The Disappointed

After Judy Greer addresses the common struggle what you do when God disappoints you is precisely in that moment of question precisely when you say God how deep they where are you that is the place where God will show you that his love, his grace, his plan is deeper. The pain of despair that is the question that is being considered in John chapter 11 people and questioning their faith just makes why would a good God even there. Does he actually care. Those are the questions that we are wrestling with today on Summit life, pastor, author and theologian Judy Greer continues our series, can't believe we are learning that can either drive us away from God deeper into the truths of the gospel. After Ginny titled this message disappointed Revival and pen started we were to look at the disappointed, but enemy knows you can't believe because they think God did not show up when he should have some miracle that he didn't do some question that he did not answer something that they think that he should have done, but he didn't something you were waiting on you just to stand why there's a God to do it your God and you love you as much as God says he loves you and you would've done this. I recently read an article about Ted Turner who is, of course, the creator of CNN TBS in a number of other cable stations multibillionaire became very outspoken atheist when he was in his early 20s. He's backed off a bit from it now. But what's really interesting is that when he was in high school.

He was completely on fire for Jesus. He was planning to be a missionary. That's his with his agenda while he was in high school is 15 years old, though his younger sister Mary Jane who was 12 at the time contracted lupus degenerative tissue disease for several years.

He watched as her body was racked with pain. She constantly was vomiting and he returned home from school quite often to her screams file filling the house. He would come home, he would hold her hand he would try to comfort her. He prayed earnestly for her recovery. She prayed that she would die to be released from the misery. After many years of misery and struggling. She succumbed to the disease and she died.

Ted's dad, Ed Turner said at that time. If that is the kind of God that he is that I want nothing to do with a very powerful effect on Ted and had lost his faith, that I was taught that God was love and that God was powerful and I could not understand how someone so innocent and precious as my sister should be made or allowed to suffer so on March 5, 1963. Ted's dad had breakfast with his wife went upstairs for the 38 special inside of his mouth and pulled the trigger that sealed the deal for Ted. That's the type of God that he is that I want nothing to do with that kind of God, natural question is what would you do what you what you do when God disappoints you just got a few options when you lose your faith like Ted Turner mucus that you know what God not very probably never been there for a lot of people will do as you isolate the question from your faith, but a lot of Christians do this and think about it it's too painful to walk away from your faith isolate your faith from that part of the problem with that.

As a result of the superficial faith doesn't really love God you can't love God, you can't love God which will lead to certain parts.

Your heart might got Christians a kind of moralistic pietistic answers to things that don't really deal with the payments going on in their lives, and certainly not going on, deal with the payments going on in the lives of people around them. The third thing you can do is you let those questions press you deeper into faith. I will tell you that it is the times of greatest struggle for me the times I have the most questions with times of deepest doubt that God has used show me who he is and the sweetness of his presence. One of my other heroes, Charles Spurgeon says that doubt is like a foot poised a foot poised to go forward or backwards. You can certainly have doubt drive you backwards into unbelief, but it is also certain that you will never be able to walk forward, you pick up your foot is precisely in that moment of question precisely when you say God how deep is this pain and where are you that is the place where God will show you that his love, his grace, his plan is deeper. The pain of despair and that is the question that is being considered in John chapter 11 that for some of you get this question may not be this extreme. You might not be about to lose your faith but you know what you're genuinely frustrated with God or frustrate God because your life is not turned out. At this point the way that you thought it should all your friends, for example, get married, you're not your job what's wrong with me. How come you given this to me all your friends are getting jobs or promotions but it's not working out for you.what's wrong with me. I have a AMI that much more. I will help them better will get all this blessing and nothing seems to be happening for me.

Got it while I am disappointed.

Or maybe at this point in your marriage.

You got to be having children which are not many are approaching retirement, and this is not looking good. Maybe your kids the internal boy that you thought they should maybe disappoint you. Thought you would enjoy sweet fellowship your kids and grandkids are there strange from you your 40 years old and your husband just walk out on you. Or maybe your forwarding your parents got divorced you I got I just don't understand it. How could this be your perfect plan to make any sense. John chapter 11 verse one. No certain man was ill last resumes from Bethany, which is the village of Mary and her sister Martha is Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment like to speak with her hair. His brother Lazarus was ill so the sisters send him say Lord you love is ill now. What I hope for. For getting this figure that out and see what he can do anything and heal.

