The Pain in The Purpose

November 14th, 1970. A charter plane carrying Thirty-seven Marshall football players , along with the team’s coach, its doctors, the university athletic director and 25 team boosters crashed into a hillside just 2 miles from their landing destination. The town immediately went into mourning. Shops and government offices closed; businesses on the town’s main street draped their windows in black cloth. The city was hurting and lost.

The following season Marshall got a new football coach–Jack Lengyel–and set about not only rebuilding the team but also in the healing of the town. The NCAA gave the Thundering Herd special permission to let freshmen play on the varsity squad, and Lengyel cobbled together a ragtag group of first-years, walk-ons and the nine veteran players who hadn’t been on the plane that night. As summer practices began, the program began to see the issues in the team. But, they pushed forward. They lost their first game and faced doubt from the players. But they pushed forward. The community began to ridicule the coach for how he was running his team. But they pushed forward. They went on to win only 9 games in the next 4 years. Although they weren’t always the best team, they “saved” the lives for many who were lost and broken.

We could look at ourselves as the Marshall football team.

There is Pain all around us.

Our community is hurting from the tragedy called “sin.”

We may face situations in our personal lives that may cause us to want to drift away or give up on the purpose that God has given us. But we must keep pushing.

We may face ridicule from classmates, coworkers, and even family members that what we are doing is a waste of our time and money. But we must keep pushing.

Since the beginning of time, christian’s have been defamed.

Noah the Ark Builder faced judgement from his community when he listened to God’s voice and his purpose.

Job’s friends and family left him as he continued to live for God even though devastation was brought upon his life.

Although they looked crazy for following God, those men are the reason we are here today.

They endured physical and mental pain, yet they didn’t quit on their purpose of living for God.

Many people in society are choosing not to go to church or practice religion because they are “too tired” or don’t feel like getting out of bed that early or don’t want to be judged.

They don’t want to face the pain in order to follow the purpose.

Our purpose was given to us in scriptures:

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Mark 16:15 KJV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised,”

Luke 4:18 KJV

Jesus proclaimed to his people that these words of the prophet Esaisis are to fill our ears and we are to listen to the prophecy given unto us.

It has been commanded to us as Apostolics to preach the gospel and give hope to the lives of those that don’t know which way to go.

So it’s time for us as a church to endure the pain to follow the purpose God has for us.

It’s time for us to reach out coworkers. It’s time for us to reach our schools. It’s time for us to give bible studies. It’s time for us to start praying and fasting. It’s time for us to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives!

Living for God has never been or will ever be easy.

It will always be a rocky road filled with trials and tribulations.

And you will never be alone in your battles and in your pain.

But we must keep pushing forward.

Not “if” we do but “when” we do, these four walls will not be able to contain the revival we will see.

As i finish I will leave you this scripture.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Whenever youre enduring the pain for his purpose, he will be there for you in evry situation.