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July 30, 2019 8:31 pm
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Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions were to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org. Why don't we grab our Bibles and turn to John chapter 11. The title of my message is hope for hurting hearts what was it's a day like any other day get out of bed to get dressed. Your breakfast, coffee, check your emails maybe hopefully you read your Bible before that and then then it happened that phone call out of the blue from a police officer or a friend delivering bad news or a note on your counter from your spouse say they want out of the marriage a new pain in your body.
You'd never noticed before a call from your doctor saying he's concerned about it, test that was just done on you and he wants to do some more test crisis hits fast it hits hard and it takes no prisoners. Pain is not in your front door it's moved in without your permission, and it refuses to leave in this crisis is the human experience can alter the course of your life dramatically affect you wouldn't even wish it on your worst enemy but yet it's happening to you for Joe is whole world came crashing down and him and one day for Joseph.
It was a betrayal by his brothers that changed the course of his life for Jesus.
It was a religious leaders and one of his own friends to actually put trade on trade him in for you. It might be something else you feel like you're in unexpected overpowering storm in your little ship is starting to capsize and you're really beginning to lose hope. It's been said, quote men can live 40 days without food three days without water, but not even minutes without hope.
We all need hope in our life and in that that did happen to me. It's been 11 years now on July 24, 2008 when we heard the news.
No parent wants to hear that our son Christopher had left this world and I've gone on to the next one that he was now in heaven.
He was killed in an automobile accident.
Just say the bill like that is devastating this.
It's an understatement it's it's life altering.
I felt like all the air was sucked out of the room I was in an immediate state of shock. I collapsed to the ground. I thought if I could die from hearing something I literally could physically die from that information that was given to me and somehow I survived it and does so as I was dealing with this new reality that he did not want to face. I had people would gone through it say you should keep a journal. While I've never really had a journal you know of when I think of journal I think is something a little kid has maybe the little lock on it or something. A journal that's I started opening up Word documents and just kind of typing my thoughts the way I was feeling each day and then they begin to sort of take shape in and I read some other books on sudden loss in and I thought you know I want to share this with other people. So it turned into a little book that became known as hope for hurting hearts over the years I've written 70 books. I didn't see anyone is read them. I just said Everett okay and this is probably the most important book I've ever written for the simple reason I've heard so many stories from people who told me how to help them in an hour of crisis and I wrote it from the Valley exit dispatch from the valley of the shadow of death is not theoretical. It's real.
I was very honest in the book. In fact, if I were to rewrite the book today, he would be a much better but did not better, I'd say a much different book that was when I wrote it and I don't think necessarily a better one because it's close to what it happened in real time and basically the book talks about what happens when pain or hardship comes in my case it was a loss of my son and then the hope that I found from Scripture the hope that I found from my relationship with God the hope that is assisting me all these years and continues to sustain me as other hardships come my way in this hope is here for all of us right here right now. You do not have to be hopeless no matter what you're facing at this particular moment, we have a generation that's been done. The hopeless generation that's generation Z born from 1995 to 2008. The hopeless generation is also the most depressed generation. In fact, this generation for them and I the presence of the best-selling pharmaceuticals and they also have the highest suicide rate will is that I am whole for the hopeless generation. I have hope for the millennial's I have hope for the baby boomers I have hope for the greatest generation. It's a whole a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and I want to share that hope and just weeks were going to be at Angel Stadium for 30th annual harvest Crusade and you know when the invitation is extended, and people go forward. I want you to know that 65% of those go that go forward are 30 and younger. So were really reaching this particular group of people and we hope to continue to be able to do so. But the Bible describes hope as an anchor. Hebrews 619 says we have this hope is an anchor for the soul firm and secure and we need this hope because I tell you when you're going to hardship. The thing that helps you are not playas flood pious platitudes.
The thing that will help you is the word of God. Some 3815.
