Finding God’s Goodness in the Midst of Suffering

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
Good morning everybody!
[00:06:49] Good morning!
[00:06:51] Welcome to worship here at Williamson's Chapel.
[00:06:54] We are so happy you're here.
[00:06:56] My name is Monica Humple.
[00:06:57] I'm the Associate Pastor of Engagement.
[00:07:00] And I am really excited because things are kicking into full gear at Williamson's Chapel.
[00:07:06] And I hope last week you were able to get your book.
[00:07:09] If not, you'll have a chance to get your fall book today.
[00:07:11] But man,
[00:07:12] Things are rolling and I got two important things I want to share with you this morning as we get started just so that you know two great ways that you can engage in Williamson's Chapel.
[00:07:23] The first thing, and I think you guys have a slide for this, technology.
[00:07:27] We have a church app here.
[00:07:29] It's an awesome church app.
[00:07:30] It's called Church Center.
[00:07:31] Do you guys have that slide by any chance?
[00:07:34] Looking for it?
[00:07:35] Cool.
[00:07:36] Okay, we have a great app called Church Center.
[00:07:39] If you don't have it, you can go to your app store.
[00:07:42] You can go look for Church Center.
[00:07:45] It's a little icon of a little blue, there it is, that little icon that looks like a little church.
[00:07:50] Download that app to your phone.
[00:07:52] It'll ask you what church you belong to.
[00:07:54] You say Williamson's Chapel.
[00:07:55] This app is fantastic.
[00:07:57] We keep it updated.
[00:07:58] But I get it.
[00:07:59] I get that technology can be challenging sometimes.
[00:08:01] So, if you want to learn everything there is to know about this app, how to use it, how to get registered for things, all that kind of stuff, I'm going to be right here at the church at 4 o'clock today in room A204, which is in the building right across from the...
[00:08:16] The patio area out here and just come hang out with me I bring your phone bring your laptop whatever and we'll sit down and I'll show you how you can get the most benefit out of this app there are so many things you can do there and I want you to know how to use it so join me at four o'clock today and actually we have dinner because we have fuel your family right after that so you can stick around and have dinner with me after second thing and I'm so excited about this you guys have wanted to know how to be a witness
[00:08:45] Out in the world, how to go and serve at local community places and say, hey, I'm from Williamson's Chapel.
[00:08:52] Guys, do you have the t-shirt slide?
[00:08:54] Because if you do, we are now taking pre-orders for Williamson's Chapel t-shirts.
[00:09:00] You have two options.
[00:09:01] You have a light blue option and you have a dark blue option.
[00:09:04] If they can find the slide and put that up there, you'll be able to pre-order it today.
[00:09:08] If not, I suppose I'm going to need to do a church-wide email.
[00:09:11] But it's a really cool shirt.
[00:09:14] It's got Williamson's Chapel on the front and just a QR code on the back.
[00:09:17] And people can scan that QR code.
[00:09:20] And that QR code will take them to a page on our website that tells them all the great ways in which they can engage here.
[00:09:26] And the top of the page will say, You belong here.
[00:09:29] Great way to witness in our community.
[00:09:30] And we'll be taking pre-orders for that.
[00:09:32] Hopefully we can find the slide.
[00:09:34] TR, if we can find it between now and the end of the worship service, do you think you can pop it up there?
[00:09:38] Great.
[00:09:39] And hey, if you're new here at Williamson's Chapel, I know that was a mouthful.
[00:09:43] If you can tell, we have a lot happening here.
[00:09:45] We are so glad you're joining us, whether it's your first time here or you've been coming for a while.
[00:09:50] And hey, those of you watching online, we're glad you're here.
[00:09:52] And if you're new watching, we welcome you as well.
[00:09:55] After worship, come see me.
[00:09:57] I will be at the connection station.
[00:09:59] It's a little cart out here on the patio.
[00:10:01] After worship today, I have a gift for you.
[00:10:03] I want to meet you in person.
[00:10:05] I want to shake your hand.
[00:10:06] I want to tell you all this going on in the church.
[00:10:08] And you guys, if any of you have questions about what's happening in the life of the church, I'll be at the connection station.
[00:10:14] I hope you'll come and join me.
[00:10:15] If you have any questions, I want to answer them.
