thee.” Only God can satisfy our deepest need.

We live on a broken planet. The tragic surrounds us on all sides, around the globe. No wonder there is epidemic depression.

The prophet Jeremiah was well acquainted with depression and sorrow. Out of his sorrows he wrote the Book of Lamentations. But in this book we see him affirm that the Lord can always be counted on. “Lord, You are all that I need,” he exclaims.

Sin is why the world is such a mess. So why doesn’t God just shut it down? Pull the plug?

God is in control, and the world is moving toward its climax. God is patient and doesn’t want anyone to perish. He puts up with the grief to give us more time and opportunity to receive His grace.

When there is suffering in the world, God feels it deeply. He made us with emotions in His image, and he is not immune to grief when He sees trafficking in women, child abuse, and all the other horrors in our time.

Through the sin of one man, death entered the world, and suffering. This is, however, a temporary world now. It will never be perfect. But in the midst of it, God’s presence and reign are available, her and now.

Once we’ve found His peace, His redemption, we need to share with others what we’ve found.