The Road to the Cross (4)

“Hope for the Hurting”

Hebrews 2:9-13 “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.”

I. Intro

This is a different type of Easter for all of us. Typically, as a pastor, we will choose a gospel, and go through the crucifixion. That’s what I had planned to do. Then tragedy struck. Over the last week, God has been speaking to me and working on me. Why do sufferings come into our lives? Why doesn’t God just take all suffering away? Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? These are all questions I asked myself this week, and I’m sure if you have been through a death of a child or close family member, you may have asked yourself. We will answer all these questions today plus more. A lot of people are under the assumption that when you become a Christian, all your problems are solved, but in most cases, they are just beginning. When we enter into dark seasons of our lives, we often think nobody understands, or that maybe God is picking on us, but the truth is those are the times God is closest to us. I can personally testify to that truth. In Psalms 34:18, the psalmist writes an amazing promise we can all hold close to our hearts. Psalms 34:18 “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” When we are hurting and going through a valley, we have two choices. We can take the easy way out, and curse God and blame Him. We can shake our fist at God and ask Him why He did this to us. Our other choice is we can use the tragedies and hurts to get closer to God. God says we draw near to Him and He will draw near to us.

II. How do we handle dark times?

Prayerfully Embrace Them

James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

The Greek word for ‘perfect’ is (teleios) and in the context here, it conveys the meaning of completeness, maturity, or wholeness. This refers to a state of spiritual maturity achieved through the process of patience and endurance in trials and challenges. It implies a state of being whole and lacking nothing in terms of spiritual growth and character development.

Give our hurts to Jesus

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus wants nothing more than to carry our load for us.

Completely letting go of burdens and hurts is not always easy and takes dedicated continual prayer and letting the Holy Spirit take control.

Allow God to speak to your heart by devoting yourself to His Word.

God speaks to us through us reading and meditating on His Word.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Illustration 817-When you stand before the Bible, you are to stand before it as a mirror. This mirror will not reflect you. The wicked witch stood before the mirror and looked for the mirror to compliment her. “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” She was in for a shock! A picture of Snow White appeared in the mirror. The wicked witch looked in the mirror but she saw somebody else. The purpose of the Scripture is to show you the Fair One. It is to give you a picture of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Draw near to God, and allow Him to carry you.

James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Psalms 145:18 “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.”

Satan wants you to believe God is punishing you. He wants you to blame God for the valley or trial you are in.

James 1:13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:”

The word “tempted” comes from the Greek word ‘peirazo’ which means to test or to try. It can refer to either a positive or negative testing, depending on the context. In this verse, James is specifically referring to testing or trials, not to the temptation to sin. James emphasizes that God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. The verse is making the point that God is not the source of temptation or sin, but rather it is our own desires that lead us to sin when we are faced with trials or testing.

Remember Satan is the father of destruction and wants nothing more than to destroy your life.

John 10:10 “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

III. Jesus went through darkest of times, so we wouldn’t have to.

Hebrews 2:14-18 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

Jesus came to this earth, so that through His death, made the devil powerless.

Jesus did this to free us from the slavery of sin and death.

He gives help to the descendants of Abraham (us)

He had to be made like His brethren-flesh and blood

To make a propitiation (replacement) for our sins

Verse 18 has really been helpful to me. Jesus Himself has been through things we couldn’t imagine. He was tempted, or tested in all things so that He can come to our aid when we are tested.

IV. Conclusion

We must remember sometimes, before God is going to carry us through a breakthrough, He escorts us through the valley. We must first walk through the darkness to reach the light. Psalms 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.” The phrase, “lamp unto my feet” in Biblical times were used to light the way at night, especially in the narrow and rocky paths of the Judean wilderness. These lamps were usually small and handheld, and provided just enough light to see one step at a time. In this context, a lamp unto my feet is a metaphor for God’s guidance through the darkness and uncertainty of life. Just as a lamp illuminates the path before a traveler in the physical sense, God’s Word sheds light on the way that we should go , providing comfort and direction in times of confusion or doubt.

Of course, getting through the dark seasons of your life would not be possible without the Risen Savior. Without a personal relationship with Him, one day you will face the darkest day imaginable. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” It is God’s will that everyone comes to Him in faith, and receives His Son. You see, Jesus has already been through that dark time, in our place, so we wouldn’t have to.

In closing, I want you to listen to this passage from Isaiah 53, and if it doesn’t speak to your heart, I don’t know what will. Isaiah 53:4-7 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth. Isaiah 53:9-12 “And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities. Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.” If you find yourself wondering what would happen if you died before you left this building, you are in the right place. Jesus went through all this grief and dark days to be your sin offering to God, so that you may have eternal life. As we stand together, don’t wait on the next person to come. You be the first one to come. When you hear the first note of the music, run down here and we will get your eternity in order. We are not promised tomorrow. Don’t wait until tomorrow to do what your should have done today. Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”