[00:10:18] Speaking of questions...
[00:10:20] Oh, there it is.
[00:10:23] They found it.
[00:10:24] So, we have a light blue option and a dark blue option.
[00:10:27] If you scan that QR code with your phone, you can go ahead and do your pre-order.
[00:10:33] Alright, questions are awesome.
[00:10:35] We've been answering some of them.
[00:10:37] tackling them wrestling with them in the past few weeks here for our curious questions and props to pastors Wes and Tony Ruth for taking them on they've been doing a great job with some really tough questions about scripture but so interesting and I'm glad you're here as we continue to open our hearts and minds and join together in worship

[00:10:59] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
Our opening song this morning is Same God.
[00:11:02] When we're talking about these questions, things that are maybe plaguing us just a little bit, a great reminder is that no matter what is happening in our world, whether it's a long time ago or right now in the middle of your space, the same God that walked with all of those folks in Scripture all the way through time until now is still walking with us right now.
[00:11:23] So let's stand and worship together.
[00:11:24] Same God.

[00:11:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
I'm calling on the God of Jacob Whose love endured through generations
[00:11:59] I know that you will keep your covenant I'm calling on the God of Moses The one who opened up the ocean I need you now to do the same thing for me For me, for me
[00:12:35] O God, my God, I need you now, how I need you now O rock, O rock of ages, I'm standing on your faithful
[00:13:05] I'm calling on the God of Mary Whose favor rests upon the lowly I know with you all things are possible I'm calling on the God of David
[00:13:38] I may not face Goliath, but I got my own giants.
[00:13:46] Oh God, my God, I need you.
[00:13:59] Oh God, my God, I need you now.
[00:14:01] I need you now.
[00:14:02] Oh, we need you.
[00:14:02] Oh rock, oh rock of ages, I'm standing on your faithfulness.
[00:14:12] O God, my God, I need you now, how I need you now O Rock, O Rock of Ages, I'm standing on your faithfulness
[00:14:40] Faithfulness I'm standing on You're never changing
[00:14:51] You heard your children then You hear your children now You are the same God You answered prayers back then And You will answer now You are the same God
[00:15:22] You are the same God You are the same God You moved in power then You move in power now You are the same God You are the same God You are a healer now
[00:15:53] You are a Savior You are a Savior You are a Savior
[00:16:24] Rock O Rock of Ages, I'm standing on your faithful head
[00:16:51] I'm standing on your faithfulness On your faithfulness You're an unchanging God You're the same today, yesterday, and forevermore You're the same God You're unfailing
[00:17:22] You're an awesome God Oh, You're the source of our strength You're an unfailing God You're the rock of our salvation You're everlasting God
[00:17:51] Never-changing God
[00:17:56] You freed your captives then You're freeing hearts right now You are the same God You are the same God You touch the lepers then I feel your touch right now You are the same God You are the same God Forever the same
[00:18:27] He never changes, He never changes He's a loving God that never changes He's the same God as the day forevermore I'm calling on the Holy Spirit
[00:18:57] Almighty River, come and fill me again.
[00:19:06] Come and fill me again.
[00:19:13] Come and fill me again.

[00:19:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
Friends, you may be seated.
[00:19:29] We all know that moment when we just realize we really need Jesus and we don't know what we're going to do.
[00:19:37] We're talking about this next question we're tackling for the next three weeks is why do bad things happen?
[00:19:44] Why is there suffering in the world?
[00:19:46] This was a big question that you all had to ask us and we're not going to claim that we have all the answers but we know we'll all ask that question.
[00:19:54] The scripture says that the rain falls on the righteous and the unrighteous.
[00:19:58] Being a Christian isn't any guarantee that you're not going to experience hard things or go through hard things.
[00:20:04] So what do you do when you do have moments like that?
[00:20:08] One of the most important things you can do is make a connection with somebody else.
[00:20:13] Someone who can walk alongside you and be a friend and offer compassion and care and love to you in the midst of a time of need.
[00:20:20] Here at Williamson's Chapel, one of the ministries that we support is Stephen ministry.
[00:20:25] Stephen ministers are trained lay people.
[00:20:27] They go through somewhere around 40 hours of training who journey alongside someone for maybe a short time, maybe a long period of time for any number of reasons.
