The Inner Workings of Heaven

Today many of us come to the gathering with heavy hearts. As most of you have heard by now Wendy Taylor passed into eternity through a tragic accident. While we morn the loss of a very sweet friend, it is human nature to wonder why? We come today wanting to peel back the curtains of heaven to see the inner workings of heaven.

It is human nature to attempt to make sense of what seems to be senseless. In our attempt, to make sense of it all we will often turn to cliches’ that we ourselves don’t really believe. Such as this must have been God’s plan… as if God himself ordained this event to take place.

In essence we blame God for tragedy, as if all things are set in stone. And choices have no real consequence. It’s almost as if in our minds we have a God that created all creation good, but then also created for us on the same day a path of suffering and distress. We tend to look at God as the creator of hardship and trials instead of the redeemer of them.

In Genesis we find that hardship and suffering are a result of a sin cursed world. This was not the choice of God but the choice of man. Yet God created a path to redemption.

So Why does God allow suffering?

#1 Suffering is a consequence of sin

Romans 5:12 CSB

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

God is not the creator of suffering but rather is the result of living in a sin-cursed and broken world.

I think we often confuse God’s intervention or lack of with providence and God’s sovereignty.

But couldn’t God choose to intervene? The answer of course is, “yes”. God can choose at anytime to intervene.

But this I do know. If God were to shield the world from all the tragic effects of sin, none of us would ever feel the need to be redeemed. The brokenness of this world points us to our need. It points us away from the pride of life. It humbles us. It shows us our own fragility and brings us to a desperation, where we realize our only hope and strength is found in the lord. It is in this brokenness that we turn to God. So God allowing us to come to grips with just how broken our world is, is indeed often God’s grace in showing us what is missing in our lives, a relationship with him. It reminds us that God has promised a better day is coming.

# 2 Suffering is tool of sanctification

James 1:2–4 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

#3 Suffering strengthens our faith.

James 1:3 CSB

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

This passed week, In Maggie Valley they had a homeschool ski day.In which skiing was heavily discounted, so we decided to take the kids. When we first strapped on our skis I could see the nervousness in each one of our children. Especially when they saw the height of the mountain.

As we attempted the navigate the first run. All of the kids were extremely cautious. All of them a little nervous about falling. But it didn’t take long before each one of them had fallen. Once they had fallen and they experienced a fall at slower speeds they all began to ski faster and faster.

Experience with falling made them realize they were capable of enduring the pain of falling for the reward of growing in their abilities. In fact at the beginning one of my children was scared and ready to give up. I told this child “okay, lets just quit and go sit in the lodge and miss out on doing something awesome. The reverse psychology worked and this child realized that the temporary pain was worth the risk of something greater.

In the same way suffering strengthens us. It increases our capacity and tolerance for pain. It causes to be willing to trust God more and more. It causes us to realize that suffering is inevitable yet God will give us the strength to endure. He will give us the strength to press on. He will show us all that we would have missed if we allowed the fear of suffering to cause us to quit.

God is the redeemer of all things and he can and will redeem our suffering and change it into something beautiful for his purposes. Suffering is inevitable , Let God redeem it!

I want to read you the following Psalm about someone who suffered much. Then I want you to see how it takes a turn from focusing on the trials of this present world to the redemption of it to come.

Psalm 22 CSB

For the choir director: according to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? 2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest. 3 But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 Our ancestors trusted in you; they trusted, and you rescued them. 5 They cried to you and were set free; they trusted in you and were not disgraced. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by people. 7 Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: 8 “He relies on the Lord; let him save him; let the Lord rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.” 9 It was you who brought me out of the womb, making me secure at my mother’s breast. 10 I was given over to you at birth; you have been my God from my mother’s womb. 11 Don’t be far from me, because distress is near and there’s no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong ones of Bashan encircle me. 13 They open their mouths against me— lions, mauling and roaring. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; my heart is like wax, melting within me. 15 My strength is dried up like baked clay; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You put me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have surrounded me; a gang of evildoers has closed in on me; they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people look and stare at me. 18 They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing. 19 But you, Lord, don’t be far away. My strength, come quickly to help me. 20 Rescue my life from the sword, my only life from the power of these dogs. 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth, from the horns of wild oxen. You answered me! 22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; I will praise you in the assembly. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! All you descendants of Israel, revere him! 24 For he has not despised or abhorred the torment of the oppressed. He did not hide his face from him but listened when he cried to him for help. 25 I will give praise in the great assembly because of you; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear you. 26 The humble will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord. All the families of the nations will bow down before you, 28 for kingship belongs to the Lord; he rules the nations. 29 All who prosper on earth will eat and bow down; all those who go down to the dust will kneel before him— even the one who cannot preserve his life. 30 Their descendants will serve him; the next generation will be told about the Lord. 31 They will come and declare his righteousness; to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done.

Do you see How God redeemed the suffering? Can you point to the verse where God begins to strengthen David because of his call for help. His circumstances did not change yet he began to praise the Lord.

After getting to know Wendy. If she had the ability to communicate a message to us, I know it would be push on. I can literally picture her with a smile on her face saying, “It’s so worth it!”

I’m going to lead in prayer and then immediately we will enter into a time of quiet reflection. If you want to pray together with a friend of family member please do. then after that we will transition into a time of annointing with oil and prayer for healing. I want us to pray for 3 things.

Pray for Wendy’s family

Pray for joy in the pain

Pray that God would give you faith. So that when it comes time for us to annoint Joe and Pat with oil and lay hands on them. We will be praying a prayer of faith that God will heal.

James 5 CSB

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have stored up treasure in the last days. Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment. Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. My brothers and sisters, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, let that person know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.