Surely if Jesus would heal complete strangers who managed to get a hold of the hem of his garment is walking from one place to another. Surely, for a friend that you love so much.

Surely he would come and heal verse four but when Jesus heard it, he said this illness is not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the son of God may be glorified through it.

Verse five now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Now one of the strangest words in the entire New Testament so when he heard that Lazarus was ill. He stayed two days all over the place were he was so that will make any sense to you right there.

He sees me up but would make better sense there now Jesus loved Mary and Lazarus Amat the block when your Lazarus is they'll be weighted today. That's not what it says it says so better make any sense. But let me say I love my wife so much so I forgot her birthday. I did get her anything. Usually it doesn't make any sense use the word so right there.

Verse seven been after this he said to the disciples, our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep, but I go to awaken up beside a given service of inside knowledge to these you know intellectual geniuses they respond. This waiver form 13 know it well. Lord, if you will sleep and wake up at his own verse 14. So Jesus told them plainly, you gotta read that Jesus told them and rolled his eyes, is basically what that says Lazarus has died and Jesus wants a lot of time because he rolled his eyes.

That really got you thought I meant that you take a nap on the wall for two days to wake him up. Thank you, thank you for being so insightful 17 I'm really feeling good about entrusting the future the church to you.

12 for 17 now when Jesus came he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days she choose how to believe that someone after they died a spirit of anger on the body for three days waiting on the chance for resuscitation Three days. That chance is gone and the spirit goes off to wherever it's good to be the heaven or hell or whatever Jesus waits for days means that he showing it.

Lazarus is not just mostly dead bride. These dead deities full on daily to get better Lazarus for day verse 21.

Marcus said to Jesus, Lord, if you been here, my brother would not die tomorrow sign from God that we do.you.you could fix this, but income I told you enough time you could've come. Why didn't you come you always hear the acerbic element that leases what she says there you bring your my brother would not have died but you were here that's what you got disappointment. Verse 23 Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again.

Martha just graduated from seminary so damn I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Verse 25 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection of the life. Whoever believes in me, though he diet shall he live in. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this, she said yes. I believe that you are the son of God. Verse 28 when she had said that she would call her sister Mary say the teachers here you: for you when Mary Hart's rose quickly and went to him now, and Mary Kane were Jesus was just sawing. She fell at his feet, saying him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died verse 33 when Jesus saw her weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled and he said where have you laid him and I said to him, Lord, come and see.

Verse 35 Jesus wept literally the Greek it says and Jesus burst into tears. I want to focus here on how Jesus responds to these two sisters because I think understanding what Jesus says to those who were disappointed hinges on the two different answers that he gave to be sisters see what Mary and Martha said to Jesus was exactly the same verbatim Lord, if you had have been here, my brother would not have died. But the reaction Jesus gives to both of them is completely different and that is not because he loved one more than the other is not even because they had different personalities is because when you walking disappointment when you understand what Jesus would say to you, it's got include both of these elements. These are the ways that Jesus responds to those who are disappointed. Social at first. But Martha Martha gets a theological answer because of theological answer. I am the resurrection and the life of the one who lives and believes in me will never really die when he does die is not really good to be dead because on the reversal that we stop here just for a few minutes okay let me give you a theological case. When he read a theological answer for suffering. See the objection is of God is so good. And God could stop suffering what the fact that he doesn't stop suffering does that prove it is not really there. There are three important biblical truths to understand about suffering yet get all three of these if you have one without the other to collapse in on itself. All three of the relatively simple but you gotta have all three together number one. Suffering is the result of the curse of death on our said our suffering is the result of the curse of death on our said God created the world with no suffering he created a perfect created in a condition that Jewish people called shalom shalom at Harmony Emmett everything acted in harmony. There was no disease there is no doubt there was no global warming. There was no injustice there was no divorce, everything was functioning as it should. There was no pain, no tears.