[00:20:37] It could be that someone's going through a life change or grieving or they're just struggling in their faith right then.
[00:20:44] And it's just a person to come alongside and walk with you and remind you that you are not alone.
[00:20:49] to pray for you and to pray with you and this ministry is confidential so no one knows who is that you're even in this if you're doing it no one would know ever unless you chose to tell them that you were had a Stephen minister
[00:21:05] Today in worship, when we serve communion, the Stephen ministers of our church are going to be serving communion.
[00:21:11] And we are hoping that if you have a need, you will just let us know.
[00:21:16] You can speak to me, you can speak to Pastor Mark, or to Whitney Cassell, or to any one of the folks that you see up here serving communion, and just say, you know, I think that might help me.
[00:21:25] it's one of the many things that we offer here at our church it's free of charge no charge to you for doing it at all it's just a ministry supported by the offerings of this church to offer people the love and the care of Christ so when you are giving your offering that's part of what you're supporting is the ability to offer this kind of compassionate love and care into our community for those who are in need so if you think you could benefit from it I'm going to encourage you to ask if you know somebody that you think could benefit from it
[00:21:52] Come and ask.
[00:21:53] We'd love for you to be part of this important ministry.
[00:21:56] Let's pray.
[00:21:58] God, we thank you for the offerings of your children that enable us to do the work of ministry and especially the work of walking alongside people who are asking the hard questions and dealing with the circumstances that nobody would have wanted.
[00:22:13] We pray that you will bless and multiply our offerings so that more people would have that opportunity to know that they are not alone, so that we can share the good news of Jesus Christ here and around the world.
[00:22:24] It's in the name of Christ that we ask.
[00:22:25] Amen.

[00:22:41] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
The world's only good at letting you down Come to Jesus If the well that you draw from keeps running dry And the water you're drinking won't satisfy Come to Jesus Come to Jesus

[00:23:14] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
All at the foot of the cross Where perfect love paid every prodigal's cost The Savior is waiting with arms open wide So leave what's behind you behind Come to Jesus Come to Jesus

[00:23:39] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
Don't have to clean up before you come home Let the power in your blood turn your sin white as snow Come to Jesus Come to Jesus

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
There's room for us all at the foot of the cross Where perfect love paid every prodigal's cost The Savior is waiting with arms open wide So leave what's behind you behind

[00:24:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
There is therefore now no condemnation For all those found in Christ Jesus Call His name, come be saved, come be saved

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_04]:
For now no condemnation for all those found in Christ Jesus Call His name, come be saved, come be saved
[00:25:00] There's room for us all at the foot of the cross Where perfect love paid every prodigal's cost The Savior is waiting with arms open wide So leave what's behind you behind
[00:25:21] The cross where perfect love paid Every prodigal's calls The Savior is waiting With arms open wide So leave what's behind you behind Come to Jesus Come to Jesus Come to Jesus Come to Jesus

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]:
All that they sold you just to find out The world's only good at letting you down Come to Jesus Come to Jesus I invite you to hear these words

[00:26:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]:
From Psalm 6, 2-7 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing.
[00:26:27] O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking in terror.
[00:26:33] My soul also is struck with terror.
[00:26:35] While you, O Lord, how long?
[00:26:38] Turn, O Lord, save my life.
[00:26:40] Deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
[00:26:44] For in death there is no remembrance of you.
[00:26:46] In Sheol, who can give you praise?
[00:26:49] I am weary with my moaning.
[00:26:52] Every night I flood my bed with tears.
[00:26:55] I drench my couch with weeping.
[00:26:58] My eyes waste away because of grief.
[00:27:02] They grow weak for all of my foes.
[00:27:06] The Word of God for the people of God.
[00:27:09] Thanks be to God.

[00:27:19] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]:
Good morning church.
[00:27:26] So before I begin this morning, I want to just remind us of our ground rules as we continue our series answering, well, honestly, some really difficult questions you guys asked us.
[00:27:46] So as we think about these issues and continue our next series,
[00:27:51] Kind of next three Sundays looking at, as Pastor Tony Roux said, questions about suffering and why bad things happen, our ground rules.
