La 3:21-24 Watch Me Bounce

Intro

Deflated, just right, over flatted basketball

Both unbelievers and believers suffer pain ind distress durning catastrophic circumstances

Difference in purpose of suffering

Unbelievers: Repent, turn to the Lord for salvation and deliverance

Disaster hit because of God judgement to prevent more wickedness

Believers: 1. God use hardship and pain that we turn more and more to Him in righteousness and prayer

2. Become more conformed to the image of Jesus Christ

3. We demonstrate peace and security amidst the hurt and pain

4. That we encourage unbelievers to turn to God

Jeremiah Affliction 1-20

Vs 2 Alienation from God - stumbling in the dark

Vs 3 Constant Pain: Suffering adversity an all day long

Vs 4 An aged appearance: Being physically weary & Broken in sprit

vs 5 Extreme anguish & hardship

vs 6 A sense of worthlessness & purposelessness: living in darkness like the dead

Vs 7 Feeling enslaves, as if in bondage: Walled in or weighed down with chains

Vs 8 Being shut off from God, prays unanswered

Vs 9 A sense of being trapped - walking in a maze, along a crooked path

Vs 10-11 A mangled, torn up life: Felling crushed by a bear or lion & dragged off the path of life

path

Vs 12-13 A pierced wounded heart: As though struck by an arrow

Vs 14 Ridicule & scorn by the wicked unbelievers

Vs 15 Bitter misery (herbs) & deep sorrow (wormwood, a cup of gall)

vs 16 Brutal treatment & humiliation

Vs 17 Inner turmoil & constant need

vs 18 Hopelessness: All strength, zeal, & hope lost

vs 19-20 A downcast helpless sprit: Disturbing, sorrowful memories, depression & despair

The real cause: God’s rod of justice, not the invading of the Babylon army ( )

But can encourage you:

Hebrews 12:11 KJV 1900

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

He 12

Job 23:10 KJV 1900

But he knoweth the way that I take: When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Jeremiah Hope in the Face of Affliction 21-24

There is hope for God’s salvation and deliverance in the face of affliction

We do not overcome painful afflictions through positive thinking or by minimizing or denying suffering

We overcome painful afflictions by tuning to the Lord and seeking His salvation and power to deliver.

Jeremiah gives up 6 ways to respond to the painful afflictions of life

I just want to talk about the first one

a. The source of God’s Salvation

1. God’s love & compassion

They never fail

They are new each day

John 3:16 KJV 1900

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

2. God’s faithfulness

3. God’s Presence: The Lord himself is the believer’s portion or inheritance

Isaiah 43:2 KJV 1900

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Is

Hebrews 13:5 KJV 1900

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

He 13

Closing

I have a message for my adviersary :

Watch me bounce.......

You may may talk about me be hind my back - watch me bounce

Sickness may come my way

Money may get funny sometimes

Children not living right, staying out all night long, doing wrong

Sometimes burdens of this old world, weigh me down

Sometimes my circumstances my cause me to cry sometimes

Weeping may endure for a night but joy coming in the morning

Can i tell you why, you should watch me bounce

I got new mercy on Monday....... On Tuesday....

I got new mercy on Wed ...... On Thurs

on Friday, they took my mercy, marched him up a hill called calvary