The psalmist says in you will Lord I hope you will hear the Lord my God, someone 30 verse like I'm counting on the Lord isn't counting here on him. I put my hope in his word that server to find the hope from God and from his word.
I just finished a three part series.
As you know, called God's answer to fear, anxiety and worry, one of the points I made was 85% of the stuff you worry about will never happen. You okay so why stress out over that stuff. Today I want to talk about the other 15% when that thing that you feared actually does happen to you when the worst case scenario takes place when you hear the worst news imaginable and you wonder if you can survive it. The answer is yes yes you can for me. At first I wasn't getting through the day. It was getting to the next five minute I felt like I had the weight of the world on the iPhone almost a physical weight on my chest and I'll tell you what help me was reading Scripture, see living in grief and grieving is a little bit like wiping out a way. How many of you ever been on the serpent and been thrown over the falls of a way raise your hand gets most of you. Some of you what you will go the ocean and it seems to happen to everyone eventually.
But I can get times I've been out there and you know when a big set is coming in by big sentiment about the waves and the one after that one coming is even bigger in the get bigger and bigger. Your inclination is to turn around and paddled toward sure as fast as possible. That's a bad decision is any good to get hit in the impact zone. What you need to do is paddle out toward the waves try to go under them before they break.
Keep going keep going to get to Catalina, you've gone too far, but I can the good times I've gone over the falls as they say. And so during like to stomach this washing machine of Whitewater and your and you can actually lose direction more than one person is gone down when they should go up. So if you have a boogie board or some kind of a flotation device if you it's probably attached to your leg so here's what you do if you're caught in Whitewater's is a tip for summer. You might think me later if you're caught in Whitewater and you have a boogie board or something.
Grab your lease and pull on it going the direction of the lease will always take you to the surface. Okay, so here's how it works for us over dealing with grief.
We don't know which way is up were losing perspective. The Bible is the least unique you grab the word of God and you pull on it it it takes you to Jesus you get your head above water. Take a big gulp of burning up 08 more waves, and I gotta go under them and under. But the point is the word of God is what helps us in those times of need will hear before us in John 11 is a story of a loved one dying. It's a story of severe grief that accompanies the death of someone you love. It's also a story of how Jesus reacts in such situations and it tells us how God can actually be glorified through difficult circumstances.
But it's also a hopeful message so we will remember that no matter what were going through. God is going to be with you to give you the strength you need in your hour of need not necessarily before, never after but you'll give you what you need when you need it. This is a story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Now these people were personal friends of Jesus Christ.
They have cell phones in those days they would had his number they would had a text read constantly going Jesus like to hang out at their house. They lived in Bethany, and he would go to their home in Bethany when he would be going into Jerusalem and everyone in the Jerusalem. There was conflict there was drama, there were things going on so I go hang out with his friends first.
And by the way, Martha was a killer cook and I'm sure he loved her food, as did his 12 buddies.
He took with him everywhere he went, so he did show up a Martha would whip him up a feast and Jesus like to spend time in their home and they could be accurately said that Mary her sister Martha and their brother Lazarus were personal friends of Jesus Christ. I think that's an important thing to note and so is her story picks up hardship is come their way. Sickness is invaded their home. John 11 now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was then Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
Therefore this sister sent to him say Lord.
Behold, he whom you love is sick. So do we learn from this is point number one life is filled with pain and sorrow in the death of loved ones as I love the most depressing point ever seriously, but it's true.
Unfortunately, life is filled with pain and sorrow in the death of loved ones no you don't know this so much when you're young you get older you start seeing loved ones pass. It usually starts with the grandparents than your parents all very significant stages of life. But then it might be an unexpected love one dying like a spouse or a child that affects you in a dramatic way.
So these things do happen, you don't know when it's going to Weather, but to remind you of your own mortality. This is just a reality of life. Point number two despite the hardships of life we must remember that God loves us despite the hardships of life we must remember that God loves us. You know, shortly after my sin went to be with the Lord.
Pastor Chuck came to visit me. Chuck Smith, we sat on the steps of my home in front.