[00:28:00] And we engage these topics with humility and understanding that we don't know everything.
[00:28:06] And so we come to these questions asking God to give us clarity, some understanding, but
[00:28:20] In the absence of the understanding, we ask that God help us to trust.
[00:28:26] The second point there is we are grounded in Scripture, that as we answer these questions, Scripture is woven throughout what we talk about.
[00:28:35] That's our foundation.
[00:28:36] And then that third one, we're wrestling, or as I said a couple weeks ago, where I'm from, we're wrassling.
[00:28:44] We're wrestling with these issues, but we're wrestling with the trust that we have in God.
[00:28:52] That our wrestling is not in vain, and that God is with us in the midst of all of that.
[00:28:58] So, before we dive into this week's question, let's pray.
[00:29:05] God, we thank you for your presence with us and your love for us that never ends.
[00:29:11] And now, God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.
[00:29:19] Amen.
[00:29:22] So, the Scripture that Pastor Carey just read is a setup for our question this morning.
[00:29:29] I love in verse 3 of that Psalm, it says, My soul also was struck with terror while you, O Lord, and the psalmist doesn't even finish the sentence, just says, while you, O Lord,
[00:29:41] How long?
[00:29:43] And so our suffering can put us kind of in that mindset of the psalmist there.
[00:29:48] How long is this going to last?
[00:29:51] So the question this morning, how can we say that God is good in light of suffering?
[00:29:59] How can we say that God is good all the time?
[00:30:01] You know that.
[00:30:01] God is good all the time.
[00:30:06] How do you say that when there's suffering?
[00:30:09] How do you say that with the pain that so many have to deal with?
[00:30:15] Now, there's simply not enough time this morning.
[00:30:17] As you can see, we're having communion today.
[00:30:19] There's not enough time to engage this huge and important question fully.
[00:30:25] So, next week, we're going to unpack some of what I say this morning with some
[00:30:33] Some videos, but also some things that we write in Friday's E-Alert.
[00:30:37] I'll probably address some things I say this morning, but we're going to try to address some of this stuff in different ways this coming week.
[00:30:45] We're also going to be preaching about this the next two weeks, so we'll be able to give a fuller look at this question.
[00:30:54] and I spent much of this past week trying to figure out how to organize my thoughts this morning in a way that honored both the topic and the time we have together and the format of this morning's sermon is unlike any sermon I've preached at this point in my ministry so I'm going to humbly request your patience I'm trying something new I'm going to request your patience and understanding so here's the way this is going to go I'm going to make five points about suffering
[00:31:20] Then I'm going to share with you four truths about suffering.
[00:31:24] And then there are going to be three don't do that, do this instead statements.
[00:31:30] So ending in a practical place.
[00:31:31] And again, some of the things I say I could speak for like an hour about these topics.
[00:31:37] We ain't got that much time.
[00:31:39] So that's why we're going to follow up with some
[00:31:44] Some deeper looks at some of these things.
[00:31:46] So you guys ready?
[00:31:50] Here we go.
[00:31:51] If you said no, I'm still going anyway.
[00:31:53] I mean, I'm not... We're in it now.
[00:31:57] So five points about suffering.
[00:32:02] Number one, any answers we give to the question of why suffering exists in light of God's goodness, in light of God's omnipotence, or God being all-powerful, any answer we give will be incomplete and inadequate.
[00:32:20] I'm not saying that to be dismissive, and that only highlights our limitations.
[00:32:26] Any answer we give is going to be incomplete and inadequate because we are incomplete.
[00:32:32] We are finite.
[00:32:33] Our perspective is limited.
[00:32:36] And even when we use the word like good, when we say that God is good, our understanding of good is limited, right?
[00:32:47] When we say God is good, we're not capturing all of who God is in a statement like that.
[00:32:51] So we're limited.
[00:32:52] Any answer we give will be incomplete.
[00:32:55] And in addition to that, knowing why
[00:33:00] Even if we knew why, knowing why doesn't change the reality of suffering, right?
[00:33:06] Just knowing why doesn't change that suffering is happening.
[00:33:10] So that's point one.
[00:33:11] Any answer we give will be incomplete.
[00:33:15] Number two, this is extremely important for us.
