Far Beyond our Ability

Far Beyond Our Ability 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV84) 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 2 Corinthians 1:8–11 (NIV84) 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. John 11:1–21 (NIV84) 1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.” 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Friends, this morning I would like to confront a lie many of us believe. A lie that I’m sure I have shared with many during my years of 30+ years in ministry. I know that what I’m talking about today might cause many people to be uncomfortable. But it is something we need to address. I’m talking about how we deal with our own tough times and how we console others in their tough times. The lie is that God will never give us more than what we can handle. What is the most difficult thing you have ever experienced in your life? The death of a family member? A relationship breakdown? Being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness? Being accused of something horrible? Being so depressed that you don’t even want to get up? Has this experience ever caused you to feel that you’ve reached the end of your ability to cope, that what you’re going through is more than what you ever could cope with? How did it make you feel? Did it leave you filled with a sense of physical illness, of confusion and pain? Have you experienced that emotional roller-coaster of not knowing how you’re going to get through this? And then you prayed to God in faith and despite your persistent prayers for healing, help, support, or the ability to understand, God didn’t intervene by answering your prayer. You've feverishly sought His direction for major decision, and He just did not answer. Needless to say, most people who are going through this get to a point where they feel they just had enough. I’ve been there in my life. I know I am not alone. And I know some people who have dealt with far, far more, so much more in life for far longer than I ever has had to. Friends, at best of times life can be achingly difficult. And so often when we are at that space in time, we feel desperately afraid and devastatingly alone. So often well intended people will tell us that we should just hang in there, that whatever bad we are experiencing is just temporary, that our “bad luck” circumstances will change. And often we as Christians tell one another that we should keep the hope because God won’t give us a burden that is more than we can handle. Tell that to a survivor of the Gulag or Black Sunday, the Boston Marathon, London, Lisbon or Paris bombings. Tell this to the man who lost his wife or child in an accident caused by an irresponsible drunk driver. Tell it to the young woman whose innocence was robbed from her by calloused men. Tell it to any person crushed under the gigantic weight of debilitating depression or anxiety. Tell it to the children who just learned that a parent has a terminal illness and might live another few months. At times when our circumstances are leaving us emotionally raw, weak views will not stand. Often at times such as these there are often countless questions running through our minds. And so often these questions are addressed to God: • Why God? • Why don’t You step in? • Why don’t You act? • Why wouldn’t You make it right? • Why couldn’t You part the clouds and provide a moment for us to catch our breath? • Why everything at once? • Why now? • Are You listening? • Does You care? • Why won't You help me? And when we ask these questions good, well-meaning children of God reprimand us because we should keep the faith, because God will not give us a burden that is heavier than what we can carry. But is it true? Friends, the Bible refer to many people who experienced situations like this. For instance, Joseph, when his brothers sold him. David when Saul wanted to kill him or when Absalom attempted a regime change by overthrowing David’s reign. What about king Hezekiah who became ill to the point of death. I’m sure that he must’ve hit the lowest of lows when the prophet Amoz visited him to convey the message that he had to get his house in order because he was going to die and will not recover. I’m sure all of them felt that what God has placed on their paths were too much to handle. Now that I have said how I feel, let me back up this argument with some actual Biblical evidence. This particular statement, that “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” isn’t even in the Bible. There is a statement that sounds like it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” But notice that 1 Corinthians 10 is outlines the history of humanity as idolatry. He talks about the things that become more fundamental for our happiness, meaning and identity to us than God. This is why this verse talks about temptation. That’s it. Paul reminds us that God doesn’t let his children be tempted beyond what they can bear… and that He would also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Temptations come into every believer’s life—no one is exempt. Temptation is not sinful; the sin comes when the person gives in to temptation. We should not be shocked or discouraged, or think that we are alone in our shortcomings. Instead, we should realize our weaknesses and turn to God to resist the temptation. This is what this text is about. It is not saying that you will never experience more than we can bear. That idea just isn’t Biblical. I think this is exactly what Paul tried to explain in 2 Corinthians 1:8–11 (NIV84) 8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. There you have it in verses 8-9: We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. Two qualifying phrases add to the severity of this description. The first is the word ‘great’, and it means: ‘that which exceeds’ or ‘surpasses’ description. The second is ‘far beyond our ability to endure’ which is literally ‘beyond (our) power’. So the whole phrase could be paraphrased as: ‘We were indescribably, beyond the limits of our power, brought down into the depths.’ Friends, Paul knew a great deal about trouble. Paul never explained the details about what happened to him in Asia, only that it involved fearing for his life. But we know some things about his life: (1) We know that he was plagued by a serious illness, perhaps loosely connected to his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:1–10). (2) Paul was imprisoned in Ephesus, an event to which Paul might have been alluding when he wrote of fighting “wild beasts in Ephesus” (1 Corinthians 15:23–31). (3) Paul had feared for his life during the riot instigated by the Ephesian silversmiths (Acts 19:31). We know for sure that Paul despaired even of life. He was burdened beyond measure, just like a ship weighted down to the point of sinking. Paul’s despair was real. He was dealing with a profound depression. Friends, this is lie: For some reason we think that being a follower of Christ should exempt us from pressure, stress, hardship, suffering and depression. Many believers believe Christians should never be depressed. But here Paul – a champion of the early church – was dealing with that very problem. In his case, pressure came with the territory of discipleship and apostleship. He candidly wrote that the pressure was so great that at times, he despaired of life itself (2 Corinthians 1:8). He wondered if he would even escape the vice-grip of opposition – that of the Church that struggled to accept one who once persecuted them; that of the Jews who felt they he deserted them and that of the Gentiles who though that his message was just too far-fetched. However, Paul doesn’t leave us in the grip of this vice. No, he shares with us the insight he gained through his life long journey of struggle and hardship. And this is his conclusion: “… this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” Friends, I believe this is the perspective we often miss. Far too we want to rely on ourselves. Far too often God only plays a last resort role. I think that this insight caused Paul to share the following with his friends in Philippi. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) I believe this is why Paul could write that when he is weak that the strength of Christ is seen. In other words, when we can’t do it any longer. When we are fed up. When it has become too much. When we have nothing left. When we are empty. When it is beyond our capability to deal with it. Then, in that moment, the strength of the God of resurrection will be seen. Until we get to that point, we rely on ourselves thinking we can handle it and take care of the problem. Up to that moment we plead with God to take the thorn in our flesh away from us. But when we grasp what it means that God’s grace is sufficient for us, we will come to the point where we stop relying on ourselves. Paul came to that conclusion and he witnessed: “I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power my rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Friends, what do you know about relying on the God who raises the dead? This brings me to our final Bible passage for today. The story of Martha, Mary and Lazarus for it reveals to us God’s mighty resurrection power. The apostle John tells us that Mary and Martha also knew this heartache, confusion, and disappointment of having their hopes dashed when their brother Lazarus became sick, and died. According to John 11:5–6 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. In verse 3 we are told that the sisters sent word to Jesus. But according to verse 6 when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where He was two more days. And when He finally arrived at their home in Bethany Lazarus was dead for 4 days already. Mary and Martha expected that Jesus would drop everything to come and heal Lazarus. Can you imagine their anxiety and perplexity as they waited and watched Lazarus's condition worsen-until he died? Where was Jesus? Why hadn't He come? Then while they were still mourning the sisters were told that Jesus was near the village. I’m sure Martha’s emotions collided. Just hearing that Jesus was near resuscitated hope in her soul — the same hope she had felt the day she sent word for Him to come. But it was quickly smothered with grief and disappointment. Like I said, Lazarus had died four days earlier. She had prayed desperately that Jesus would come in time. God had not answered her prayers. What could Jesus do now? Yet, John tells us that 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:20–21 (NIV84) … if anyone could do something, Jesus could. He had the words of eternal life (John 6:68). Martha hurried out. When she saw Jesus, she could not restrain her grief and love. She collapsed at His feet and sobbed, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” And Jesus said: “Your brother will rise again!” Jesus had come to Bethany to destroy the devil’s works (1 John 3:8) in Lazarus. He had come to give death a taste of its coming final defeat that Paul later testified about in 1 Corinthians 15:26. Yes, He had come to show that now was the time when the dead would hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who heard would live (John 5:25). Martha did not know all this. Neither did she know that what was about to happen would hasten Jesus’ own death—a death that would purchase her resurrection and both of Lazarus’s. She didn’t know how this weighed on Him, how great was His distress until it was accomplished (Luke 12:50). But childlike she believed “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” His living words revived her hope. “Your brother will rise again!” Could He mean it…? Surely not? She dared not let herself hope in that way. Not after four days. So, she said: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Yes. Lazarus would rise again on the last day. But this was