Paul
Revelation Song
Blessed Be Your Name (lindy)
Exalt The Lord Our God
There Is No One Like Our God segue
God Of This City
You Alone
Guest Speaker: Mick Wilson (Jon’s brother-in-law)
Was wondering what to share with us
Had his hand shattered by a dump truck tailgate
Then his wife called him with CAT scan results: lemon-sized lesions on her liver and tumors on her ovaries
Now the liver is possibly benign
Suffering is what he wants to share
If God is so good then why is there so much evil?
Why them? Why me? WHY?
How can I handle [blank]?
Powerful questions
How do I get through this?
Start digging
Lots of perspective and history in the bible
2 Corinthians
Paul is being questioned as to his authority
4:6 and 12
Back at Bel Air Presbyterian, Jon led river rafting trips
Fowler’s Rock
Training before you go out
Hold your breath when waves hit
Feet up – don’t break your femur
Call – rapids – calm – rapids
Satan’s Cesspool
Dig and turn
Uses the paddle to lever himself
Don’t go high water route, go right for the normal route
Unbalanced raft and it spun left, smacked into Fowler’s rock and flipped over
Waterfalls are holes
Sucked in and pummeled
Current will push you under
Strainers – reeds that spaghetti you
You’re in calm water but something’s coming
John 16:1
Matthew 13,14,15
The white water is coming
Acts 14:22
People think Christianity is about affluence…if you’re not rich you have sin in your life
That’s not what the bible says
2 Corinthians 1:8-9
4:7-8
Paul is being honest and real
I was this and now this has happened to God’s glory
They’re happy stories
It’s not all that relateable – God is doing something deeper
Job – and he did not sin before God
Houseboating
Kid going through divorce and abuse
Said he didn’t feel like God wasn’t with him
Gave him a list if Psalms – 88
It just ends
Shifted kid’s faith paradigm
2 Corinthians 4 – Carry the death around so that the life is revealed
Crucifixion leads to ressurection
Seeds have to die in order to grow into new life
Life comes from death
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Secularism
Suffering is bad, flee it
Buddhism says good will come out of suffering, but Christ went further
Dealing with youth has taught him that they are light and fluffy until crisis and suffering – they collapse
They haven’t been through a lot
Put it all together – no glory, no suffering
A husband and wife had 2 miscarriages, finally a successful birth and husband confesses to adultery
2 Corinthians 4 (the message)
Gods goal isn’t our success but His glory
Scary Prayer
Do whatever it takes to bring me closer to you
Romans 2:28-29
Heroes of faith
They went through hellacious suffering
Charles Spurgeon
I am certain that I never did grow in grace one half so much anywhere
Dive into the sea of suffering to get the best pearls
Rutherford
Cellar of affliction holds God’s best wines
Danni tribe murders missionaries son
Movie -> End of the Spear
Gods sovereignty – not just the ability or goodness to carry out his will…he carries it out!
Joni Earecksom Tada
Only in sufferings will we know Jesus
If you’re gonna pray the scary prayer be sure to make a post it note with the date of the prayer so when you hit the rapids you can look back and go, “Oh yeah”
A. W. Towzer
Amy Carmichael
John 9:3-4 (the message)
Sin = suffering
Wrong question
No blame
Look at what God can do
Don’t look at why, look at what
Lazarus
John 11:3-4
It’s not about you – it’s about God’s glory
The cross is the most amazing thing God has ever done
Jesus was wiping out disease in Palestine – everyone thought his redemptive work ended at the cross
God’s redemption of humankind
I hate me – I hate thee
No condemnation for those in Christ – past, present, and future sins are all forgiven
God disciplines us – Hebrews 12
John – pruning vineyard
Has God abandoned us? How?
What did Jesus suffer?
Separation, rejection, death, loneliness, misunderstood, betrayal, political injustice, all of hell and God’s wrath pouring down on him
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Gesthemane
Take this cup, nevertheless Your will be done
Rock in your way, pray
Remove the rock or raise the water
Everything results in God’s glory
Isaiah 43:2
When…not if…when
Wild At Heart -> for men
Captivating -> for women
Sometimes we need two by fours to get the message
Upper endoscopsy
Positive for celliacs disease
Gluten free – no wheat, barley, rye
IBS, called various things
You will face crises – I will be faithful
I am freeing you and I am healing you
Shaping us
God’s sovereignty is the pillow we rest our heads on
Paul
Matt
Common thread of what God is doing at our church
Lessons we can learn before you get into the current
Will we pay attention
Romans 15:5
Endurance – long suffering, patience
Satan loves to make you feel alone
Unity in suffering