It was beautiful. It was shalom. It was peace. It was our sin, our rebellion, but interrupted that piece and brought God's part. God's curse of death upon ourselves to see most of the objections are raised against God about suffering are built on the assumption that we as a human race deserve good things that were owed good things and God is unjust and not giving them to us so we talk about the problem of evil, and that problem is why do bad things happen all all is good. Innocent people see the Bible takes an entirely opposite approach as a race, we rebelled against God rebellion that each of us voluntarily participated in a just result of that was the curse of death.

What we deserve his death. The fact that there still good in the world. The fact that they we got this morning. The sun shone on her face is not so much this morning, but the back of their sunshine.

We have food in our stomach that we have friends where happiness that's all grace and the fact that God has given us a space to repent of our rebellion in a space to teach our children to repent.

That is on speakable grace. The Bible doesn't wrestle with the problem of evil so much as it marvels at amazing grace is a fundamental paradigm shift C for a person to look at have an angelic God and say, God, why are you letting this happen to us to put God on trial for our suffering, as if somehow he was unjust is what Jewish people called chutzpah chutzpah, which they defined as the audacity of a guy who killed his mom and dad and then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he's an orphan.

You can't do that we can kill your mom and dad then appeal the court for mercy because you're an orphan, you caused that cigarette asking was all this bad stuff happening in the world.

We're why it's all happening in the world. We see had gotten created that way. So the question is not why me the better question is why not me. We live in a world of suffering because we rebelled against God, and that suffering affects us all because we all is a race participated in that curse and it affects us kind of indiscriminately likened use it that way. It's as part of the world that we live in.

The curse runs rampant in the world and affects all people. It's not that one instance is paying you back for a particular said it is a general curse on the entire rebellion is that make sense number two is God in his love and mercy has reversed the curse by suffering in our place. The only truly innocent suffer ever in history was Jesus. He was the only man to walk the earth ever to live entirely free from rebellion and does entirely exempt from the curse of death, but when Jesus got to the end of his life, rather than being rewarded for his submission.

He voluntarily submitted to the curse so that he could take it in our place. When he did that he overturned the curse and started the process of healing. In other words, Jesus is the one who will make the oceans receive and heal the planet. That's all covered underneath the cross of Jesus Christ, that he started the process of healing by dying on a cross and the first thing he feels his eyes as he reconciled us to God and eventually worked it all the way out to the rest of the world. Number three God now uses are suffering ours the church.

Mom yours uses are suffering to predictably for his glory and for our good, for his glory means that there are some things that can be best demonstrated about God to the world in our suffering and there are things about God's glory that can be demonstrated by our suffering better than McCain.

Any other way for our good means there are some things that God can teach us about himself through our pain better than he can any other way. Now there's a lot of people that balked at that last point) I say we were all playing all pain is for God's glory and our good. What about the Holocaust earlier tell me that some Jewish families out there saying, yet they got Holocaust to get our family so much good will break for now. How could you sell about 9/11, how would you say that God brought good out of that seat, you're forgetting treatment one when you asked that one is that the suffering is the just result of the curse of death on our sin. We live in that world under the curse of sin and shipped what this just like the sun comes up and randomly shines about good people and bad people. The curse of death in the world. In some ways, indiscriminately affects us all that you say what is that mean that God is not sovereign over all, but no yes or yes he is sovereign but you have to expand your understanding of sovereignty thing like this.

You got 100 people stated in the field right in the sun comes up. The sun does not like choose different people to shine on you you you not, you don't deserve it. You you don't not you knew that in shines on all of it since it almost is like it's random when the same way the curse of death operates in the world which causes disease deteriorating relationships of accident and it extends to us all.

I'm not saying every single bad act on earth leads to a good act as a very Jewish family died.

Holocaust can say look of the good that came to my family through that no sometimes the system as a whole serves the bigger picture of God's glory which is for our good as we see the glory of God's holiness and his Majesty that doesn't work so much on the individual level like this parties that it is on the whole, the whole thing is working for God's glory are good, but for the believer here this for the believer for you. However, God has taken the sting out of death I and now promise to use everything in your life. Everything is going to be something good at something he does for the believer is what Paul would say all things working together for good to them who love God and are called according to his purpose. It's like Joseph look at people who create who committed grave injustice against them sold him into slavery and the unit is like Joseph look at them and say you meant it for evil but God repurposed it for good. It is for believers that God promises to take every single thing that is happening and use redemptive leave for your good and his glory because you were the one that he is renaming and working in verse 38 then Jesus deeply moved again came to the tune. It was a cave and a stone lay against Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha sister the dead man said to him, Lord, promise by this time, this can be an owner because he's been dead for days.