Chuck looked at me and said Greg never just read what you know for what you don't know never trade what you know for what you don't know because when crisis hit your mind is filled with wise. Why is this happening to me why why why it's not fair to other people don't suffer like this.
Why, that's what I don't know, don't trade what I know for what I don't know okay what do I know, I know that God loves me right you know that I know that God is in control of my life. I know that when a believer dies they go to heaven.
Therefore, I know that the moment my son left this world. He entered the next one and he's there in the presence of God.
I know that I will see him again. As David said when his job died, he cannot come to me, but I will go to him so you can spend all of your time asking the why question the what you don't know stuff but don't know what to do know and replace the what you don't know thoughts with thoughts about what you do know God loves you know us is very interesting because Lazarus is sick, and they just send a message to Jesus saying basically Lord, your body is sick was paraphrase your friend Lazarus is sick didn't tell him what to do. They do said he sent to forgettable take care of it. I think they were assuming Jesus would heal him and he could do that. He healed many people. He never touched any two people the same way, though I've never known set.
Sometimes it speak to a person they be healed.
Another time someone would touch the hem of his garment, they would be healed. Another time he would just speak the word and the person would be healed and on one occasion, a guy who was blind. Had Jesus spit on the ground. Wipe is spit in the dirt and put it in the guys I there's mud neurotic buddy that was a weird way to see someone healed. Can you imagine coming for prayer. Pastor, would you prefer make sure hold on now. I'm sorry, that's gross. They that's what he did so he could heal people. He didn't even need to be there. They probably thought it just say the word Lazarus a pop out of bed. Martha would whip up a great meal and everything would be wonderful again.
Yes, he love them. But then, here's an interesting little twist on the story they say Lord, the one that you love is sick first three and then he's basically the ladies his arrival.
Look at verse four when Jesus heard that he was sick, he said, this sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God the son of God may be glorified through it all you this now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Therefore, therefore, when he heard that he was said he stayed two more days in the place where he was hung. Why when he heard he was sick because he loved him. He stayed two more days in the place where he was know that doesn't make any sense at all to us in the same way when hardship hits were, say, Lord. Where were you wanted to doing something a wire to engaged here. Don't you even care will I don't know that I can answer why Jesus delayed his arrival but here's one little thought. Jesus knew ultimately that Lazarus is going to die and so by the time he arrives in Bethany, Lazarus is been dead a number of days but where did Lazarus go when he died as anyone know the answer. He went to have the Old Testament version of heaven, if you will notice Abraham's bosom, a place of comfort and bliss.
So hey, Lazarus was good. Maybe Jesus said, let the guy enjoyed for a little while will be back here soon enough and he will be happy when I bring him back either. And then there was a plot afoot to kill Lazarus because the religious leaders reinjury he got resurrected by Jesus. So they wanted to kill a man that's miserable is that it so baby just wanted him to enjoy a little bit longer. You don't have to have a little fun, like when the kids were in the pool and this time to go and is a let's call little stale geek and a five more minutes to write Jesus and think a minimum little enjoyment of their life is going to get hard enough for him. Soon, but now here is Jesus waiting because he has a purpose in mind, you know, one of my favorite hold versus is Jeremiah 2911, where God says, I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a whole that phrase of future could be translated and expected in prison. Another translation puts it a ground of hope or things hoped for. Basically, God is saying there's going to be an outcome and ultimately it will be good some of your say hold on now Greg. What possible future. Could I have with my love one who was God. Here's the answer. If they died with faith in Jesus Christ. They're not just a part of your past. There also a part of your future because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
We will be reunited with loved ones again, and God will tidy up loose ends and somehow somehow he's going to make this up to you on the others. You know, we see the small picture God sees the big picture.
We see the temporal he sees the eternal, and he has bigger plans afoot than what you're thinking about right now will all be made clear to you in that final day.
So in the meantime you can have to just have whole simple Greg actually what is hope. I one person defined it this way in this acronym.
