What Would Jesus Do?
God uses problems and circumstances to develop
character. We were created to become
like Christ; nothing else! The Bible
doesn’t say a happy ending on earth is the result of God causing everything to
work together for good.
A lot of us experience an intimate experience of worship in
our darkest days when the pain is great and the heart is broken.
Romans 8:28-29 tell us that “all things work together” and
that God wants us “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” “Be Christ like,” this is what God wants us
to do. Vs 37: We are more than
conquerors through Him that loves us. Vs
38-39 teach us that “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is
in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
People, we live in a fallen world and we wonder why we are
troubled, sick, in bad situations, have conflict in our lives, and problem
after problem. I tell you, it is because
we are living in the flesh – we are not loving one
another – how can we when we are not walking in the likeness of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ? In heaven,
everything is perfect the way God intends.
I mentioned early in this sermon that there are many unhappy endings on
Earth. See people, it is not our way –
it is His way – the way God intended.
This is why we are told to pray, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in
Heaven.” To fully understand Romans
People I tell you the truth, our hope in difficult times is
not based on positive or wishful thinking or anything we do. Our hope is a certainty, based on the truths
that God is in complete control of the universe and that he loves us.
We can limit a lot of problems, troubles, pain, and
situations that we bare in everyday life simply by believing, trusting, and
leaning on Jesus. I tell you, we serve a
mighty God and if we want to rise above situations and hard, painful times, ask
our Lord for help. Die to self. Surrender all.
Serve God and become Christ like and He will bring you out of your
struggle and your pain and do much more.
Brothers and sisters and all children of God, let me tell
you – there’s a grand designer behind everything – life did not form out of
chance, fate, or luck. There is a master
plan! History is His story: God pulls
the strings and He can not make a mistake; He is God!
Now, everything God planned for your life involves all that
happens to you, including our mistakes: our sins, hurts, illness, debts, disasters,
divorce, and death of loved ones. But God can bring good out of the worst evil:
when we love together, do together, work together, one
in accord and in the same mind. He did at Cavalry. If only we give God all our
distasteful, unpleasant experiences – He will blend them together for good.
Now if you bake a cake, you use flour, salt, raw eggs,
sugar, and butter; however, these ingredients, when eaten individually, are
distasteful and bitter. But bake them together and it is delicious! God specializes in bring good out of evil and
bad. In the official family tree of Christ, four women are listed: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.
Tamar seduced her father-in-law to get pregnant. Rahab was a
prostitute. Ruth was not Jewish and
broke the law by marrying a Jewish man.
Bathsheba committed adultery with David, which resulted in her husband’s
murder. Now what does this tell
you? We all fall short of the
glory. But God brought good out of bad
and Jesus came through their lineage (bloodline). God’s purpose is greater than our problems,
pain and even our sin. If anybody is
living in opposition to God and insists on having their own way, all things
will work for bad for them.
Becoming like His Son is God’s purpose for us: everything
God allows to happen in your life is permitted for that purpose. What happens outwardly in your life is not as
important as what happens inside you.
Your circumstances are temporary, but your character will last forever.
Since God intends to make you like Jesus, he will take you through the same
experiences Jesus went through: loneliness, temptation, stress, criticism,
rejection, and many other problems. The
Bible says that Jesus learned obedience through suffering; why would God exempt
us from what he allowed his own Son to experience? Paul said that we go through exactly what
Christ goes through. If we go through
the hard times with Him, then we are certainly going to go through the good
times with Him. Therefore, respond to
problems as Jesus would: become better rather than bitter. We have to remember that God’s plan is good;
He has our best interests at heart. God told Jeremiah, “The plan I have for you
are plans to prosper you and not harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.”
(paraphrase)
Joseph understood this truth when he told his brother who
had sold him into slavery, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for
good.” Hezekiah echoed the same
sentiment about his life threatening illness:
“It was for my own good that I had such hard times.” Whenever God says no to your request for
relief, remember, “God is doing what is best for us: training us to live God’s
holy best. Keep your eyes on Jesus –
your pain is temporary but your reward will be eternal. Moses endured a life of problem “because he was
looking ahead to his reward.” Paul
endured hardship the same way. He said
that our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurable glory
that will last forever. And if we are to share His glory, we must also share
His suffering; so, what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will
give us later.
The Bible tells us to “give thanks” in all circumstances;
this God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Notice that God tells us to give thanks “in all circumstances” not “for
all circumstances.” God doesn’t expect
you to be thankful for evil, sin, suffering or for
their painful consequences in this world.
Instead, God wants you to thank him that his will use your problems to
fulfill his purpose. The Bible says,
“Rejoice in the Lord always.” No matter what happening in your life, you can
rejoice God’s love, care, wisdom, power, and faithfulness. Jesus said, “Be full of joy at that time,
because you have a great reward waiting for you in Heaven.” You see, God goes
through the pain with us. We do not serve Him distant and detached. He is not
on the sideline; instead, He enters into our suffering. Jesus did it in the
incarnation and His Spirit does it now. God will never leave us on our own.
Brother and sister, Never Give Up.
Be patient and persistent. Pray less
“help me feel good” prayers, less “comfort me” prayers; instead, pray more
“conform me” prayers. In other words,
become more like Jesus and when you are facing trouble, don’t ask, “Why me?” Instead, ask Lord what He wants you to learn.
Then trust God. Keep doing what is right: stay with God’s plan so you will be
there for the promised completion.
Brother and sister, you were created to become like Christ. God could
have kept Joseph out of jail, kept Daniel out of the lion’s den, kept Jeremiah
from being tossed into a slimy pit, kept Paul from being shipwrecked three
times, kept those three Hebrew young men from being thrown into the blazing
furnace, and kept you and me from illness, prison, divorce, injuries, and much
more; but He didn’t. He let those problems happen and every one of those people
was drawn closer to God as a result. Depend on God, for the Lord loves us and
keeps His promises.
Amen:
By Marion Dobbs