HE'S BEEN THERE

Preached by Gregory W. Lee
31 July 2005

I. Introduction
-- turn to Job 1:13-22
13. One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,
14. a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby,
15. and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
17. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
18. While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house,
19. when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
20. At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship
21. and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
22. In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

-- there once was this man who didn't have much, but he had a donkey that meant the world to him -- one day, the donkey fell into an old abandoned well on the farm -- the donkey, being a donkey -- kicked and kicked -- when that didn't seem to help, it brayed and brayed -- it made a terrible commotion, but no one came to help it
-- the donkey was exhausted and resting wearily by the side of the well, when its owner noticed it was missing -- the owner became concerned about his donkey and he searched everywhere he could think of -- he could not find his donkey -- he went to his neighbors and asked them to help -- they searched everywhere -- but no luck -- the donkey appeared to be missing for good
-- the neighbors gathered in the man's farmyard and tried to console him -- it was then that one of the men looked into the old abandoned well and saw the missing donkey -- the men spent the rest of the day and most of the night trying to get a rope around the donkey stuck at the bottom of the well -- they were unable to accomplish the feat -- they felt defeated -- the owner of the donkey felt terrible
-- they talked about it and the wisest among them suggested that they fill in the abandoned well -- it would bury the donkey, but it would prevent the same tragedy from befalling someone else -- perhaps a child -- so they agreed that this was what they would do
-- the men took turns throwing a shovel full of dirt into the hole
-- the owner felt terrible for the donkey -- he felt terrible for himself and his loss -- he didn't have much, but he always had a donkey -- now he wouldn't even have that
-- once the first shovel of dirt hit the donkey, the animal found renewed energy -- it brayed even louder than he had before -- the men turned their eyes from one another and pretended not to hear the donkey's pleadings -- as more and more dirt fell into the hole, the donkey began to understand the hopelessness of its situation -- it began to give up
-- then it happened -- the donkey realized that the dirt was a gift -- with each scoop of dirt that fell into the well, the donkey shook the dirt off it's back and took a step up onto the top of the pile of dirt forming at the bottom of the well -- more dirt, another shake, and then another step up
-- the men kept shoveling, certain that they were burying the donkey -- after much shoveling, the men were quite surprised to see the donkey at eye level -- it was standing on top of all that dirt that had been dropped on it -- it calmly shook itself clean and walked out of the filled-in well

-- how many of you have ever felt like a donkey in the bottom of a well? -- how many of you have ever felt like no one cared that you were lost and alone and afraid and being covered with dirt? -- how many of you have ever felt like no one knew what you were going through and that no one could help?
-- I think we can all identify with the donkey in this story -- because we live in a fallen world, filled with trials and tribulations and sorrows, we can sometimes find ourself in the bottom of a well with no obvious way out
-- it seems like life just keeps throwing dirt on us -- and things just don't go our way -- we understand what it means when people say, "when it rains, it pours" -- we understand that old joke, "someone told me to cheer up, things could get worse -- so I cheered up and sure enough, things got worse"
-- we look at our lives and we feel like Job -- in one moment, Job lost his children, his home, his job, his income, his health, and all his wealth -- he was doing everything he could to live right and to do right but then one day he looked up and realized that he was sitting in the bottom of a well, alone and abandoned, and the world and his friends just kept throwing dirt on him
-- in Job 3:24-26, Job sums up just how he thinks his life is going: 24. For sighing comes to me instead of food; my groans pour out like water. 25. What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. 26. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil."

