Jesus Offers Hope - When Life Doesn't Make Sense, Part 1

What do you do when life doesn't make sense. You with me here.

I mean, you pray and ask God for help.

You trust in you being the man or the woman is barred, you know that you're really supposed to be instead of things getting better they get worse and then make it impossible. I mean if God cares about you. How could you be experiencing you're getting right now that your questions to ground that today.

Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with a great group survival teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christian or in the middle of chip series.

Jesus offers hope this program. He tackles one of the toughest questions.

Every person is faced with answering. What do you do when life doesn't make sense such a relatable topic so urgent after today's message shirt with someone in your life you can easily do that through the trip and remap or by downloading and sharing the free MP3s LivingontheEdge.org your strip with today's talk from John chapter 11 were in a series called Jesus offers hope and as a teaching handout if you want to pull that out all be following it rather closely and I'm just going to go out on a limb and suggest that we all have problems in life if you don't have some big ones. Now if you live longer will come right, y'all have adversity. Sometimes it's because you make a just an honest mistake and it causes some problems in sometimes because people do some things to you that you're totally out of the control of it and it hurts you and wounds you sometimes it's health issues and it just brings pain and sometimes as financial and sometimes it just enough observation, personal experience, you just blatantly send you know it's right to do you know what you want to do and you don't do it and its consequences, and produces pain and struggles and woundedness, but there's other times when as far as you know your walking is closely with God.

As you know how you want to love and you want to serve him. There's nothing between you and him that you're aware of and something bad comes into your life, something difficult comes into your life and you do exactly what the Bible talks about you do exactly what Jesus says come in and they argue that labor and heavy laden, ask, seek, knock, and so you asking you seek and you knock and maybe even fast, and you get some wise counsel and then nothing. God silent. In fact, he goes beyond silent.

He feels distant and down deep in your soul.

It goes something like this got no way to second.

I am seeking you walking with you responding in every way I know how and what about all that kind of stuff are you supposed to help me. I'm I'm not getting anything and then down deep you feel something like, I don't think God cares about me me may care about other people but I don't think he really cares about me and if he does, then why would he be silent and distant and at least not seem to care. If you find yourself there or someone that you love in that window. There's hope for you today were to talk about Jesus offering hope when life doesn't make sense on the front of your teaching handout I pose this question and it's what I want to address in our time together. Why would God let our most difficult problems go from bad to impossible.

If you really loved us ever have that happen. I mean it's bad and you ask God for help.

And it's not like it's just stays bad. It goes from bad to impossible. Now, in your teaching handout of the little something different in a bin, encouraging y'all to bring your Bible or your mobile device and kinda dig in personally and so if you get a pen out I'm to ask you to underline a few words circle a few words is what I want you to do is learn how to study the Scriptures for yourself John chapter 11. Jesus is going to ask and answer this question that we post if God really loves me. And you asked for help. How can you let something go from bad to worse the problem is brought to Jesus in verses one through three of John 11 now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus Nelly sick was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair so the sister sent word to Jesus Lord, the one you love is sick so here's what we know someone has a very serious illness. Second, what we know is these are people that are out of God's will. These are people that are casual.

These are people that Jesus from the rest of New Testament. He hangs out with them the most devoted followers he cares deeply about them.

And so, hey Jesus, you hung out at our house.

We know you we love you we worship you. We have a problem so they bring it to Jesus, our brother sick, the one that you love Jesus and four through six response to the problem when Jesus heard this, he said, this sickness will not end in death.

No, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. You might just put parentheses in your notes. There is just a parenthetical comment so he makes a pronouncement. This sickness has a purpose. The purpose is that God's reputation who he is in God's son Jesus will be glorified or be made known.

And then because of how it can operate. He wants to remind his listeners and us Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus and then circle that next words so on some of your translations. It'll say yet, there's a contrast. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Not about you but when I get on the phone and I got a critical situation and I call a close friend and I say you know what you said if I ever ever really really need your you pick up the phone and all be there for you and I call him. I say I really really need you and responses great. I'm not coming on about you but that does not communicate a lot.

Love come in this direction. Martha and Mary are scratching their head on. We sent word you love him. And Jesus says, for reasons we don't understand. No response. A little bit later after a couple days with his disciples. He announces a plan to solve the problem in verses seven through 16. Then he said to his disciples let us go back to Judea so it really going to trip together Jesus and all the disciples, but Rabbi they said a short while ago, the Jews tried to stone you and yet you go back there was a little boy to Jesus what Weber second we like following you, your feeding the poor. A lot of great things are happening you're an amazing teacher.