[00:33:19] Just because something happens does not mean that God is responsible or that it's God's will.
[00:33:30] Just because something happens doesn't mean it's God's will.
[00:33:34] Methodists do not believe in predeterminism, which is the idea that God has predetermined what will happen at every moment.
[00:33:46] We don't proclaim that.
[00:33:47] We believe in free will, that God is at work, God is present, God is inviting us to deeper relationship,
[00:33:57] and we can reject God's love or not.
[00:34:00] Make sense?
[00:34:01] We don't believe that God is like a puppet master dictating every single thing that happens.
[00:34:09] God is not some kind of heavenly micromanager because if that's the case, then God also has to be responsible for sin.
[00:34:17] And I'm not willing to say that.
[00:34:20] So we don't believe in predeterminism.
[00:34:21] That's the second point.
[00:34:23] The third point.
[00:34:26] Yeah, I didn't put a blank slide in there, I don't think.
[00:34:30] But the third point, the question, if God is good and all-powerful, then why is there suffering?
[00:34:37] That's a familiar question.
[00:34:38] Why is there suffering if God is good and all-powerful?
[00:34:41] That's basically a philosophical gotcha question.
[00:34:47] That's a question that kind of puts us back on our heels and, you know...
[00:34:51] Here's the thing.
[00:34:52] The God of the Bible, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, our God is not a logic problem to solve.
[00:35:00] Our God is not a philosophical puzzle.
[00:35:03] God is relational.
[00:35:06] Our God is revealed in Jesus of Nazareth, not in a mathematical formula.
[00:35:15] This God is present with us and in relationship with us through the Holy Spirit.
[00:35:21] And so this insistence that we have to understand everything about God is just not realistic.
[00:35:27] Look at the person beside you.
[00:35:29] Seriously, look at the person beside you.
[00:35:31] If you know them very well, do you understand every single thing about them?
[00:35:36] No.
[00:35:36] Why would God be any different?
[00:35:45] What we know of God is revealed in Jesus Christ, not in our theories about God.
[00:35:53] As a quote, I was reading a book by C.S.
[00:35:55] Lewis this week called The Problem of Pain about this topic and C.S.
[00:36:00] Lewis says the following, The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves is only insoluble or insolvable so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word love and look on things as if man were at the center of them.
[00:36:19] Man is not at the center.
[00:36:22] Humanity is not the center.
[00:36:24] God does not exist for the sake of man.
[00:36:29] God does not exist for the sake of humanity.
[00:36:33] Again, I'm going to unpack some of this stuff, but that's a pretty dramatic statement, I think.
[00:36:38] Number four, when it comes to suffering, there are some possible answers we might give to the question of why.
[00:36:45] On a basic level of cause and effect, our suffering can be caused by our own choices.
[00:36:51] If someone smokes for 50 years and then they get emphysema or lung cancer, it's not a mystery, is it?
[00:37:00] Why am I suffering?
[00:37:01] Well, you smoked for 50 years, for example.
[00:37:06] Our suffering can be caused by other people.
[00:37:09] We call suffering for others.
[00:37:12] That's not really a mystery.
[00:37:14] Suffering can appear to be completely random.
[00:37:17] We might kind of ascribe that to living in a fallen world.
[00:37:21] So there might be, like, what's the cause of this particular suffering?
[00:37:25] But answering that question doesn't help because there's a deeper question behind that.
[00:37:29] Why suffering at all?
[00:37:32] Why is there suffering at all?
[00:37:35] And Scripture does provide some insight, though it's probably not in ways that we like.
[00:37:43] Probably don't much like the answers we find there.
[00:37:46] Had a woman in a church I served years ago and Jenny had cancer and when she was first diagnosed she had to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time for treatments.
[00:37:55] And she decided while she's in the hospital and she was hurting and suffering, she would read the Bible.
[00:38:02] And since she was suffering, she thought she would read Job.
[00:38:06] If you've read Job, you know that that's not a good idea.
[00:38:10] She said,
[00:38:11] That's what she said.
[00:38:12] I got a few chapters into Job and realized that was a mistake.
[00:38:18] I decided to read the Psalms instead.
[00:38:22] It's a much better thing to read while you're in that kind of condition.
[00:38:27] But the answers we find in Job, for example, are perhaps helpful for us.