-- Job was having a bad day -- a bad life -- and it seemed like no one cared and no one understood and no one could do anything about it
-- can you relate to Job? -- can you understand what he was going through? -- have you ever had similar emotions in your own life? -- I think we all have at some point or the other

-- so, that brings us to the questions that Job struggled with throughout this book -- why is this happening? -- what can we do about it? -- who can we turn to for help? -- who knows what we are going through? -- who can minister to us?
-- the answers to those questions can only be found through Christ

II. Scripture Lesson
-- if you would, please turn over to Hebrews 2 -- one of the books I am currently reading is "Next Door Savior" by Max Lucado -- and in this book, he speaks to people who are going through situations similar to Job's -- to people who are hurting and feeling like no one understands and no one cares and no one can do anything
-- and Lucado points out a concept in this book about Christ that I want us to consider this morning by looking at this passage in Hebrews

A. Jesus has been there
-- Hebrews 2, verse 1-4

1. We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
2. For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment,
3. how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
4. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

-- when you look around and find yourself in the bottom of a well -- when you're going through life in a valley of despair -- it's hard -- it's difficult -- and when you are going through times like this, it could cause you to drift in your faith -- to doubt God and His promises -- and to turn away from Him -- the only One who can truly help
-- in these verses, the writer of Hebrews warns us to not let our faith drift when we are confronted with difficult times in our lives -- but to stand fast by holding firm to the evidences of our faith through Jesus
-- when the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land, God had each of the 12 tribes take one stone from the middle of the river to use in making an altar -- these stones were to be physical reminders of the presence and work of God in their lives
-- one way to keep your faith from drifting during times of trial and trouble is by storing up stones of remembrance -- spiritual stones -- that remind you of the times that God has helped in the past and to encourage you that He will always be with you and take care of you in the future

-- verse 5
5. It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking.
6. But there is a place where someone has testified: "What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
7. You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor
8. and put everything under his feet." In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.
9. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

-- in these verses, the writer reminds us of His promises to us -- of the kingdom to come -- the writer reminds us that it hasn't been prepared for the created angels to rule but that Christ will be the ruler -- the King of Kings -- the Lord of Lords -- the Alpha and the Omega -- because through His death and resurrection, He was crowned with glory and honor and placed above all names and above all thrones -- all of creation -- even the angels -- will be subject to Christ our King
-- this means that even though we may be living in a fallen world now, it won't always be that way -- even though things may look bad right now, they won't always be that way -- God's kingdom will come and His will will be done on earth and is heaven -- there will be a time where there is restoration and an end to tears -- even though it may not look like it right now, there is always hope
-- Job experienced the restoration of God at the end of the book, when all was restored to him, including wealth and health and family -- and you will experience restoration as well, no matter what you are going through right now

-- verse 10
10. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
11. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
12. He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
13. And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."
14. Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--
15. and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
16. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.

-- the author reminds us here that Jesus became one of us -- He came to earth clothed in flesh -- remaining fully God while becoming fully human -- He shared in our humanity -- He shared in our lives -- and He shared in our suffering -- as Lucado points out "Jesus has been there"
-- Lucado says the phrase, "I've been there, too" is in the chorus of Jesus' theme song -- what are you going through today? -- Jesus has been there, too -- the Bible tells us that He suffered every temptation -- that He endured all the same pain and trials that make up our lives -- so that He could bear them for us on the cross and intercede for us as our High Priest at the right hand of God
-- Lucado writes, "Are your looks run-of-the-mill and your ways simple? So were His. He's been there. -- questionable pedigree -- raised in an overlooked nation among oppressed people in an obscure village -- simple home -- single mom -- an ordinary laborer with orginary looks" -- however you live -- wherever you are -- He's been there
-- "ever feel as if you need to get away? -- so did Jesus -- ever had so many demands that you can't stop for lunch? -- He can relate -- Do you have too much e-mail to fit in a screen or too many calls to make in a day? -- Christ has been there too" as the crowds came to Him and pressed on His time
-- how about family tension? -- Jesus' family tried to take Him home because they said He was out of His mind -- have you been falsely accused? -- Jesus was too -- do your friends ever let you down? -- "When Christ needed help, His friends dozed off."
-- "unsure of the future? -- Jesus was" -- He pointed out that even He did not know when the day of His coming would be, but only the Father in Heaven -- "knowing that you would face the unknown, he chose to face the same"
-- "Jesus has been there -- He experienced all the pain, all the testing -- He was hungry enough to eat raw grain -- distraught enough to weep in public -- fun loving enough to be called a drunkard -- winsome enough to attract kids -- weary enough to sleep in a storm-bounced boat -- poor enough to sleep on dirt and borrow a coin for a sermon illustration -- radical enough to get kicked out of town -- responsible enough to care for his mother -- tempted enough to know the smell of satan and fearful enough to sweat blood"
--" whatever you are facing, he knows how you feel -- He's been there"

