The Compassion of Christ - John 11:28-37) - The Heart of Jesus

All right ever seal all of our locations this weekend. Can you give it up for this year's church planting things the guys Snowbird embodies because both Jeremy and Juliann. We got to church plans going out this awesome year 2019. You guys were here are some of you guys will be new from them but you were here. We, went on this sort all in were moving from partner planting to parent planting okay order to truly become a church that multiplies and a few years later we had a couple of turns classic. They go out with these guys are the teams that are going out for this year. This represents for arts are now the family of Mercy Hill is is now expanding and we end up with yes Mercy Gilbert then there will end up being four church plants. We have one in Tampa and we have one in Roanoke and actually this works. We've actually made this time it is a family affairs of these guys are sick and are supposed to now, be beaming and I go to Gaza and we have Eric and Kelly all that is also so hey guys this is what it's all about you guys know that the prayer at Mercy Hill is that one day we would have more worshipers in the family of churches that we plant and just in the flock right here at Mercy Hill and this is what is represented as these teams go out and we could to stay connected – I want to hear from you guys are really quickly.

Hey redemption card camera may tell us one awesome thing about this past weekend from your Easter service man. We as we have the highest attendance that we'd ever had is one from some of our members invited people so supercool for us and we are we are so poverty guys celebrating. That's a big deal to get back over that wants number not done any year were excited for y'all and Eric give you a Kelly may give us something awesome last week, Easter what would you gussy the last week of Easter. It was a crazy Sunday frost.

We also had the biggest Sunday we never had a history of our church and we also baptized 13 people last so we we baptized 13 including my own daughter five different countries all over the God God's movement man thank you guys for sharing that. I think you guys for y'all's investment have been seen it with the family. It truly is a family goal, raising churches up together.

These guys been integral here for these guys that are going out. So hey this is what we want to do now that we want to pray over them to commission them. This is one of those times church were at home and listen. This guy hope plant Mercy Hill. He was far there was three people looking to point this church and him and Juliann were one of those three first families that came in and we got people that we love them both sides guys, click the eighth there's there's people just all over there.

we got chad chad committee executive pastor. he came down already living in canada living in nova scotia now so this is just a cool time for all these guys to come together, but churches. we know this library i could bring everybody's name up. here's what we usually go to today and we got our hands right. this is what we call it mercy hill gospel goodbye and what it's saying is it saying that we love you all their stories on both of these launch teams. we love you, but at the same time that we understand that eternity is to be a long time to celebrate what god did and so were to let you go right now would open our hands over. it is hard for me. i live so these guys really have a lot of commissioning dinner today and i told them it was easier for me being sent that it is sending. sometimes my flesh i want to grab you got leaders like these guys right here in their wives and their families and on all these families and usual hold onto them, but we understand that the movement is not just about mercy. hill, it's a kingdom movement and working to see their gifts and talents multiplied as they go out to play unique churches that we have got to be in prayer for them. okay. went to the st. does not like this spiritual warfare gets stirred up when we begin to plant churches and we saw that in our story so we want to pray for them and make sure that we are sending the prayer support. she's like all right, that's a wrap this thing up. okay. let's pray for them in order to celebrate their leave in this month right you guys are getting pretty close next couple much.

you guys are leaving this month you guys leaving here very soon on siliceous be in prayer for them right. father, we come before you right now and a lower just ask that you will put your hand in your hedge of protection on these families. we are so excited about what is going on if it hurts though it's it's sorrowful, yet we rejoice today and we look forward to all the stories that we will tell and the future of your faithfulness got as these families have open their hands orders as this church is open its hands to send them got there so much that you're doing but i pray you will protect you prayers got up or you will protect them and you will make them wildly successful.

got up or you make them wildly fruitful and i pray that many would come to know you as their lord and savior, because the faithfulness of these brothers and sisters that are going out. in christ name we pray.