Verse 40 Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if you believe you see the glory of God. So they took away the stone and Jesus was that of his eyes and said father I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around so that they might believe that you sent me and he said he thinks he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out the man who would die came out his hands and feet bound with linen strips is facing a rapid look what that was like his female names will be like a mom immediately didn't roll out is that what he did is what you tried it with the angry I be angry and hang out godfather will be four days also drifted out coming up thing around my face up to talk to.

In instances like unbind him and let him go… Martha had warned Jesus not to open the stone because it been four days and she said the body would think. But Jesus said that they should do it anyway because he knew that what they would encounter when they rolled back the stone is not the stench of death of the glory of God. You've got to notice the contrast she was expecting the stench of decomposition.

He knew that what they would find is the glory of recomposition and I think in this lesson, you were supposed to see a picture of how God in all pain is working for good, and the pain in your life you expect to find the dictate of decomposition. What you find is that when God finally rolled away the stone to find that he is repurposed her pain for good you don't encounter the stench of decay. What you find is the glory of what God has made new.

Sometimes he rolled away that stone here on earth and you get to see what he was doing.

You can see the glory of recomposition is that not happening you do not ever go to a seasonal euro I got I don't understand what you're doing where to answer our prayers for five years later you about going.

Thank God you were doing under my life you are preparing me they got you into the bread elaborate they got a number and a girl.

They got this did not happen. I see what you're doing now. But now I see that you do it. Don't you have places in your life or you can see that sometimes he rolled back the stone and let you see it now, but see there are other times that you don't get to see him roll away the stone, at least in this life, but when you go into eternity and you see because rest assured this story shows you that he will roll away every stone and you will see that in all things.

Like Paul said in Romans 828 he was working for your good, just like he says he was that he was working for your glory will overwhelm you when he finally rolled away. That stone is not the stench of decomposition is the glory of God made all things you know you will be confronted with the beauty of what he has read composed, not the ugliness of what decomposed, and I know I know you can see that now is think about this you can already already see apartments versus some of the suffering in your life God was with just a few years.

A limited amount of time and just a little bit more perspective, don't you think that given enough time and an internal perspective to see a reason for all. Jesus knows your suffering.

He knows what it feels like to you in the moment. He cares deeply and encouraging message from Pastor JD Greer on Senate life.

Maybe you got a friend who would really benefit from today's broadcast from our website, you can share this message with visit JD Greer.com Pastor Jamie hear you say that we cannot earn God's favor.

There's nothing that we can do to become more accepting God's sight but is there a right way to work for God. Molly just asked me a question that could take literally hours to answer and I covered a book on this whole gospel. It was brought on the wrong ways to work for God. The right way to work for God, but first you should be sure of this, God doesn't need you and your work does not make him love you anymore than he does, and you failed to do this make him love you less. The gospel is a gift. It's a free gift that he offers, but the flipside of that is this even though God doesn't need us. And even though our work for him doesn't make him love us more as recipients of his grace, were compelled to get back to him as an act of worship. We want to love others away that he's loved us our greatest joy we find comes when we are giving away ourselves in service to him, not because were working overtime to impress them, not because you live up to a certain standard to earn his love, but because we have such gratitude and devotion and joy in the one who saved us, that we just want other people to know them and we want to do things that the light is part of her.

The little devotional called what is the gospel. It's a 20 day devotional. I want you to see in that that there's a difference in working to impress God and working because you love God in response to his love for you.

It's a difference in weariness and religion and joy and freedom of the Christian life.

I would love to give you a copy of that if you go to JD where.com you can find out you can become a gospel partner with us and access. A lot of these resources and this 20 day devotional. What is the gospel that will take you more into the wonder of the free gift that God gave you what it means to be liberated from religion and freedom of son or daughter of God before for him showing when you get a devotional from Pastor Jane and for a small additional donation of $10 you can get the book of John, Scripture, you asked for the gospel devotional. But when you become a gospel partner John Scripture by calling 335 26 five or you can get online we're not Molly USS to listen Friday when we continue this method pain Friday on Senate life