HOPE holding on with patient expectation open, just holding on holding on, knowing that God is ultimately going to accomplish his purposes only. While lesser specific Jesus is delaying his arrival and Mary Martha were probably looking up the road, seeing the different take Jesus will be here in the second you come right down the road goes as those 12 guys with him. They kick up a lot of industrial same. Waiting. Waiting. No, Jesus, and finally Jesus comes strolling in the town and he's days late. Not only has he missed healing Lazarus. Lazarus is dying and he missed the funeral. So as he arrives in Bethany. Martha goes up to him and says the following, John 11 verse 20 then market as soon as she heard Jesus was coming when and met him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord of you would've been here, my brother would not die but now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again for this and I know you will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. Jesus said read my lips that he didn't say that but he said I am the resurrection on the life he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live is whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. So here comes Jesus greeted by Martha with this statement. Lord, if you would've been here, my brother would not of die, allow me to loosely paraphrase that Jesus kinda blew it.
You really let us down here. We were bragging on you to our friends telling them awesome. You are and you don't even show up.
You even listen funeral. You could've done something but then there's a spark of faith in thereto, and Martha does say yes I know that whatever you ask of God, to give it to you. Okay, so she's very upset with Jesus.
Have you ever been upset with God. Have you ever not agreed with what God did in your life.
Have you ever been disappointed with God may be saying something like where were you, Lord, when my parents divorced.
Where were you when my marriage does all where were you when my child when prodigal, what were you will my love one die. Where were you when you let me buy a cat, the pet shop, why bejewel why I have the crazy stuff and every now that I know this is an intense message about of throwing wacky humor here and there but you know where were you, Lord, we feel that way and we cry out to him and then I want to say this, Mary and Martha were doing the right thing.
We all have our anxieties and we all of our concerns. Don't separate yourself from God and isolate yourself from other Christians. Be with them and go to God in prayer with your concerns. Listen with your complaints with your frustrations and say Lord I don't get it.
I don't like it, but I believe in you and I believe you're in control and I love you, but I still don't like it's okay I just honestly just honesty with God. There's nothing wrong with asking God why don't necessarily expect an answer, but you can ask God why you know if the Lord did tell us why things happen the way they do you think you would ease your pain and heal your broken heart. I mean imagine for a moment of yours and got I don't understand is why Weiss is you really want to note is you're ready for guests. Here is the reason that happened was so this Would Take Pl., Pro what would you do, I don't agree that that's all right.
That's messed up. You probably wouldn't agree with it so I don't even think knowing the answer would help you God says my ways are above your ways, my thoughts are above your thoughts so we should live on promises, not explanation, and we shouldn't spend too much time asking why why why now Jesus is going to put things in perspective. Martha listen to me now.
I am the resurrection and the life and he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet it is whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Martha listen. Death is not the end of a friends name is Barry.
His daughter just died unexpectedly.
I said are you gonna have a lot of questions and one of those questions.
One of the struggles will be. You'll think yourself I'll never see her again.
He says I was just thinking that I just thought an end and I was think I'll never hear her voice again.
I think very that's right, I knew you would think that but I want you to know it's not true. You will see her again. You will hear her voice again you will be with her again in the resurrection. This is the promise of God for all of us and this is why we as Christians have whole, everything doesn't. And when I leave this earth. Oh yes my physical life ends, but I am a soul in the body and I live on in eternity. And one day haven't according to Scripture, is going to come down to the earth and heaven and earth will become one God has a future and a hope for every one of his followers. That's why we have whole in a seemingly hopeless world. Okay, let's go back to John 11 verse 32 and when Mary came where Jesus would see some falling down at his feet, saying, Lord, if you would've been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in his spirit and was troubled and he said were of you late again. They said come and see that there's the shortest verse in the Bible Jesus wept towards Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said see how he loved him. You know, men have a harder time in general than women expressing their feelings and emotions.