The last time we were there. They try to kill you translation, you know, like where your closest followers. They want to kill you, do the math Jesus and want to kill us to. Let's not go back there and so the response to Jesus solving the problem is fear. And then Jesus does what he often does. He says sort of this obscure statement, but you said while wonder what the word means.

And so in response to their fear.

Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours of daylight a man who walks by day will not stumble. For he sees by this world's light is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light. I'm sure they just felt like well that solves it for me after he said this, he went on to tell them our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I'm going there to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps to get better translation will have to go right, wake up on his own.

Jesus had been speaking of his death with his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and for your sake. I am glad I was not there.

Would you underline that sentence. Lazarus is dead on about you but that sounds like a bad thing but he says I am glad for your sake disciples that I was not there. And then here's a little purpose clause so that you may believe and if you circle circle the two little words may leave and as we walk through this passage.

Every time the word believe or faith comes up. I want you to circlet, because later today.

You can go back through and say I think there must be something pretty important about believe so. He's glad he's not there. Lazarus died.

Something's going to happen so they can believe he goes on to say, but let us go to him and then sort just like you know you every group has different personalities. Then Thomas called didymus said to the rest of the disciples, let us also go, that we may die with him kiddo. Sort of the bravado that we know from Thomases history little bit later he does not have a lot of faith often when difficult things come into our life. And Jesus calls us to follow him. The two responses are fear. I'm afraid to follow or sort of unfounded bravado.

Okay I'm a victim.

If God called me to do it better than other people's let's just go die, neither of those are genuine, you might charting your notes in the corner. John chapter 8 verse 12.

Jesus had told them I am the light of the world. He who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will walk in the light of life that little statement about you know if you're walking in the daylight NaturallySpeaking.

You know you can see stuff you won't fall but if you're walking at night, you stumble over stuff. What he was trying to tell them as gentlemen.

Life is filled with difficulty and pain, and diversity and problems and it's a fallen world. I'm going to go back in the thick of it. To address this issue.

When you are following me. You're in the light regardless of the externals, regardless of the darkness.

Regardless of the circumstances when you are following me. I blaze a trail I am the light, and if you follow me, regardless of what you're going through, you won't stumble.

You won't be in darkness. Now Jesus decides to give Martha and Mary. These two of his closest followers. Two of his most devoted followers as you read later in the New Testament, you find that Martha does the meal and and Mary sits at his feet coming. These are some of the people that are absolutely the most devoted and committed followers. I don't want to remind you that because what he's going to do in their life and what he is doing in some of your lives right now is only what he does in some people. He has a lot of trust in because they lived during a time where life doesn't make sense if Jesus really loves me, he would've come and guess what, he didn't come and their brother died and they are sad and they are morning and their questioning God's love and their questioning whether they can trust him in the future. And so now, after this delayed response that we learned was an accident. It wasn't because he was busy he chose not to respond and fix the problem now is going to come because a strategy is to give them something better than just fixing their life. Verse 17 on his arrival.

Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than 2 miles from Jerusalem many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. But Mary stayed at home and this is the first encounter that Martha has and is very direct with Jesus Lord Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. What's what's what you really saying I thought you loved me you said asked C cannot.I sat through a lot of those you have the sermon on the mount. I was there I've heard your messages. I asked I sought I not if you would come he'd been alive. We had a big problem. I thought you cared, you didn't show up ever feel like Santa got see what I like her she's honest now.

She's also shrewd because she realizes she seen him do some amazing things that she's is going to voice her disappointment. But then she's gonna couch it in you know, I know you might have another really good plan B so look at verse 20. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again and Martha answered. I know he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day you look, Lord, I got the theology down understand it. I agree with it and then something happens here.

I want you if you can imagine watching the most powerful cinema on an IMAX screen and the camera zooms in an HD on Jesus face and his eyes meet Mary's eyes and she has basically said you let me down. I don't know if you care, you are the problem fix or why didn't you fix my problem. And Jesus looks into her eyes with love and compassion and he says I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this Yep the circle few beliefs in your text. Don't you see so often what we want is God to be our kind of self-help genie to make our life work out God in a week. My house is in trouble, can you turn it around God. My marriage is in trouble, could you turn it around God, my mate, my friend, my son, my daughter has cancer.

Can you turn it around. God fix my problem. I want to be faithful. I love you fix my world fix my problem make it work out right heel. The people that are sick.

Give me a new job and sometimes God waits.

