He Does All Things Well 07/27/14 MVBC

Transcription

1 1 He Does All Things Well 07/27/14 MVBC Mark 7:31-37 Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. On the back of a pulpit were printed these words: "Sir, we would see Jesus!" They were a reminder to the minister that he must never allow anything--no matter how good or interesting--to distract him from focusing on the Savior. Illustration: Peter, James, and John needed this reminder too when they witnessed Jesus' transfiguration and the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Commenting on this account, J. B. Nicholson suggests that when Peter said, "Lord, it is good for us," he was focusing on the wonderful experience. Nicholson then says, "Peter was sidetracked, and the Father had to open heaven and speak to him. He said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear Him.'" God put the focus where it belonged, on Christ. - Sin diverts some believers from focusing on Jesus. - Too much study and feverish activity distracts others. - Such things as doctrines and church attendance, good as they are, must not become our main concerns. - We are to keep Jesus at the center of our spiritual attention.

2 2 Key point: UNLESS CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF INTEREST, YOUR LIFE WILL BE OUT OF FOCUS. A. Why is He going through Samaria? History and tradition were not his concern. People are to be reached where they are. We must leave our comfort zone. We must be prepared. It is best alone. Who knows what Peter might say? B. Why is He talking to her? Woman Samaritan Not an important person? Of no value C. Why is He away from the tragedy? If He were here, this would not happen. John was beheaded. D. Why is he not like John? Dress Baptism Demeanor

3 3 E. Why is He talking in parables? More information Religion for dummies F. Why is He sleeping? Didn t he get a weather report? This could disrupt the plan of God. G. Why is He going to Jerusalem? Dangerous Demonic H. Why is He so hard on the religious? I. Why doesn t He call 10,000 angels? Mark 7:37: And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. We don t always understand His means or His methods. He has purposes to which we are not always privy, but we know He does all things well.

4 4 Illustration: Memo From God Author Unknown To: YOU Date: TODAY From: THE BOSS Subject: YOURSELF Reference: LIFE I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in My time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it. If you find yourself stuck in traffic, don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. Should you have a bad day at work, think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad, think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend, think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance, think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what My purpose is, be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities, remember, things could be worse. You could be them!!!!

5 5 His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, but He does all things well. He works all things together for good. The Bible says, Our times are in His hands. Quote: A.W. Tozer once wrote, To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident. He travels an appointed way. Accidents may indeed appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way, but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evils only because we cannot read the secret script of God s hidden providence and so cannot discover the ends at which He aims.... The man of true faith may live in the absolute assurance that his steps are ordered by the Lord. For him, misfortune is outside the bounds of possibility. He cannot be torn from this earth one hour ahead of the time which God has appointed, and he cannot be detained on earth one moment after God is done with him here. A. It is normal, however, to occasionally ask Why? Though God may not always answer our why questions, He listens to them and responds in the wisest ways. 1. Moses asked: Lord, why have you brought trouble to this people?

6 6 2. Gideon asked: Why then has all this happened to us? 3. Naomi said: I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why? 4. Nehemiah asked: Why is the house of God forsaken? 5. Job said: Why have you set me as your target? Do you feel abandoned by God, as Job did? Tell Him how you feel. Then ask Him to help you believe the truth about His love for you. Key point: WHEN YOU ARE SWEPT OFF YOUR FEET, LAND ON YOUR KNEES. 6. David said: Lord, why do you cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? 7. Jeremiah asked: Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable? Mark 7:37: And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. Illustration: Sir Alexander Mackenzie ( ) is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he led a daring expedition across Canada to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Americans Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the West. Mackenzie was determined to succeed, for an earlier attempt in 1789 had ended in failure. His crew of 12 explorers in three canoes had set out from Lake Athabasca in an effort to find a water route to the

7 7 Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn't empty into the Pacific but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the "River of Disappointment." Many people are following religions that lead to ultimate disappointment. Because these beliefs do not point to Christ, they are false and will not lead to heaven. Only Jesus can take us to the waters of eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). David C. Egner But the greatest Why in the Bible was uttered by the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross when He said, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? And there is something about that Why that swallows up all the others. Because Jesus gave Himself on the Cross, we can trust Him to have answers to all our other whys. Quote: Vance Havner once said, You need never ask Why? because Calvary covers it all. When before the throne we stand in Him complete, all the riddles that puzzle us here will fall into place and we shall know in fulfillment what we now believe in faith that all things work together for good in His eternal purpose. No longer will we cry My God, why? Instead, alas will become Alleluia, all question

8 8 marks will be straightened into exclamation points, sorrow will change to singing, and pain will be lost in praise. One thing we do know: The death of a Christian doesn t seem as tragic to God as it does to us. To us it is separation and sorrow. To God it is: 1. A promotion. 2. A release from the burdens of earth. 3. Early furlough from the battle zone. 4. Relocation to a better climate. 5. Instant transport to the celestial city. 6. To depart and be with Christ, which is far better Cor. 5:8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Humor: Mrs. Ima Terror chased her husband through the crowds at the zoo, waving her umbrella and unleashing insults like invisible missiles. Her perspiring and winded husband, seeing that the lock on the lion's cage had not quite closed, yanked it open, jumped into the cage, slammed the door, pushed the astonished lion hard against the bars, and peered over its shoulder. His frustrated wife shook her umbrella, stuttered in anger, and finally managed to explode, "Ralph, come out of there, you coward!"

9 9 The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. Oswald Chambers Faith can break the stranglehold of fear. (The Philippine Star) Updated July 29, :00am We will remember the name of the Lord our God. --Psalm 20:7 I was relieved to find out that I'm not the only one who forgets things. Everyone does at one time or another, according to Karen Bolla, a Johns Hopkins researcher. These are the things people most often forget: telephone numbers 57% And if you can't remember whether you've just done something, you join 38 percent of the population. Our Daily Bread, December 27, 1996 Followers of Jesus Christ also have a problem with forgetfulness. In high-pressure situations, or when we're just going through a daily routine, we forget God. We seem to forget that we are His children. We fail to recall what He has promised to do for us. We don't remember His awesome power and His love. So we try to overcome temptation in our own strength, or to solve a difficult problem by using the wisdom of the world. David said it this way: "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses," which is another way of saying that people rely on their own resources

10 10 (Ps. 20:7). But then David added, "We will remember the name of the Lord our God." Trust Him when dark doubts assail you, Trust Him when your strength is small; Trust Him when to simply trust Him Seems the hardest thing of all. Bennett Scripture: Mark 7:37: And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, He has done all things well. How is He doing in your life? Is He the problem or the solution? Is it time to let Him drive?