-- what Lucado points out in his striking way is exactly what the write of Hebrews is telling us here -- Jesus became one of us so He could experience everything that we experience -- not only our joys and our hopes and the good times -- but also the temptation and the trials and the tribulations and the troubles -- and, because He was sinless, the Bible tells us that God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us on the cross
-- what ever you are going through today, you can be sure of one thing -- Jesus understands because He's been there too

B. What does this mean for us?
-- so, what does this mean for us? -- two things
-- look at verse Hebrews 2:17-18

17. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
18. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

-- first, realize that Jesus can minister to us because He's been there -- He can show mercy, because He understands what we go through on a daily basis -- and because He understands -- because He Himself suffered and was tempted -- He was not satisfied with leaving us in our condition without hope -- He took upon Himself our sufferings and our sins so that He might make atonement for us -- so that He might bear them for us on the cross and give us hope and a future with Him
-- the focus of this chapter is to restore faith in those of us in pain -- to keep us from drifting away from our faith in the midst of trials and tribulations -- in answer to our questions -- what can we do about it? -- who can we turn to for help? -- who knows what we are going through? -- who can minister to us?
-- the writer tells us to look to Christ -- to trust in His promise of eternal life and salvation through Him -- there is someone who understands -- there is someone who knows what we are going through -- and because of that, He can minister to us and take care of us as no one else can
-- if you are going through a trial in your life right now, don't turn away from God, but turn to Him and trust in His providence and restoration

-- secondly, minister to others through our struggles and through our experiences -- the best ministers -- the best friends -- are those who have been there and who understand what the other person is going through
-- someone who has lost a parent is the best minister for someone grieving the loss of a father -- someone who has lost a child is the best minister for someone going through the same situation -- someone who has experienced the pains of addiction can better minister to someone struggling in that same area

-- couple of quick examples -- friend Rivers passed away this week -- rough life -- he was a member of a motorcycle gang -- problems with drugs and alcohol -- but after he was saved, he was able to reach out to those going through similar issues because he knew what they felt -- he understood because he had been in their shoes
-- helping out friend who has just gotten appointed to a charge in this district -- I had been there -- I knew the issues -- I knew the paperwork -- I knew how to fill things out -- I could help him because I had walked that way before

-- Jesus can work through you as you seek to help others through their issues

III. Closing and Application
-- what are you going through today? -- Jesus has been there -- He can help you through it -- He understands and He is interceding for you at the right hand of God -- trust in Him and in His promises, and hold fast to your faith -- and let others minister to you as they share how God worked through them in similar situations
-- and think for a minute about who can you help today? -- who do you know is suffering through trials or tribulations that you might minister to today? -- who do you know that doesn't know the Lord and doesn't have His promise of eternal life with Him? -- who can you reach out to today?
-- as I close, let me share with you one ministry that exemplifies this concept -- Stephen Ministries was formed to train church members to provide one-to-one Christian care to those who are bereaved, in the hospital, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated, or facing some other crisis or life challenge -- if God has spoken to you through this message this morning, He may be leading you to become involved in Stephen Ministries or some other similar ministry
-- regardless of where you are this morning -- whether you are in the middle of trials and sufferings in your life or whether you have experiences to offer others -- if you have been touched by God, I would invite you to respond to His word as He leads you
-- let's pray