I had a situation but six or seven years ago. That wasn't just like a month or two but it was a journey of a few years and I had made a really big decision. At least on our part to leave where I was comfortable and and and moved to Atlanta and join an organization that I had a thought a lot of them had a great experience but just shortly after I left the bottom fell out of the market.

Member the whole unit.com bust and as a result of that, the organization that I teamed up with their major donors all the money disappeared in six or seven months into it, Living on the Edge when it was healthy and had enough funds and a member when our chief operating officer at the time called me and said we have three days last of cash and we have to close the doors and on the way there I could give you a long litany of things like the car that was shipped there was in a rack and my wife had oral surgery and it didn't work and got infected tubes and pains. We had another oral surgery and it didn't work.

It was infected and so I got a wife that's crying herself to sleep. I left all my kids all my family what look good and for six or seven months. All you know what everything is down to the left, and I remember being in my basement and I wasn't crying out to God like oh God oh God oh God, I was just cry in and remember that What what's the deal mean as far as I know there's not cinema life. I left a comfortable situation.

I'm trusting you by faith. This was I didn't want to do this. I agree and I mean I started listing all the reasons of and every single thing that could happen relationally, financially, healthwise, I mean it was like so downhill and so low and I remember just I mean, palms up, just okay and I did in my heart of hearts I felt like I have only one of two conclusions to make either.

I cannot hear God's voice anymore. And this is the biggest mistake I've ever made and I took a wrong turn and I'm not sure God really cares and loves me and is trustworthy or this is the will of God in their something in this window of time, but in his love and wisdom and goodness and kindness.

He's going to do in me, and their something to learn and something he will reveal to me about himself that right now, intellectually and emotionally. I do not get but I'm gonna hang onto the end of the rope of hope, and say your promise that you gave me to do this and I'm not letting go, but I'll take what I could sure use some help and it was during that time I was reading through John 11 and I've never seen this passage like this before and I read John 11 one day and I read it the next day when I read it the next day than to read the next day and a riddle something else than ever. The next day.

I can't tell you how long I just lived in John 11 and what I realized eventually I wrote my journal rather than solving the problem in the life of Mary and Martha. He revealed to them the author of life. No one in the New Testament. Apart from James and John of the Transfiguration ever gets as direct, clear revelation, humming the Pharisees hear this, and even John the Baptist is told. Well here are some Old Testament passages and report what's happening and he has to figure it out, but he looks at this woman and he says you don't think I love you honey tell you I am life all the things you would hope that would happen by the answers to your prayers and your circumstances coming out. I am life and resurrection, and I love you Martha and I'm for you and I will supply in me and me alone. Plus nothing.

Do you believe this, and notice her response.

There was something about his eyes and his words.

Yes, Lord.

She told him. I believe that you are the Christ, the Messiah, the son of God who is coming to the world, and after she said that she went back and called her sister Mary aside for teachers here. She said, and he's asking for you. He's coming to them but passage in James. This is the picture drawn near to God in the midst of your pain and live in, and you don't know what to do and you struggle draw near to God, he'll draw near to you. But he doesn't go to Mary, the teachers asking for you.

So Mary gets up when Mary heard that she got up quickly and she went to him now.

Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place he's waiting he's waiting for to come. He still at the place where Martha had met him when the Jews who been with Mary in the house comforting her noticed how quickly she got up and went out. They followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn their when Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died. What's her response. This is the second time it's I thought you loved me. I thought you cared if you had showed up. You could fix my life and the notice Jesus response to her her into her pain when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who would come along with her also weeping. He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. Here's what I want to remind you, it may be hard, you may not understand it, it may be difficult but I'll tell you one thing I learned when I was crying in my basement Jesus was crying with me and he had not abandoned me and he loves you and is for you and he may not turn the switch and fix the problem.

Remove the cancer give your house back because your marriage to come back altogether.

All at once. Find the person you're looking for is a single person give you the job that you're always looking for but in the midst of what you can't understand. If, like Martha and Mary you'll come and then be honest and telling you what this does make a lot of sense to me and shoot it really straight and then sit and listen. He says I'll meet you here. I do love you.

Your pain elicits the heart of God. The notices response. Where have you laid him.

He ask.

Come and see. Lord, they replied and then you have this's short powerful. Jesus wept. God's purposes are bigger than fixing my problems and your problems in getting your life to work out in my life to work out when and how one way bigger cares will join us here in studio.