[00:38:35] Jesus teaches that to be a disciple, a person must take up their cross and deny themselves, willingly choosing the path of suffering for the sake of the gospel.
[00:38:46] So think about suffering that we take on ourselves for the sake of the gospel.
[00:38:50] We'll unpack, I'll unpack this more this week, but that doesn't sound like something we want to do.
[00:38:55] So when we look at scripture, there's some challenge for us.
[00:38:58] There are several other scriptures.
[00:39:00] We'll get to some of those in just a moment.
[00:39:03] And then fifth point, suffering.
[00:39:05] to greater or lesser degrees is for most of us inevitable in this life if it hasn't happened yet it's likely going to happen
[00:39:17] It might be suffering caused by a disease or chronic pain.
[00:39:20] It might be suffering caused by mental illness or emotional distress.
[00:39:24] It might be suffering caused by external circumstances or by the choices of other people.
[00:39:29] Or maybe it's caused by the loss of people we love and our grief in losing them.
[00:39:34] Suffering is pretty much inevitable.
[00:39:38] So those are five points I wanted to make about suffering.
[00:39:42] Moving on to four truths about suffering.
[00:39:47] Four truths.
[00:39:48] If suffering is inevitable, and there's really no good answer that will satisfy us in the midst of suffering, this first truth might help us.
[00:39:57] God is with us in our suffering.
[00:40:01] God is with us.
[00:40:02] God does not abandon us, but is with us, loving us, even in the darkest times and most painful situations.
[00:40:09] And as Psalm 3418 reminds us, the Lord is near to the brokenhearted.
[00:40:16] God is near to the brokenhearted.
[00:40:19] Second truth.
[00:40:22] Jesus knows our suffering.
[00:40:24] He has borne them on the cross.
[00:40:27] Or as Isaiah 53, 4 says it, Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering.
[00:40:34] And we read in Hebrews chapter 4,
[00:40:38] We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.
[00:40:49] So Jesus knows suffering.
[00:40:50] He knows what we endure.
[00:40:53] and in the next chapter in Hebrews the writer tells us that during the days of Jesus life on earth he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death and he was heard because of his reverent submission son though he was he learned obedience from what he suffered and once made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him I'm going to unpack that that's another thing I've kind of flagged up to unpack later this week but
[00:41:20] All that to say is that Jesus knows our suffering.
[00:41:23] We do not have a Savior who is detached or distant.
[00:41:29] Truth number three.
[00:41:32] If our pain and suffering, if pain we bear and suffering is not transformed, it will be transmitted to others.
[00:41:43] There are several other ways I can say this.
[00:41:45] If our hurt, if we don't work on healing the hurt, we're going to hand it over.
[00:41:50] I'm a preacher.
[00:41:51] I've got to do alliteration.
[00:41:52] That's kind of contractually obligated.
[00:41:58] If we don't process our pain, we're going to pass it on.
[00:42:04] Think about that.
[00:42:05] What we don't work on healing, what we're not allowing God to transform, we're going to hand that on to people.
[00:42:14] This is where we get this generational trauma.
[00:42:19] And this is where you get cycle of abuse.
[00:42:24] What we don't allow God to work on, we're going to hand to other people.
[00:42:28] Not in good ways.
[00:42:29] That's not the kind of inheritance we want to leave, is it?
[00:42:33] So we allow God to be at work in us, transforming us, transforming our pain.
[00:42:38] This is an idea shared by Richard Rohr, a theologian and spiritual director, who says, quote, Suffering can lead you in either of two directions.
[00:42:46] It can make you very bitter and close you down, or it can make you wise, compassionate, and utterly open.
[00:42:52] It often takes you to the edge of your inner resources, where you fall into the hands of the living God, even against your will.
[00:43:02] And he says that when we ask God in the Lord's Prayer to deliver us from evil, we are praying, when the big trials come, God, hold on to me and don't let me turn bitter or blaming.
[00:43:14] It's when we turn bitter and blaming and resentful that we put that on other people and we pass on our pain.
[00:43:22] Number four.
[00:43:24] This is my least favorite one.
[00:43:26] I've had to rank them.
[00:43:28] Suffering is a teacher.
[00:43:30] Suffering is a teacher.