Girls do it so well. We so admire you. We don't understand you but we admire you the way you just talking into 12 girls talking the same time understanding each other really perplexed when you all go to the bathroom together that makes no sense to men.
I'm going to the Betty want to go I'll go with you all go electric. Guys would never do that ever were embarrassed if we see each other in the rather motorized girls girls see the girl I love you so much I love you I love you I love you. Love love love guys are like and we do feel love we feel love for our brothers we feel love for our wives to the love for a lot of people just harder for us to stay at. That's all.
So will punch each other. Love your bro you know, were messed up with just admitted and it's really hard for men to cry general for many men the whole tobacco find it and some would even say it's not masculine decry for anyone he would say it is not masculine for a man decry.
I have a two word answer. Jesus wept. Jesus wafts Jesus of Nazareth was the most masculine man that ever walked this planet. He was the man even pilot said, behold, the main it was the man. Don't forget he carried a wooden cross of the streets of Jerusalem after having his back ripped open by a Roman with he was tough as nails not this effeminate little scrawny. Jesus you see in religious art. That's not the Jesus of the Bible.
He was strong but he wept because it was heartbreaking. What was heartbreaking was heartbreaking was what Synod done.
Was he mad, I was he mad at Mary and Martha, I don't think so.
Was he mad at the people morning. I don't really think so highly. He was mad at the Grim Reaper if you will. It was matted death itself because this was never part of God's divine plan for us to die, we would've live forever of our crazy first parents didn't eat the forbidden fruit and by the way, it wasn't an Apple. The Bible never says Appleby will say when Adam and Eve ate the apple. It was a nectarine, don't you know actually when I told but because he ate that fruit.
Sin entered the world. If Adam and Eve is not eaten of the forbidden fruit. We would live forever if Adam and Eve and not eaten the forbidden fruit. We would never arrange vitamin E that not eaten of the forbidden fruit. I would have hair right now and lots of it. Beautiful hair.
I was signing copies of my book after the service and the some lady came up to me and said that asking how old you.
I said well hell do you think I she said well I don't want to say go ahead take a shot. She says 72 Mike seriously. She said I told you I didn't want to say wow type. Thank you very much Joe job that's all because of sin, not her daughter but all the effects of sin.
Aging sickness and of course death. But here's my other point number four God to be glorified to human suffering and bring good out of bed. God can be glorified to human suffering and bring good out of bad Mary and Martha wanted a healing Jesus wanted a resurrection he wanted to do more than they wanted him to do another many times God wants to do way more than you're asking for. The Bible says in Ephesians 320. He is able to do exceedingly above and beyond that which we could ask or think so told limit God by your unbelief made you about Bill. Do you need $942.76 to pay Siegel to Lord, Lord, I need this much money will be to provide will deliver them.
Siblings want to throw in five extra grand I'm good and what everyone now I'm sort of being a little humorous there, but the point is he might want to do more than you're asking for is a Lord here's my need. I bring about for you, but I know you can do exceedingly above and beyond that which I can ask or think. Here's the thing about hope you think how do you get hope how do you build hope.
Well need sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and a couple unicorns try they're not real. By the way, but don't tell that the little girl.
But the point is to go all the good times all the happy times will bring no not really something that might surprise you. Hope grows in the garden of adversity, hope actually get stronger when things get harder said that doesn't make any sense to me will listen. The Bible says this in Romans 53 we glory in tribulations, which means or happy when things are hard.
That's not easy knowing that tribulation produces perseverance or endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Is he when a Christian suffers and still glorified glorifies God, and reassures the rest of us that there will never be a valley so deep that God will not get us through it reminds us that our faith is real, sustain us in our hour of need when you're going through hardship that's can we. That's when you're going to find out how real your faith actually is Kevin saying these things for years I've been telling these things to other people. Now it's time for me to get on this little bridge called faith and put my full weight on it and then move the other foot and then the other 100 fold when this bridge holds me a I had to do that in the bridge did hold me up because everything God says in his word is true in my faith grew stronger than my hope burn brighter and it can happen for you as well. But you must turn to God not turn away from God.