amen. had all of our locations. can we just praise god, thank you. i know alright man wanted. what an awesome way to begin a sermon and a service so they will learn to do. now i am actually just for the sake of time we are. i got a lot of celebrated you for easter. okay, but were not next week all right because we saw some awesome stuff last last week in attendance, wise baptism so many cool stories for the sake of time working a point that the next week, so be staying tuned for that. were excited about what god did last week, but only going to jump into this for today hate. if you have this book. they were given out all of our campuses we have on the seat last week, i should've done this last week and i didn't do it there until later in the in the weekend but guys, this book is really a companion for you for this series. if you get a chance to look at all right org i spent a lot of time a lot of work on this page are sermon notes a bible reading plan daily. you can walk through if you don't have a great plan, just grab this account walk-through and this is how our church is set up a lunch understand how discipleship works of mercy. hill, it's lecture and then allow okay so we can we come on the weekend and somebody near somebody else has spent a time of their week poring over scripture and try to get it right and make it stick and and bring a sermon that is good. hopefully god can use the color changes from his word and then we go into our group stuff the lab and we sort of work it out. how does this work out mature believers and on mature believers, coming together in nc and hate what is this me for your life. what is it mean for my life. this book has the questions and it helps you do that if you are not in a group.

god wants to change her life and radically grow you and i don't happen alone. okay, that happens in community with others.

you can still this weekend. they do start this week. okay, but you can still this weekend. there are few groups that have openings. i hope you get online to jump into that the grab that book and make it a companion through this series.

today we are going to be in john chapter 11 you guys can turn with me to john chapter 11 and let me go ahead and give you if you're if you're there in your book you can write this down is the big idea the big idea for this weekend.

jesus feels deep compassion over a broken world. okay, jesus feels deep compassion over broken world. now, actually the first two words of that big idea rrr little bit startling.

depending on what tradition you come from and how you thought about christian maturity okay because the fact that jesus feels and when i say feel.

i mean feelings as in the way that we feel feelings see a big part of what's different about christianity is that the son of god became human, he became flesh, he took on flesh never lost divinity. okay, he's 100%.but he's 100% man one famous theologian set like this when jesus took on flesh. he took on feelings. jesus feels things and that's important for us today because many of us have judge christian maturity. oh, by the way that we know him feelings. a lot of us judge our christian maturity. by the way that we have learned how to slap a smile on things. even though our life is falling apart and we call that christian maturity. we call that being anchored in the truth and anchored in the fact of jesus coming back. jesus is coming back and there is a truth that reframes everything but that does not mean that we don't go through the gamut of human emotion and it doesn't mean that god didn't create us.

this way he did create us this way and it doesn't mean that we serve a savior who doesn't know what is like to feel he knows what we feel. you gotta think about like this in this story today john chapter 11 is the shortest verse and all of the bible, not sure sermon old history okay. the shortest verse in all the bible is jesus wept. can you get your mind around a god who cries the ancient greeks couldn't. in fact, when hercules cried jupiter.

the god you know her glacé hercules minute you just got the image of kevin sorbo 1997 okay you know talk about like hercules, are you got hercules and when hercules cried. he's becoming a god, the god jupiter, slapped him down for that.

that's on god like to feel as you mature in and being a god hercules you'll stop worrying about how they feel on earth. we serve a god who is in the exact opposite situation, but many of us still member this series on the heart of christ not just about what he did but who he is. we serve a god who is not distant and cold and un-relatable.

we do not serve a god who is a distant lawgiver truth teller life examiner only use those things. but he's not only those things is also a god who cries. he is a god. this is an and member you want one pastor said like this, although i thought a friend of super well he is a god he is.

he is a man of truth and a man of tears. and that's what we gotta see today.

this is the heart of christ for us.

let's start john chapter 11 what i want you to see today that those things that plague us make jesus sad and angry many sad and angry about the things that plague us the things that break our heart breaks his heart. he is not immune from that for us and it should change the way that we think about our relationship with god and should change the way that we think about our relationship and how we relate to others. right. in john chapter 11 starting in verse 17 when jesus came he found that lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. bethany was near jerusalem, about 2 miles off, and many of the jews had come to mary and martha and mary to console them concerning their brother. so when martha heard that jesus was coming, she went and met him, but mary remained seated in the house. martha said to jesus, lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. but even now i know that your whatever you asked from god. god will give you and jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. martha said to him, i know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. that's probably loose enough probably kind of a phrase that that's probably like like this, a little bit of a platitude kind of idea okay will rise again. yes, i know on the last day he'll rise again. jesus says to her, though none of i am the resurrection and the life. and whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. do you believe this and she said to him. yes, lord, i believe that you are the christ, the son of god, the one who is coming now. i'm dropping you right into the middle of a store. one of most famous stories okay the end this is funny about today's sermon. i don't know of ever talked about lazarus without ever actually getting into the fact that lazarus is about to come back in the dead that's not what the sermon is about today all that's what is the bigger part of john chapter 11 many of you, heard this before jesus came to comment any any weeks with them in any talks about his top and power.