[00:43:32] That's a tough pill to swallow.
[00:43:36] But if you've experienced suffering in your own life you know this is true.
[00:43:42] Here's how Paul puts it in Romans 5, 3 through 5.
[00:43:45] We know that suffering produces perseverance.
[00:43:48] Perseverance, character, and character, hope.
[00:43:51] And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
[00:43:59] Suffering teaches us.
[00:44:01] We don't learn the most important lasting lessons in the easy times.
[00:44:09] Suffering focuses us.
[00:44:11] We don't want it, but suffering focuses us.
[00:44:15] It is in that suffering, in that grappling, that we grow and that we learn, if we allow God to work in the midst of that.
[00:44:26] Okay, so those four truths can help us kind of get a context, kind of wrap our heads around, I think, suffering.
[00:44:34] Doesn't make it easier, doesn't alleviate, but at least helps us understand that God is working in the midst of it.
[00:44:41] Okay, so here are three don't do that, do this instead statements.
[00:44:48] And I'm really thinking about when we're in a position where we're not suffering, how do we handle and deal with and interact with people who are suffering?
[00:44:57] Number one, don't inflict suffering on other people.
[00:45:01] Just don't do it.
[00:45:03] Don't hurt other people.
[00:45:05] Now, sometimes it's accidental, sometimes we don't mean to, but sometimes we do mean to.
[00:45:10] There's a book that was released a few years ago called Three Simple Rules by a bishop named Reuben Jobe, and basically says the three simple rules of Methodism, and the second one was do no harm.
[00:45:25] Do no harm.
[00:45:26] Don't inflict suffering on other people.
[00:45:28] Instead, acknowledge and work to alleviate the suffering of others as you have ability and opportunity.
[00:45:35] Work to help people who are suffering.
[00:45:40] Number two, don't minimize other people's suffering or your own.
[00:45:46] Don't minimize suffering.
[00:45:49] Instead, empathize with people.
[00:45:52] and be present with them in ways that express God's love and mercy.
[00:45:56] You might have heard this phrase going around that empathy is a sin.
[00:46:00] I'm going to tell you right now, as the kids say, with my chest.
[00:46:05] I'm going to tell you right now, that's nonsense.
[00:46:10] Jesus is the model for empathy.
[00:46:13] and calls us to love and to empathy.
[00:46:15] Don't minimize other people's suffering.
[00:46:17] Empathize with people and be present with them as Jesus is present with us.
[00:46:24] This is not about politics, this is about the gospel.
[00:46:27] God calls us to love.
[00:46:29] And number three, don't pass judgment or try to explain away someone else's suffering.
[00:46:38] As Paul reminds us, we should not claim to be wiser than we are.
[00:46:44] So even if the person that is suffering smoked for 50 years, does that give you the right to judge them or to be cruel?
[00:46:54] No.
[00:46:55] No.
[00:46:58] Instead, when we know people who are suffering, we try to offer encouragement and a listening ear.
[00:47:03] Finally, pray for people who are suffering.
[00:47:07] Pray for one another.
[00:47:09] And so, don't do that, do this instead.
[00:47:13] There's that saying that be kind to people you never know what they're going through.
[00:47:19] We don't know so often.
[00:47:21] We don't know what other people are dealing with, who is suffering and who is not.
[00:47:26] And sometimes we get really kind of dismissive when somebody says, I'm really hurting.
[00:47:32] And you say, well, why?
[00:47:33] And they say, well, blah, blah, blah.
[00:47:34] I say, oh, that's no big deal.
[00:47:37] That's not helpful at all.
[00:47:39] What we offer instead is love and grace and reassurance to one another.
[00:47:46] So, yeah.
[00:47:51] I neglected to write a conclusion, but here goes.
[00:47:58] I don't like this sitting, I don't really like the sitting in the chair thing.
[00:48:07] Okay, am I on?
[00:48:08] Yeah.
[00:48:10] Okay, I talked about Jesus sharing our suffering, Jesus knowing what we suffer.
[00:48:15] When we come for communion, that's what we're remembering.
[00:48:20] We're remembering that Jesus took our suffering upon himself and died for us, bearing our pain and our suffering and our sin.
