The Divine Crash

Today’s sermon is about the Myth that God will not give us more than we can handle.  To often Christians believe this myth and then we get angry at God for thinking we can handle the unthinkable.  You can read the notes and listen to the sermon below.  Or click here to go to the iTunes podcast page so that you can take my voice with you.

A few years ago I had the privilege of meeting some of my closest friends for the first time.  At that point, the husband and wife were unable to have children.  After nearly giving up the family found themselves suddenly pregnant.  About a 18months later they found themselves pregnant again.  In another 18months they were pregnant with the third child.  On February 22nd my friends lost their baby.  Listen to the audio for the full sermon.

- There is a myth within Christianity that says God will not give us more than we can bear.  I hate this myth because I refuse to believe in a God that thinks we can bear the loss of our own child.

- However, I think there is a time when there are things we simply cannot carry anymore, we cannot bear it, we cannot endure it, the pain is just too much.

Scripture: Luke 1:26-36

Prayer: This time of year we are supposed to put on a happy face and grin and bear it, but God, sometimes the pain and grief are just too much.  Help us, either take this load or give us strength to carry it just a little bit longer.

First, this idea that God will not give us more than we can bear comes from a misunderstanding of 1 Corinthians 10:13

- “No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. God is faithful. He won’t allow you to be tempted beyond our abilities.  Instead, with the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it.”

This first does not say you won’t be tempted.  In fact it seems to imply that you will be tempted and when you are it will be with those things that you already know about.

- drugs

- alcohol

- porn

- those things we keep secret from everyone we know.

Second this is about being tempted for things that are displeasing to God.  It is not about those things in our life that weigh us down.  Those heavy burdens we all carry and want desperately to get rid of but no matter what we do we can’t shake them.

We know heavy burdens.

- addictions

- work issues

- sickness

- death of a loved one

- depression

- All those things that keep us from living life the way we want to.

These things aren’t about temptation.  They are about heavy burdens that we are all forced to carry.

Look at Mary, she was given more than she could bear.

- Pregnant Teenager

- Engaged

- When the families agreed that a son would marry a daughter the son would go back to his fathers house and put an addition on to the house for him and his new bride.  No one knew how long this would take because when the father thought the addition was big enough he would tell his son to go collect his bride.

- John picks up on this idea in John 14:2 when Jesus tells his disciples that they have many rooms in his fathers place.

- This means being pregnant she could have been killed for being unfaithful: The excuse “God did this to me” doesn’t cut it.

- Had to leave home

How is she supposed to bear this?  This is unbearable and God gave it to her.

- If this is what it means to have favor from God, I don’t want favor?

Mary now has a burden growing inside of her and the consequences are disastrous for her.

- She is now alone, scared, and not sure what to do.

- There were no teen pregnancy hotlines back then.

- She accepted this burden and its consequences because she had some trust somewhere deep inside her that was willing to trust God.

Sometimes in life we end up with these types of heavy burdens that we have to carry.

- Work

- Cancer and illness

- Death of a loved one

- Retirement

- Severe injury

- a move

When those things happen, because they will happen, we can be like Mary

In verse 38 Mary remembers that she is a follower of God.

- She is comforted by the fact that God loves her no matter she goes through.

In Verse 39 and 40 Mary surrounds herself with people who understand.

- This is key, if we draw close to God we can be comforted but to begin healing and growing we need to be around those who know exactly what we are feeling.

- For Mary this was the previously barren woman named Elizabeth.

- For my friend Amanda it meant finding those in her church who knew what it was like to suffer loss.

- For you, it needs to be where ever there are people who are hurting just like you.

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

- Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up their companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.  Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.  And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

So then, when we bear these things we can’t bear, we are not meant to bear them alone.  When we bear them with another person we find that suddenly what was once just two has become a three fold cord because God is in the middle of it.

That is the joy of Christmas, Mary couldn’t handle it alone, she joined with Elizabeth and then what she ended up with was something Holy because God was with her through the whole thing.

Sermon Audio

 

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