not what Jesus had in mind. Martha had no idea how deeply Jesus longed for that day. John let us know, however, that Jesus meant more than that. He replied, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” I don’t think Martha was sure what this all meant, but as He spoke it was as if death itself was being swallowed up in victory just like Paul explained later in 1 Corinthians 15:54. Just like the temple guards way back during the feast of the tabernacles Martha realised that no one ever spoke the way this man does (John 7:46) so she answered, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” And Jesus said: “Lazarus come out!” Friends, we know how the rest of this story: Lazarus—rotting and wrapped in burial linen—came out of the tomb. Marth believed. Mary believed. Many believe, and God was indeed glorified. But in the horrible days of Lazarus’s agonizing illness and in the dark misery of the days following his death, Martha did not know what God was doing. He seemed silent and unresponsive. Jesus didn’t come. It’s likely that she knew that their request had reached Him. She was confused, disappointed, and overwhelmed with grief. She was carrying a burden to heavy for her to carry alone. But she understood Jesus’ message when He said: 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV84) Friends, this relate to us as well: Before we know what Jesus is doing, our circumstances too can look all wrong. And so often we too are tempted to interpret God’s apparent inaction from our perspective as unloving, when in fact God is loving us in the most profound way He possibly can. This is why I would like you to remember Paul and Martha in your anguish, I’m challenging you to hear Jesus voice in the deafening silence around you, asking you with strong affection: “Do you believe this?” And those who say yes, will indeed experience the miracle that their heavy burden that is far beyond their ability to bear indeed becomes easy and light, because the One who is gentle and humble in heart is carrying it for them. What we are not told is when or how Lazarus died again. But we know he surely did. There’s no account of him being taken up to heaven like Enoch or Elijah, so we must assume he died later on. We’re also not told the fate of the others Jesus healed. Did they ever get sick again? They surely died too. Jesus preached that the kingdom of God is near. He showed us what that kingdom is like: the dead are resurrected, the sick is healed, demons are powerless, creation is restored, and God is worshiped. In his resurrection, Lazarus bore witness to God’s kingdom and power. Was God any less present or powerful when Lazarus died the second time? We see glimpses of the coming kingdom, but it is not fully here yet. Death has not yet died; sin and brokenness still abound. Sometimes miracles—signs of the coming glory—break into our world and show us that the kingdom of God has come to us in Jesus. But when suffering remains, we wait for complete restoration upon Jesus’ return. Jesus’ response to Lazarus’ mourners is one of hope. They desire resurrection and life for their brother. Jesus draws them to Himself, saying, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die”. Jesus, the Suffering Servant, is the God who suffers alongside His people. This is still His answer to us too. Now, I know for many trusting Jesus is hard. It means we have to let go of our hang-ups of the past, our hurts, our doubts, our brittle faith. It requires from us to follow the unseen into an unknown. It challenges us to believe Jesus’s words over and against the threats we see or the fears we feel. Yes friends, to walk by faith, is to trust God’s promises more than our perceptions, more than what our circumstances cause us to feel, and to find a way to rest in the faithfulness of God even when we are challenged far beyond our ability to endure. We understand that God’s glory becomes visible through us… when we place our burdens that’s too heavy to bear on Jesus’ shoulders…For we know “… this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” Don’t hear me saying that this journey is easy. I am not, for it’s not. I’m not challenging you to dance around and shout: “Yeah suffering! Bring it on!” I’m also not leaving you to mope and wallow in your misery. Far from it! Instead, in the midst of your pain and hurt, I am challenging you to actively expecting God to do something. I don’t know what you should expect. I don’t know when you should expect it. But I’m challenging you to like Paul and Martha expect that the God of resurrection will work His miracles in you too. Why? Because I am expecting God to bring restoration to us as well. I am expecting God to redeem our situations like theirs. I am expecting God to do this so that we can boast in our weakness and so that He can be glorified. And so, I will be actively looking and waiting for Him to do something. I know that we need to deal with the chip on our shoulders, the thought that we deserve better and that God should provide if or force people to provide it. I’m challenging you to accept it too and to learn to wait on God to do what He needs to do so the we can become witnesses to His resurrection power too. I believe expectant waiting can only happen when we exchange our leaning on lies and allegiance to pathetic clichés for an authentic faith that engages God with the full brunt of our emotion and pain because we know that one day, we will see how God has used our pain and losses, our fear and anxiety, our illnesses and even death to accomplish far more than we could ask or imagine... Only then will His salvation be seen and experienced for what it truly is. Friends, this exchange of the lie for the truth takes courage…but we are called to make it…Are you willing to accept this challenge? When you do Paul’s words to the Ephesians will ring true for you as well: 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20–21 (NIV84)