That was a smart thing about Mary and Martha. They went to the Lord and that's where you need to go with your pain right now and I'm asking you in closing, are you hopeful are you hopeless I talked about the hopeless generation. They have probably more materially than any generation that's ever existed their very own iPads and I'm talking about the Pat's have iPads now everybody has a all these great things in so many marriages I've done have high suicide rate what's going on. I think it's because there's all these bright shiny dazzling things and they quickly see the emptiness of all of it and there wondering is there more to life than this weather is but it's not and stuff it's in a relationship with God. You know when you're young is able. I'm not that happy novel one day when I graduate from high school of I'll be happy I'll be fulfilled and you graduate. Well, I need to graduate from college and you do that. Why need to get married then get married in your life, maybe I need you remarriage so you get divorced and I'm not making light of that, by the way, but I'm using it as an illustration, so you remarriage again. Maybe I'm in the wrong. This is not get remarried again, they say, well, kids. We need kids that we had kids would be happy video kids then you say if we get rid of these kids and I will be happy. Ever notice it's always is a little beyond your reach. That's because it's the thing you're looking for is an out there.
It's not a thing you holding your hand, it's having Christ in your heart, that's what you're wired for that's what you're looking for. I'll close with this verse in this verse is 25 chapters of the patient know it just wonders. Proverbs 1028 the hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked are all in. So if you're a believer and you have your hope in Christ, and will result in happiness. But if your expectations are and other things. It's all in vain.
Jesus has what you're looking for to forgive you of all of your sin and give you hope if you're younger if you're middle-aged. If your 72. Or, if you look like your 72 or your 85 are your 95 when I rearranged the answer is to say, we need Jesus. I want to close by offering an invitation to anybody here that may not have a relationship with God. Yet, you know, you come to church. I'm glad you're a church going to church doesn't make you a Christian. There has to be a moment when you believe in Jesus because, listen to this life without Jesus is a hopeless end but life with Jesus. This endless hope you heard of the endless summer.
I'm talking about endless hope it doesn't stop for you in a relationship with God. Jesus died on the cross for you. 2000 years ago.
He died in your place and bore your sins.
And he rose again from the dead three days later and always here standing at the door of your life, and he is knocking anything. If you hear his voice and open the door to come in US price to come of your life. You. If not, and should do it right now. You'll find the Hope you're looking for.
He's just a prayer away. Let's all pray together. Father, thank you for your love for us. Thank you for your word to us. Thank you that you can give us hope in a seemingly hopeless world and now I pray for any person, here watching, listening, wherever they may be. If they don't have a relationship with you.
If they don't know that their sin is forgiven. Would you help them to see their need for you today.
Help them to come to you and believing you. We ask now in her heads about and her eyes are closed or praying together. How many of you would say Greg, I need Jesus. I need hope. I'm I'm I'm really down. I'm empty uncharted chasing after all these empty things as culture offers.
I want this relationship with God you been talking about. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus Christ.
If that your desire.
If you want Christ to come into your life and you want him to forgive you of your sin. Would you raise your hand up right now. I like to pray for you raise your hand up.
I reckon Cianci and I want Jesus today.
I want this hope you've spoken of. I want this relationship of God. God bless you that raising your hand raise your hand up I can see it. Please bless you know some of you I can't see you. Of course you're watching the screen but would you take a little step in, raise your hand as well saying yes I need Jesus wherever you are saying I need him today I want to pray for you now for all of you that of razor.
Jana will lead you in the simple prayer and I would ask that you would pray this prayer out loud after me again as I pray just pray this out loud right where you are after me. Pray these words Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior I need you in my life, Lord, give me hope. Give me purpose. I want to begin this new relationship with you. Thank you for hearing this prayer in answering this prayer in Jesus name I pray, amen, she guides