It's the battle of the heart, as people ask a very important question: Why would the God who created us allow so much suffering? Though suffering doesn't make sense, and faith in the midst of suffering seems to make even less sense, placing your life in the hands of the only God who can take care of you in this world and the next is ultimately the only logical action a person can ever take. Thankfully, the Bible isn't afraid of the tough questions about suffering. . Find answers to some of the more asked questions. Few reporters had waded the waters of Mississippi to see the damage there. People have been dealing with the destructive power of hurricanes and earthquakes and tornadoes as long as humans and the forces of nature have been doing battle. This message has a simple outline. Nevertheless, every new blast of wind, and the rising water, threatened to kill the entire family. (2:9), A lot of things about faith don't make sense to those outside the circle of faith. Amazingly, the artwork after the tragedy was actually much more beautiful than what it had been in a pre-broken state. He wrapped it himself, and was beside himself with excitement. A rich man, afraid to suffer the loss of his material wealth, missed walking with the Messiah. This first sermon asks believers to take a look at three things choosing faith won't do for someone who suffers, and three things choosing faith will do. He repented of his own … God carefully weighed the options, considered the ramifications, and made a choice. It was one of the greatest gifts either man ever gave their Savior. Curse God and die!" . * Indicated Required Field See our Privacy Policy. The gift went airborne, and when it landed on the cafeteria floor, the shattering sound stopped all conversations. In the midst of the worst of it, when he knew so little that seemed secure, Job hung on to one truth. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. Only later did they find that the water was contaminated. Most of the kings that would rule the divided kingdom of Israel and Judah couldn't find faith in the midst of various hardships, and both kingdoms fell as a direct result of their faithlessness. Nothing about this story seems to make sense, and it certainly isn't satisfying. (Job 19:25) Without the circumstances, we might not have remembered Job's words at all. (Job 2:10). We had two cars, but they just left me. For a 5-year-old, there had never been a more expensive gift. At the middle school, more than 350 people, many of them injured, lived without running water or electricity for the next week and a half. He knows what you’re going through even when it … And so with mother's magic and a glue gun, they put together from the broken pieces a multi-colored butterfly. Through it all, he committed to the will of the Father, and never let his Spirit be committed anywhere else. (Job 1:21), Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" It pays no attention to age, sex, nationality, or the size of one's bank account. When the storms finally subside, another battle rages. Job was nearly crushed by the pain of suffering. Inside the school, toilets refused to flush, and conditions were becoming dangerously unhealthy. Satan’s next plot (Job 2:7) was to afflict Job with severe boils from the “soles … "I've never been so scared in my life," Bennett said, "but that's when Arminta said, 'Mama, you've got to calm down. In fact, the way he dealt with his suffering has been a source of strength ever since people began searching the Bible for answers. In time, the family found even better lodging at a local church, and complete medical care. Your trusted source of Christian resources since 1891, Sermon: Choosing Faith in the Midst of Suffering, Job 1-2. Suffering doesn't make sense, either. "Are you still holding on to your integrity? ", The questions about suffering even reached the mouth of Jesus, as he genuinely wrestled with the internal agony before the crucifixion. A casino barge floated down the Bennett's street, which was less than two blocks from the coast. Lessons from Job is a four-sermon series by pastor Andy Cook. He crumpled down on the floor next to his broken gift and just started crying. They … Select an option and chat directly with a member of our support team. Throughout the entire event, God is always in control. 1:18. Clayberg Bennett, Carlotta's husband, led his family through a window, and all five members gingerly made their way to a Middle School, where they would stay for the next 10 days. All of us have. On the other hand, we could trust the only Being in all Creation that remains in control above all evil, and all suffering. "Once it was over, we had to get out, but we couldn't get out the door," Carlotta said. Maybe that's where he learned that the Holy Spirit would take over his desperate prayers, when he had run out of painful words. CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible (Hardcover). Will you dare choose faith? Hurricane Katrina was blowing sections of the roof off her home, her house was off its foundation, and the rising water was threatening to drown the five people trapped in the attic. "That's all I've got to say. In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. The more natural expectation in life is spelled out in the first paragraph of Job. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." We don't enjoy the results of the blood-letting. That single day of suffering, coupled with the way two faith-driven men reacted to that suffering, created a church in Philippi that would help change the world. Suffering comes well armed, with grief, hardship, misfortune, illness, crisis, tragedy and more. Paul lived those words. Job was wise enough to know that God had controlled the good days, and the success of his life, just as surely as God was now controlling the bad days. During the midnight song service, a miraculous earthquake came with just enough power to free the men, but not kill them. But it takes a person of tremendous faith, and tremendous spiritual maturity to sing those same songs of praise on the bad days. As the house shifted from side to side, the trees wedged the house in place and kept it from collapsing. But once my back gets better, I'll just let the Lord guide me. Many do. She had good reason to panic. Rev. "Must I really do this?" This first sermon asks believers to take a look at three things choosing faith won't do for someone who … We learn that God knows. What are our options in the midst of out-of-control suffering? His wife glared at the great professor. They found that the Jesus they'd followed was the confirmed Christ, the Son of God . Through the season of suffering that had fallen upon him, he was starting a short journey that would lead to his greatest understanding of who God was. According to the history of Acts 16, they were singing their songs of praise to the same God who'd let them go through a Job-like day. This is perhaps one of the hardest lessons to keep in mind. They took care of us, they really did. Job's wife certainly didn't think highly of her husband's nonsensical faith. One of the oldest stories in recorded history anchors a heavy place in the Bible, as a man named Job undergoes so much suffering, no mother on earth would ever again give her son Job's name. It was perfectly quiet for a moment, as all involved considered the magnitude of the loss. All of the patriarchs – Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses – suffered for decades before seeing how faithful God could be, to those who simply would not let go of the rope of faith. The alternative to grief is to never love at all, and Job simply would not take that alternative. On their first visit to Philippi, Paul and Silas were wrongly accused, beaten severely, and thrown into painful stocks in the town dungeon. create a logical reason for your suffering. Our expectation of such a life soon collides with reality. What were they doing at midnight? Eventually, the family hopes to be back in Biloxi. If you make the choice of faith, the battle with suffering is far from over. Andy uses a preaching method of a "key illustration" that runs throughout the sermon. It's a test fit for the Roman Coliseum, and God Himself takes a seat to see how much of a beating the overpowered one can take. Early in December, when the child could hardly contain the secret, the last day of school finally came. a Messiah who faced great suffering with great courage. These (meaning trials)have come so that... 2. The next day, I had medicine. Are You Expecting Too Much of Your Pastor? Thankfully, they also found a life-changing resurrection at the end of the worst weekend of their lives. by Andy Cook on Wednesday, January 01, 2014 at 7:00 AM. Job responded to his suffering with great faith. Choosing faith in the midst of suffering, as Job did, may look like insanity to all who watch. We'd love to hear from you. Anyone can sing a song of praise on the good days. In Job 33:12–22, Elihu explains that God instructs and chastens in various ways. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. Lessons from Job is a four-sermon series by pastor Andy Cook. The book of Job presents one of the most unusual pictures in all the Bible. In the face of such a disaster, it was the only thing they knew how to do. Paul wasted two years in a prison cell in Caesarea, right in the middle of his best church-planting days. In the book of Job, two chapters of great faith are followed immediately by 35 chapters of great questions. However, one news team finally found the families living on a Middle School parking lot. We want for every new baby a good family, a good childhood, a good education, eventually a fulfilling and well-compensated job, a good home, and a retirement set against the sunset of a perfect life.