Lies that Christians Believe

Christ won’t give you more than you can handle.

INTRO:

Come up with the worst story your group can imagine. The worst story wins a prize!

Use your imagination,

Needs to be a fake story.

The crazier the better.

I want to hear the worst, over-the-top story you can think of.

Go!

Transition:

Was there any redemption to any of your stories that you came up with? Anything redeeming or positive or life-giving?

NO! I mean i basically told you not to do that by coming up with the worst story possible!

What about your story though?

Sometimes our lives probably feel like the worst ever…

We struggle to see the redemption in the moment.

So we dwell on what is bad and we think about all that is wrong.

And then we may find ourselves in that place asking…

Why is God allowing so much bad stuff in my life right now?

The way you answer that question is crucial.

Because here is the lie some of you have been told this evening.

THE LIE:

GOD WON’T GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE

Is that true?

NO!

WHY IS THAT STATEMENT A LIE? WHAT ISN’T TRUE ABOUT IT? WHAT IS THE FALLACY?

We are going to examine that tonight.

Read 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

1 Corinthians 10:12–13 (ESV)

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Split back into your groups for 5 minutes.

Let’s look at a few questions:

What is this verse saying?

What is this verse specifically talking about in the life of a human being? Does that have to do with good or bad circumstances?

What does this verse teach us about God?

In this verse, God promises he won’t let you be tempted without providing a way of escape.

That’s not all he promises, but that’s certainly one of the main promises.

Why?

Temptation is scary. When we sin and succumb to temptation, we fall.

We may think in that place we are far from God, but nothing could be further from the truth.

When we try to find our security, redemption, and forgiveness from any other source in life that is not God, it is there that we are far from God.

1 Corinthians 10 as a whole is talking about idolatry.

How Israel so often saw the work of God, yet they turned from him to idols.

When Paul wrote in vs. 12, “Therefore...” that’s what the therefore is there for.

To refer back to the danger of idolatry.

Idolatry is the root of most (if not all) sins.

Idolatry is believing there is someone else or something else that can satisfy the desires of our hearts better than God can.

But it is in that place of seeking satisfaction away from God, that we most often fall and sin.

So here’s the point.

If 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 is talking about idolatry and temptation, does that have anything to do with God generally allowing things in our lives that are too hard to handle?

NO!

So here’s my main point tonight…

Main Point:

What if…

God gives us more than we can handle so that we will seek Him.

Subtext: What people mean (God won’t give more than I can handle)I’m in control… I know my limits and God won’t give me more than my kingdom can sustain.

Are we seeking Christ when life is difficult?

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ILLUSTRATION:

My brother has a co-worker that he often runs with.

He’s divorced and has one daughter.

His daughter lives with her mom about 75% of the time and her dad the other 25% of the time.

Last week Josh and his co-worker were out for a run and came to an intersection and noticed there had been a bad accident.

It looked like the ambulance had already come and people were working to clean up.

A car was badly damaged upside down in a ditch.

Josh and his co-worker continued to run and when they got back to their cars, his friend checked his phone.

He had a voicemail from a police officer who had told him to give him a call.

Sadly, it turned out that his ex-wife was actually the one in that vehicle and she had passed away at the scene.

This man lost the mother of his daughter, his ex-wife, and now assumed full custody of his daughter all in the span of a 2 minute phone call.

Could you handle the weight of that moment? Could I?

My brother went to the visitation yesterday for his broken friend…

We all know death is coming for all of us. Right?

But when it hits close to home, it’s always more than you can handle on your own. Always.

So What is God teaching us in those moments?

What if these moments in our life are to remind us not only does God give us more than we can handle, but he does so so that we will seek Him!

Are we seeking Christ when life is good and when life is difficult?

2. Are we seeking Christ in temptations?

When the inappropriate reel pops up on your social media feed… will you watch it?

When gossip starts up at school, will you contribute?

When your buddy starts cursing as a part of his normal speech, will you change the way you talk too?

There are moments every day that are heavy!

1 Corinthians 10 reminds us that God won’t let you be tempted beyond your ability.

So how do I stand against these temptations I will face?

Trust Christ

Pray to Him

Look for your escape route.

Never be afraid to leave the situation.

Psalm 46:1 says

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

There are so many things fighting for you.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Consider how precious a soul must be, when both God and the devil are after it.”

The devil wants your soul and he will confuse you as much as possible and cause chaos to get it.

Jesus wants your soul and he died for it.

He gave us His word to clearly show us his love for us.

What if God will allow more than we can handle in our lives at times simple so we can be reminded how much we need Him?

Also, What if God allows us more than we can handle so that we can learn more about Him?

Think about it, What have you experienced that Jesus hasn’t?

Jesus experienced:

Poverty

Exhaustion

betrayal

suffering

temptation

grief

The one thing you and I haven’t felt that Jesus has is this…

Abandoned by God himself (Matthew 27:46)

Are we seeking God?

Don’t let temptation overcome you, but take the escape route and trust Him!

APPLICATION:

You see the truth is, God may give you more than you can handle in this life.

But God won’t give you more than HE can handle through you.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 (ESV)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

You see, I think the message from God is actually the opposite of God won’t give you more than you can handle.

The truth is, God loves using our weaknesses to reveal himself to others.

God loves to take our brokenness and use the parts of us that we don’t think are useable.

It comes down to one central truth today we’ve danced around but haven’t highlighted.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul wrote, “God is faithful...”

God is faithful.

He does what He says he will do.

We have a choice daily to look at our situations in life and let that determine our view of God.

Or we can look to Christ and let His words flow over us in all situations in life.

In the first scenario, when bad situations show up, I may think God is bad!

Or I’ve done something wrong against Him!

Don’t buy that lie!

In the second, if I’m looking to Christ, I know he is faithful in all situations.

Life might be more than I can handle right now, but God can handle it.

He is faithful.

Is my identity in Christ and His accomplishments

or in myself and my accomplishments?

Lastly, Jesus said in John 16:33

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus actually promises trouble in this life.

But, in Him, we can have peace in the trouble?

How?

Because God is faithful… He has given us all we need in His word.

Are you setting your eyes on His word?

Let’s remember this week, God is faithful.

Let’s be satisfied in Him.