You've been listening to the first part of his message when life doesn't make sense from a series Jesus offers hope. It's been said that hope is the oxygen of the soul. The fact is we all put our faith in someone or something. But what happens when our dreams are dashed, or someone what's a stone or life just falls apart. Where do we turn when our situations shake us to the core in the series 2 points us to the only true source of our hope for using familiar New Testament parables chip illustrates how we can experience and safeguard God's indescribable hope in our lives.

If you're feeling hopeless. Don't miss a part of this series. For more information about Jesus offers hope go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 83336003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org Listeners tap special offers chip you talk very candidly in today's message about our struggle to understand the difficult and oftentimes painful seasons of life, but you encouraged us to lean into God even more in our circumstances don't make sense in 1 Really Effective Way. People have those intimate moments with God is through journaling. Would you take just a minute to talk about how you use that method in your life, Dave. It's interesting that you would say that because I think this is something we need to clear up about journaling or not journaling my wife uses her journal completely different than me. She's not a verbal processor. Her verbal processing is primarily she prays for very long periods of time. She can concentrate. She pours out her heart. I always knows when she's had a good prayer time because we this pile of Kleenex is where she's been crying and so heard her journal is primarily writing down specific prayer request.

It's very brief and it's very focused. Mine is there's lots of words there is. This is what I'm thinking this is what I'm feeling. Here's five concerns that have come to my mind that I'm distracted by night right. Each of those down and turn it to a prayer list. My point is this. Journals are a tool, it doesn't make you spiritual to write in a journal, they need to be a unique tool to help you connect with God. So it's it's used in a way, by way of our personality and what God is doing in our life but what I do know whether you write a little or a lot whether it's more of just a prayer journal or whether it's a life journal is there's something to be said for using the tool that is tracking your journey with Christ left to ourselves.

We will get very negative will be like the Israelites will forget all of God's miracles and when we face hard things will feel alone and not trust God and over and over and over Old Testament where they do they go back to those memorial stones.

God parted the Red Sea God gave the manna the water came from the rock and I believe that that is really the role of a journal.

It's just whether it's a little or a lot. It's marking some things down so that in your darkest times you can come back and you can say you know something the God who was faithful during that time is with me now so if even for those who've never kept a journal. I would encourage you give it a try and don't feel like you have to write every single day but begin a rhythm or a track record. Maybe it's true three times a week or you do it when you're compelled or becomes your prayer journal, but were just encouraging people.

We want you to be connected to God and you just can't say a little prayer and read a little something fast and expect to have a deep, powerful, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ our hearts desire is to help you to be connected deeply with the living God, and we believe this journal could be one small part of that journey for you for next trip. We do have a great resource designed to help you develop the practice of journaling. It's a beautiful compact notebook list tools full of meaningful scripture versus popular lyrics to hymns and insightful quotes from influential Christian leaders. There's also plenty of space for your notes and personal journaling. Our hope is that this resource will help you spend more intentional time with God in prayer and if you like this journal get a few more to pass on to friends there a perfect gift for any occasion to order your prayer journal just visit LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003, or LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers.

I want to take a minute before we close and talk to some of you that really connected with this message, and unfortunately, the reason you connected is your really hurting.

I mean, you are really really struggling and might be your family blew up it could be that you know your job is no more.

Your future looks bleaker when your kids is in rehab or I mean there's just times when life gets so hard and it feels so dark and you feel so lost and maybe today you feel like Mary and Martha and the question is thank God, why didn't you show up if you would, as shown up in this situation, this wouldn't have happened. In fact, for many, it maybe it's even the loss of a loved one, and you're saying God where are you why I don't have any simplistic answers, but I would remind you, he's not moved and he's with you and even even when you can't see a layman, even when it doesn't make sense right now.

I mean, Mary and Martha I think were thinking. I mean we we we ask him to help in the text says he loved them deeply and yet he waited two days. Some like to try and give you some little formula but what I want you to know is if God isn't making sense. It's not because he doesn't love you, but I want you know he's orchestrating and working and he will use this very very challenging time. It may be to have you lean in deeper than ever before. He may be orchestrating something that you look back in a year or five or 10 and recognize then, but for now just cry and just cry out and just say I really need you now's the time to say Lord, would you just be with me and hears his promise he'll never leave you never forsake you read the Psalms: good Christian friend, pray and cry together and just let God meet you will as we close. If you're walking through a difficult or painful season. Right now we want you to know we care about you if you'd like someone to pray with you, call us right now AAA 333-6003, or if you prefer email us at chip that LivingontheEdge.org that's chip@livingontheedge.org or call AAA 33360031. Glad you been with us and until next time, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this edition of living on VH