and then he's gonna raise lazarus from the dead, but i want to focus in on the heart of christ and what we seek not jesus toward lazarus. but jesus toward the sisters who are broken and broken hearted over the death of their brother.

let's let's get into that now. the bible tells us here and in every preacher points this out and i'm no exception.

okay, that jesus waited any any gifts to the scene four days after lazarus is in the tomb. now that's interesting is in any kind of come earlier we could've read this earlier, but he doesn't. he waits and and lazarus is dead for four days. by the time he gets there.

people have have mentioned for a long time.

i think this is probably true that this is probably intentional on the part of jesus because in this day there was a lot of superstitions around spirits and maybe somebody could be kinda bad, but not you know all the way dad and not fully dead and and all that kind of stuff right and and and and so jesus was intentionally waiting was actually listening to something the other day and i heard dr. bruce grayson is a near-death experience x expert from the university of virginia.

just a reread a book last year about this, different things, and death and all that. and he tells all these stories of people who like this one guy from south africa doesn't wake up in the morning family takes him to the doctor they pronounced him dead. he goes into the morgan 24 hours later he wakes up okay and it was a mess.it was obviously misdiagnosis okay and and and he wakes up. he's banging on the door of the board told him a lot about how cold he is. well all the staff has run for their lives. they're scared to go all right and anything they can't. finally, somebody calls nebulas they come look at a bunch of machines diagnosed him with being dehydrated and sent him home. okay the these type of stories that it's kinda scary right beside the stories happen and you misdiagnosis or whatever and i think that's kind of maybe the point that jesus is getting out here. now people have made the point lazarus is can be resurrected in the story so obviously jesus is trying to show his power. well i think he's trying to show something else as well. these are shows power, but i think working to see more than that jesus does wait and martha runs out in verse 22 so she said even now you can do whatever you want, but she said in verse 21 minute you just would have been here only ask you something really quickly.

if you ever had that moment that was a jesus. if you just would've been your moment if you just would have been here. i think about this because we are have an exciting day will recommissioning church planters got told their teams today and when you go plant a church. a target is put on your back is the funnest thing you'll ever do and the hardest simultaneously spiritual war is real and how we fair and spiritual war is partly i think predicated on how we have prepared for nothing that's actual paul's getting at when he talks about spiritual war. ephesians chapter 6, but spiritual is a real thing in and we see satan come after us in many ways, and we think she's if you would just have been here the world is broken. we see things that come our way.

i remember our first year planting and we are one year in and and and is pregnant, gets pregnant with twins and we are so excited and you never seem to people that work cited and she miscarried it was devastating. your one and it was one of those moments.

jesus, if you just would have been here right i don't know what's going all the additional prompted to say this man if you're having one of those moments if you were just here. you gotta know when the jesus is doing something grand that's at and and what i mean were to see here what i mean. there is a truth that he's gonna share that does not and is not intended to take away your tears. it is intended to deepen them and reframe them and and still them with hope. work orders were to get there right jesus love this family and there's a history here with them and people are probably telling you rumors. why did jesus come in all this got us up.

and jesus says in verse 23, your brother will rise again out what's interesting about that of the commentators have pointed out, this may have been at least the way it seems that martha takes. it is just a little bit a coach speak i and and you you guys know and i know it.

two men sometimes we don't know what to say and so we just end up saying something and sometimes it ends up feeling us of this work earlier but a little bit like a platitude. what a platitude is is an overly used phrase that has moral content that thereby is kind of lost its meaning it. it'll all work out the end right.

how many, many of us of an senior somebody loses my people the same to end up saying things are crazy.

well, god needs another angel in heaven, and he let you know just this kind of stuff right and your fault is like people to know what they're there trying to to ayn rand they don't know exactly what to say that it feels like maybe mary kay or martha thinks that that's what jesus is doing hey you know that he will rise again and and she ends up saying back to him. i know that in the end he will rise again, but i think what jesus try to get her to see is that meant none of that there is something else that you need to see here just in this immediate story, but also martha university to see a truth that reframes and deepens the situation don't take away the pain right now, but it deepens it it it it's going to fill it with something else filled with hot look what he says in verse 25 jesus said to her, i am the resurrection and the life.

whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. and then he asked her this. do you believe this. this is not a platitude. this is truth big difference. jesus is entering in and he is sharing a truth with martha in the moment.

maybe one that she already had some framework for i don't know but what he saying to her as tight.

it's not just some generic one day in the end everything is gonna work out in god's good.

it is like no martha, i am the resurrection, the indian when people rise and there is a family of god in heaven. it will be because of me. i am the life. one commentator said it like this, jesus doesn't have life. he is life. what he's trying to get her to see as i am the one with the power over life, i will lay my life down i will think well i backup, i am the source. hey, i am the one who is life. i am the resurrection and the life. mary lazarus will live again. no sheep. i don't quite realize that he's gonna live again like in a few minutes okay but i but whether you realize that are not actually not the point. today what what jesus is saying is because of me, and here's what i want you guys to hear this weekend and all of our campuses that truth changes things.

it doesn't take away all pain is not intended to. the world is broken. there are things that come.

there are things that we feel, but it deepens and moves in our heart. when the truth comes at this is very important for us to catch if i can do my job will see it.

okay, it's important understand jesus shares the truth before he shares his tears and and here's why that's important because some of us think, but i thought sharing the truth was the answer for tears. i thought the truth was what was supposed to mean your tears are supposed to dry up like because there is a truth that jesus is the resurrection and the life. that means that you're supposed to feel better in this moment right now and that's not true that is sold as christian maturity. gonna tell you it's about an inch deep. when people kinda come at us with this idea of maturity it. i mean we've all heard it and and i must say that emmett would probably in someplace all been guilty of it, but it's like it's like once when you're sitting in the business of some hard and somebody's like, well, brother. you know all things are work out together for the good of those who love god so buck up know what what's what's the problem you know it's already fine, but you're not supposed to feel the way you feel in light of the truth that jesus is the resurrection and the life.

here's the problem with that. jesus shares the truth then immediately shares his tears which were to get into. the truth is supposed to be the answer for tears the truth instead reframes our tears the truth deepens our tears the truth expands the way we see and understand god in our tears. martha, lazarus is dead. this is hard. your brother is gone. as cs lewis pointed out when someone leaves this earth. it's not just them that we lost is the aspect of everybody else that they only uniquely could bring out the humor that they could bring out in the crowd. the other people who lit up when they are around is an is an inexpressible loss.

it is hard but then he says i am the resurrection and the life. but then he's going to go and weep. i think the point of this is hate the truth doesn't take away all of our pain, it reframes it it deepens.

it is okay.

he said that a few times reframes and deepens what you mean here is exactly what i mean you can write this down.

first thessalonians 413 for 13 to 14.

we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, but those who are asleep about those who are sleep that you may not.

this is the point grieve at us, as others do who have no hope he doesn't say that you won't grieve at all what he says is you will not grieve as the world does as people who have no hope for since we believe that jesus died and rose again, even so, through jesus, god will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in light of the truth of the gospel. we can't be sad and filled with hope. first corinthians 6 tells us this sorrowful, yet always rejoicing second printing succumbing sacred things for tells us this, we are pressed but we are not crushed. there are things that come at us in this life you. here's what i want you guys to see today right. the truth part of this jesus is the resurrection. jesus is the life is not sort of this stereotype. you know ii don't have anybody not you should or shouldn't i just if that was come to my mind is the ned flanders character from the simpsons. okay you and and will and the reason is that is such a cultural thing is the stereotype for christianity is the world's way of, looking into think this is what it feels like to us to see a christian and what's the point of that character.

if it shows hey neighbor how you doing doesn't matter that my life is falling apart because everything's fine, slap a smile on think what jesus trying to get us to see today is the truth is not the truth is not intended to make you feel less, it's intended to make you feel more it's intended to make you feel the heart of god.

even in a deeper way. and to feel hopeful even in moments that seem to the world like it's hope less.

jesus shares a beautiful truth but then look what he does when she said this she went called her sister mary thing in private. the teacher is here is calling for you and and and when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him now. jesus had not yet come into the village but was still the place where martha had met him when the jews who were with her in the house consoling her. so mary rise quickly go out. they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there now. when mary came toward jesus was and saw him, she fell down on his feet, saying to him.

