The Gift of Pain
Maintaining Balance • Sermon • Submitted
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Share your most painful (physical) experience.
Share your most painful (physical) experience.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
When David acknowledged his sin, how did Nathan respond?
M: God had already forgiven David for his sin.
D: Nathan let David know that God had forgiven David and that David would not die.
I acknowledged my sin unto thee,
And mine iniquity have I not hid.
I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord;
And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
What is confession? To confess our sins is to agree with God, to acknowledge that he is right to declare what we have done as sin, and that we are wrong to desire or do it. It means affirming our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow God more faithfully.
David knew that he had done wrong and he sought God’s forgiveness. Did he receive it? Yes! But there was still a price to pay.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
What pain did David suffer as a consequence of his sin?
M: The child grew sick and died 7 days later
D: The child died!
God used David in a great way after he confessed his sin. He became the most beloved king of Israel. God promised David that one of his descendants would be the Messiah. His son Solomon became the richest king in history. God blessed David’s life because David humbled himself and repented of his sin.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth,
So great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
What did David write about in Psalm 103:10-11?
M: God does not deal out the full punishment our sins deserve. He forgave us COMPLETELY when we accepted His free gift of salvation.
D: God does not deal with us according to our sins; rather, He deals in mercy.
For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
Why does God allow trials in our lives?
M: To teach us not to trust in ourselves but rather trust in God.
D: So we’ll trust Him instead of ourselves
We often depend on our own skills and abilities when life seems easy, but when we feel unable to help ourselves, we turn to God. Depending on God is not defeat or weakness but a realization of our own powerlessness without Him and our need for His constant contact. God is our source of power and we receive His help by keeping in touch with Him. With this attitude, problems drive us to God rather than away from Him. Learn how to rely on God daily.
Do our actions cause our pain? Explain your answer.
M: Sometimes our pain is a result/consequence of our decisions. Sometimes it is beyond our control.
D: Not always. The actions of others or circumstances beyond our control might cause us pain.
List some things that cause us pain.
M:
Illness
Death
Restrictions
Loss of job
Strained relationships
D:
Unresolved conflict in relationships with children, mates, friends
The world situation
Poverty
Health
Job situations
Crime
But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
What does Genesis 39:21 record about this time in Joseph’s life?
M: The Lord was with him and granted him favor and mercy.
D: God was with him and showed him mercy
Joseph did his best with each small task given him. His diligence and positive attitude were soon noticed by the warden who promoted him to prison administrator. Are you in the middle of a seemingly hopeless predicament? Remember how God turned Joseph’s situation around. He will see your efforts and can reverse even overwhelming odds.
And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh’s officers that were with him in the ward of his lord’s house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
How did Joseph react to the pain in his life?
M: Joseph had joy and searched for God’s purpose in the rough times.
D: He cared for the needs of others. He recognized God’s sovereignty in all things.
Things meant for evil:
The brother’s evil deed
Potiphar’s wife’s false accusation
The butler’s neglect
Seven years of famine
Joseph learned through these experiences that God brings good from evil for those who trust Him.
Jot down a time when God used pain in your life to give you spiritual insight.
What practical things can we do during times of pain?
M:
Reach out to help others
Pray
Seek Godly counsel
D:
Pray
Read Scripture
See a Christian counselor
Talk to friends
How can we maintain a proper balance in spite of our pain?
M: Give our troubles to God and ask Him to help us respond instead of react.
D: We can ask God for wisdom in dealing with our pain. If emotional pain is caused by an unforgiving spirit, we must deal with that.
When we experience pain, why do we often choose to withdraw?
M:
We do not want others to see us as weak.
We do not want to share personal information that can be used to hurt us even more.
D: We don’t want to share our pain. Sometimes we feel it is too personal to talk about.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Why does God allow us to have pain? Formulate your answer from Jesus’ response to the disciples in John 9:1-3.
M: Sometimes God allows us to experience pain so that when the healing comes He receives the glory. Pain can be a great witnessing tool.
D: So God can glorify Himself through us.
Ask God to give you strength for the trial and offer you a clearer perspective on what is happening.
My heart is sore pained within me:
And the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee:
He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
How did David respond to his pain?What is the command and the promise in verse 22?
M: Cast your burdens upon the Lord, He will sustain us. We have to let go!!!
D: Cast our burdens on the Lord. He has promised to sustain us. He will not allow us to be moved.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
What promise did Jesus make in Matthew 11:28?
M: He would help us bear our burdens. We only need to give them to Him!
D: When we come to Him with our burdens, He gives rest.
The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.