[00:48:31] And we come, one of the things we do is we come to remember that, but we also come to give thanks.
[00:48:37] For that gift of salvation, we give thanks for Jesus, and as sacrifice for us, we give thanks for the God who is not distant, not far away, but with us, loving us, constantly inviting us to deeper relationship.
[00:48:51] That God who is with us in the midst of whatever it is that we suffer.
[00:48:57] And so as you come for communion, come with a heart of gratitude.
[00:49:02] Giving thanks for God's gift.
[00:49:04] After you receive communion, I'm going to invite you, some of you do this anyway, but I want to invite you to come to pray.
[00:49:09] If you are suffering in any way, if there's a pain that you're struggling with, I'm going to ask you to come and pray that God would be at work transforming that.
[00:49:19] If you know someone who is suffering, I'm going to invite you to come and pray for them, that they would know God's presence, and ask God to help you know how you can share God's light and love in their life.
[00:49:32] So friends, as we prepare to come and receive, let us pray.
[00:49:40] Gracious and holy God, we thank you for your love for us, for your presence with us, for your grace and your mercy.
[00:49:49] God, as we come to your table to receive, fill us with gratitude and help us, God, to remember that you are always with us.
[00:50:01] and help us to love you with our whole heart and to love one another as you have loved us.
[00:50:08] In Christ's name we pray.
[00:50:10] Amen.

[00:50:12] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]:
so why do bad things happen to good people i've wondered that i think my entire life so this sermon really meant a lot to me because it helped me put that into perspective i for one have had some really not great things happen in my life even recently and sometimes i do wonder that i think i'm a i think i'm a decent person i i i feel like um
[00:50:36] Sometimes it's just not fair.
[00:50:37] Why are these things happening?
[00:50:39] And to be reminded of God's steadfast love and trusting that even in the midst of these hard things that God is present with me, that's a really good reminder that I needed today and I hope you needed that as well.
[00:50:53] A couple of things happening in the life of the church I want to make sure you know about.
[00:50:58] Our fall book.
[00:50:59] This usually comes out in the fall right before or right when everything is kicking off.
[00:51:05] So tonight, fuel your family.
[00:51:08] Our Sunday evening dinner and programming for all ages starts tonight.
[00:51:13] and it's regular schedule so make sure you check that out on our website or on the church app also many other things are getting ready to start up in the life of the church so I want to make sure that you have this book or you at least go to our website and check those out so that you can sign up for those as well today in worship we honored and talked about our Stephen ministers now Stephen ministers are not therapists they are people who are trained to
[00:51:42] Be a spiritual person who walks next to you in the midst of your sorrow or when those bad things are happening in your life.
[00:51:50] If you are in a place in your life where you think, you know, I could really use that type of support, we do have a Stephen ministry here at Williamson's Chapel and we would love to connect you.
[00:52:01] All you have to do is call the church office, let them know you're in need of a Stephen minister, and they will make sure you get connected with the right person.
[00:52:08] We're going to continue in our curious questions next week, but today I'd like to close this out in a prayer.
[00:52:14] You know, bad things happen to all of us.
[00:52:16] Sometimes we just need to be open to the work of God, even in the midst of bad things.
[00:52:20] So I'd like to call on God to be with us now, so let's pray together.
[00:52:24] God, you are good.
[00:52:26] Even when bad things happen, it's hard to remember how good you are.
[00:52:31] We question your presence sometimes when we're going through hard things.
[00:52:35] So Lord, my prayer today for me and for all of those watching today and all of us here in worship today is that we are always open to your work within the bad things.
[00:52:48] Even when we feel like we're drowning or we're super struggling with whatever's going on in our life, that we remember that you are here.
[00:52:55] You really are.
[00:52:57] You're in the midst of it.
[00:52:59] You are not only in it, but you're working us through it.
[00:53:03] It's your strength and your love and your comfort that can get us through anything hard and difficult.
[00:53:07] So Lord, I just pray that we're all open to that now and moving forward and that we continue to remember to call on you in those hard times.
[00:53:15] Lord, we give you tons of gratitude today for your presence, for your love, and for your mercy.
[00:53:21] We lift all of these things in your precious name.
[00:53:24] Amen.
[00:53:25] Alright friends, we look forward to seeing you next week.