same thing your sister dear lord, if you had been there. my brother would not have died. jesus, seeing her weeping, and the jews who had come with her also weeping he was. verse 33 deeply moved in his spirit. he was greatly troubled but he's arty totally is the resurrection alive does not fix everything like it doesn't don't know you slap a smile. he's the resurrection there is to be heaven one day doesn't matter what happens here when he sees their pain. he enters in before fix their problem he enters in their pain and he weeps and is greatly troubled, where he laid him. they said to him or come and see jesus wept so that you said see how he loved him, but some of them said could not he who open the eyes of the blind. also have This man from dying. we are chasing this idea this weekend that jesus feels in his heart he is not just a man of truth cold distance lawgiving life examining but he is one who feels in a way that we feel that's what trinitarian theology is that jesus took on flesh he on you not. he doesn't just understand what we feel he has felt and feels what we feel and when he does he is greatly moved. he is not just affixing savior.

he is a morning savior. he is one who comes to us in tears is the idea that we have to get y'all. he gives the truth and then he's willing to enter into paint the truth reframes it deepens, it gives us hope in the midst of sorrow, but it is not met jesus never is the one who is coming to say i want you slap a smile on your suffering and i'm gonna be playful around your pain. that's all he does is our christian maturity christian maturity. in other words, is not shown by muted emotions maturing as a believer is not deciding hate nothing in the world is can affect anything about the way that i feel that's becoming unhuman to be human is to feel what we are called to do, i think, is to be broken over the things that break the heart of god.

yet do so in a way that is never crushing, repressed but not crushed. we are sorrowful, yet we never stop rejoicing. we are once agreed, but we don't do it first vessel is for like the world dies. this is what we see in a perfect sinless savior, whatever it means to grieve the right way and to feel the right way we see it in jesus. he's a perfect human and what happens in jesus life right here he sees the pain that is going on. he sees this funeral procession and he is deeply moved this award to texaco hard for us to translate a little bit right in one sense it's like a throbbing pity over the people that are broken in another sense there's a bit of anger over the death of lazarus his friend the fact that death is even in the world. the unbelief did you see that little part of the end with a set all he why could he save amicus to heal the blind. like any egg in the unbelief there is heart throbbing pity and compassion and it's mixed with paint and greek what this word gets, that is.

and i know were not in agriculture agricultural society and so much but in greek it's the snow. the audible snorting of a frustrated horse.

that's what it means it's it's like when it when an animal it doesn't quite know what to do, but there there frustrated and they make some kind of audible, gasping, and movement. that's what jesus is feeling what i'm trying to see it's hard to translate jesus isn't just sad in this funeral. he's also mad. is that not the flip side of compassion when we love and we see the people that we love and pain and hurt. are we not angered by the do do we not become righteously angry at the friend that hurt them or the boss that hurt them of the school of the church, even that hurt them right there is a righteous anger there, and jesus is showing us that well brother, you know, it's all the workout began.

why would we ever even feel anger in this world or how we ever feel this type of sadness that is billed as christian maturity y'all it's an inch deep. you know, we should be filled with sadness and anger. when we see the state of the world's view of food insecurity all over the world the bullying the kids walk through in schools and online know when we see the way our our laws target the vulnerable. the unborn, we see racism in our society when we see death itself. the feeling that we have following christ is is a greatly moved. troubled man compassionate here. i'm angry here. this is what we feel. few weeks ago we lost a dear brother in our in our carbonation, dear brother. i'm in it leaves a mountain of a legacy here right and i and and i think about. i think about him and i think about his family and and the and the testimony of this family in caring for him over the last couple years i can tell you multiple stories about our brother trey who has gone now to be with the lord but i think about that i think about when someone like that man.

even when they've done the life well lived before god. what is the emotion at a funeral. i've even been to funerals where the funeral is trying to be spine only to be a happy occasion that derek listen there is beauty in a life well lived. and there is hopefully an understanding that people move on and they become united in a better place, so to speak up there you found it. if their faith is in christ, i get that there is hoping that but there is also a great sadness in that's okay.

there is also my grief and it broke in the senate, i would say there's even a maddening and if there's even anger that the world is the way that it is an longing for god to come and to change it. i think in this passage we see the truth doesn't take away our tears. it reframes them and expands them. it deepens them. jesus christ smashes that stereotype of the christian who slaps a smile on suffering and his playful brown pain and is trite about tragedy. this is not the god that we serve. it's not the christ that we serve. it's not the example that we follow never pressed, never crushed the press never, never, never, never so sorrowful that we are mastered by our emotions. we always rejoice that we are sorrowful at times. this is what it means. i think to be human. it says step in the maturity i would think about it like this with all his example guys on a few government sick and they prescribed something that i think many times christians. christians feel like the truth of the resurrection and the truth of heaven is supposed to be an anesthetic that gnomes us from the pain of the world and what i want tell you today is the truth is not an anesthetic that gnomes us from the pain. it's a shot of prednisone that gives us a massive appetite to fees more upon the goodness in the hope until we become strong and that it's not an anesthetic to make us think everything's fine. it's a shot of steroids to give us the strength to not run west, but to run east directly into the long dark night of the soul to hold onto god until we get to the other side we see the sun begin to come up. i think that's more in line with christian maturity. you thought of this passage obviously for couple weeks and were really couple months we can talk about these different sermons. but in a lot of people a lot of people can't square this this message, they can square judge 11 hears life because they say men what who is jesus troubled by.

like why is he so upset he is about to raise lazarus from the dead. jesus is going to turn this funeral into a party why the world is he upset and i think actually theologically some different preachers that i love and listen to some different commentaries that i love it and read. i think that one idea takes them down some rabbit holes that are way far away from reality. i think the plane reading is the main reading and the plane reading is that the people saw jesus weep and here's what they assume you guys read it when they say they said oh how he loved him.

they saw jesus reaction and they said man. his heart is broken over lazarus over mary martha. his heart is broken over this funeral.

they said that because that's exactly what he was troubled and moved by not just lazarus but all of the funerals that he wouldn't interrupt in the future.

all the pain that he wouldn't be there to just snap his fingers and it go away. he was seeing all of this stuff and he was moving compassion. i think it deepens what were talking about here today. don't you understand what i'm getting at. jesus knows full well i'm about to turn this funeral into a party and yet he still is willing to go there with martha and mary. he still willing to weep as they weep, and i think that matters in time and i don't about you but here's what i think about for myself because there is nothing like a series like this talk about the heart of christ to expose that the failures that we have no as as as as the way we relate to others the way that we relate to. as parents, where the wii relates our kids about one thing i can change my personality. i wish i could be more afraid i'll change me in this, i want to be more of a tender father than a football coach all the time in my home. you know, and here's what i think about the story.

we think it is we do many times in the christian life. we try to take somebody in pain and taught them all the way to a world that does not tears.

when we say to me like a revelation jesus to wipe away every tear. yeah, that's not the world we live in your right. whenever there's a world where there's nothing to cry over.

we will try anymore. but that's not the world we live in today. right. but here's we try to do. we try to point people toward the end and say hey because this glorious truth is, you shouldn't feel the way that you feel right now and i think about me and i that's coming times i do that is people demonstrates their knee before i can even say how love you.

i understand i remember what that's like. it feels like the world is over, but i think about five minutes you will be okay. like instead of doing that would why do many times immediately jump in football coach mode and i get it.

don't take this wrong way.

i in china raises the kids okay i am not, and you probably know me i'm i'm told me to love and tell about my kids are tough their super tough. i cannot not even step in for what what am i doing i'm looking at the situation going hate. i know this thinking to kill you right ii you don't know that because you're five years old.

i know that and i know this will be okay and so what i want you to do is act like it's okay right now i want you to go all the way there and anchor and bring out all the way back in and stop feeling the way that you feel. i'm just so glad jesus doesn't do that with me right is that what christ does is save man about to blow this funeral is will be a party is exactly to do this whole world. the truth is that jesus christ can take everything sad and make it untrue. he will wipe away every single tear. we fully understand that it is coming one day, but he doesn't use that to beat us down as i don't feel now is that he enters in the heart of christ for us. it is one that comes tenderly and gently actually gentle and lowly, you can say we we met for the second time limit. let me move on. we move here… go ahead and just jump into applying this right. here's what i want to say this weekend and try to take all this and intro bullet down follow jesus in feeling deep compassion right in and i mean that for others. yes, feeling that compassion, but also understanding that we live in a broken world and upper enemies that were compassion a lot of emotions can come into that emotions are gut feelings are hard to talk about other just thinking about and even sadness broken this anger over what sub all the stuff in okay what i'm saying is understand that jesus dealt maturity is not imputing our motions maturity is allowed is in allowing the hope of the future to come in and deepen them and reframe them and like a shot of steroids help us get through the long night dark dark night of the soul, but they are not in immediate quickfix. it's not truth instead of tears is truth that reframes our tears that is christian maturity and i think first got say this man.

it all starts with understanding the deep compassion of jesus has for you.

isaiah 53 call jesus a man of sorrows. he is a man of sorrows. he is a man acquainted with our grief.

jesus christ came to this earth because of how broken he saw the situation that we were in many has compassion over us.

he is perfect anger for the things that plague us. i think jesus in this moment is seeing a lot of funerals that he will interrupt. that's why he came know he can. there's going to be things in this life where he doesn't give us an instant fix. but jesus christ came to this earth to give us that eternal hope that one day he will usher in a new heavens and a new earth, and he did this on the cross for us were jesus christ gave his life that we could have an eternal hope arrived men many people with the baptismal waters last week a different campus different servers out of the servicer. it is good to have one or not but you know if it there is any more baptisms this week. that's what it is when people realize.

jesus came for them and they give their life over to him and maybe that something you would do. even today, but as you think about the heart of christ. i want to try to apply this in two ways will be done right the first one is this what you think about your own life just the way you have thoughts about your emotional life right away and have you had that have you thought in your mind man. i think christian maturity is not feeling brokenness, sadness, grief, compassion, anger over the world. i think that's what maturity is and that's what i've been trying to run to we see today. that's not where he wants us to go because is not where he went.

here's the question, are we muting our motions, thinking that that is christian maturity and if we are can we start the journey today and allow the truth of the resurrection and the life to begin to reframe the way that we feel that other people in our life that we can begin to say hey i need you to come in. i need to engage this. i need to feel it's okay to feel the sadness and grief over was going on in my life but i don't want to do that alone in our mission groups already and i pray to somebody that even the servicer on our campuses height. make the decision right now.

if christian maturity is not muting your feelings.

you may need help with growth and that in one, always eager to get help in growth with that is in a group of people. discipleship happens in community get into a community group at mercy hill. the second final way that i will apply this this weekend.

is this in what ways can we come alongside others in their sorrow and what ways can we come alongside others or do we allow the truth to trump tears okay what what i mean by that is this man some churches might lean one way or another. i've got my finger on the pulse of this church and i tell you i think were true flaming church and what i mean by that is i think we might lean toward hey these are the set of truths that you need someone is crying and weeping because of the pain of their situation and before we know what we've given them the six things they need to do to fix. you know i'll never tell you to get away from the truth. we can't get away from truth ever really the truth of the word we need to see what she's we need the truth, but also we also need to see. maybe today that god isn't just a law giving truth telling. life examiner and he is also one who weeps with us and so what is that mean for us what what what emmett you know what, things come to your mind, we immediately skip to yeah but i got the three things i need to tell you and maybe we need to enter in and weep with those who weep. romans 12 says share carry the burden get under the load with somebody magic just have compassion over the way it feels for them right now and i thought about this as i thought, man okay here here's here's kind of this the best i can think to maybe apply this as we close okay yes i yes government programs can create poverty cycles. you know what somebody who's in poverty, that they might actually just need somebody to come alongside them to say man this is got to be very very hard that my cannot. yes, if you're christian you are born twice and i once left out of the overture way to say it right. lauren was not twice what you born you know you're born twice. you only die once. if you're reborn this death in this life is all you're ever going to experience of death, and in heaven awaits an and and all of that in and yes, heaven is given me also. i got it. that's the truth. i understand the truth. we need the truth. the truth helps us to reframe at the same time somebody in our community church is walking through a pretty heavy diagnosis. yes, they need the truth to help reframe and give hope and they also might need someone to just weep with to understand that i don't have much answers when given is myself when i'm giving you is my emotions when i'm giving you is to get up under the part of things i could say nothing right and let let yes truth. people jesus christ as a manager and tears whispering father, we come before you, lord, i pray you will take the words from john 11 you will take truth of the heart of christ and you will make us a deed church.because a deep, people who were not afraid of feeling deeply that it were not afraid of the greatly troubled compassion and anger that happens because of a broken world where afraid that my life traded on the lives of all those that i pray that our groups.i just pray they would move the needle this week that i pray that our people and groups would get real and get deep just as show us what it means you're not just a distant whole, god the son of god feels pricing