GOD CAN SUBTRACT YOUR SORROWS
3 August 2008
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 8
40. Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.
41. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42. because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
43. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.
44. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45. "Who touched me?" Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."
46. But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."
47. Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.
48. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."
49. While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more."
50. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
51. When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother.
52. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep."
53. They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54. But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!"
55. Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
56. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
-- very few things on earth touch our hearts like the death or injury of a child -- in his book, "The Shack," William Young demonstrates this through the poignant story of the main character, Mackenzie "Mac" Phillips
-- as the story opens, we read of a condition that besets Mac that he calls "The Great Sadness" -- and as the pages unfold, we learn that this great sadness has come about because of the death of his youngest daughter Missy -- the apple of his eye -- the joy of his life
-- Missy had disappeared on a camping trip and we later find out she had been kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer -- the loss of his daughter and God's seeming refusal to help find and save Missy plunged Mac into the Great Sadness -- a deep dark depression that overwhelmed his life and affected his relationships with everyone he knew, especially with his family
-- but Mac's story doesn't end there in the depths of this Great Sadness -- one day he receives an invitation in the mail to come to the very shack where Missy was killed for a weekend visit -- this invitation was from God Himself -- and even though Mac doesn't really believe that this note is from God, he goes to the shack that weekend, anyway, looking for answers -- Mac thinks, "if by some chance God does actually show up, then I've got some issues to bring up with Him -- why did He let Missy get kidnapped? -- why didn't He save her? -- why did He let me and his family suffer so much?"
-- I don't want to spoil too much of the plot for you, but suffice it to say that God did show up and met with Mac at the shack that weekend -- and his time with God changed Mac forever -- Mac learned that God is always with us -- on the mountains and in the valleys -- in the good times and in the bad -- in the birth of a child -- and in the loss of a child -- when we laugh, He laughs -- when we weep, He weeps -- and when we experience sorrow, God is there with us
-- when the weekend ended and Mac left that shack and went home, he left a changed man -- the Great Sadness had been removed -- and in its place was the presence of the living God -- the God who saves -- the God who encourages -- the God who removes the sorrows of our lives
-- this morning we are continuing in our series that we began last week in anticipation of the start of school -- what would God teach us if He were our math teacher? -- what lessons would we learn? -- last week, we talked about how God's salvation doesn't allow addition -- this morning, we are going to discuss how God subtracts our sorrows
-- the story of Mackenzie Phillips in "The Shack" was one of the most moving fictional stories that I have ever read -- I rarely recommend fiction books to you, but I want to recommend this one -- don't take it as a theological text -- don't base your theology and your understanding of God on this fictional story -- but if you get this book and read it, it will stretch your faith and will lead you to appreciate God on a different level
-- this book was self-published and has been on the New York Times best-seller's list for months -- there's just something about the story of Mac Phillips and the loss of his daughter Missy in this book that just resonates with us
-- we've all experienced loss of some kind in our lives -- it could have been the death of a loved one -- it could have been sickness or financial problems or addictions or hundreds of other things -- but we've all been there -- we all know what it means to have the "Great Sadness" in our lives -- and I think this is what is leading so many people -- Christian and non-Christian -- to read this book
-- in a very real way, "The Shack" seems to parallel this passage from Luke that we opened with -- a story that was recorded almost 2000 years ago -- but that could have been ripped from the headlines of today's paper
-- so let's look now at this story from Luke with fresh eyes -- let's look at it, not as an ancient text -- not as a familiar story that we know by heart -- but as something that could happen to us -- as something that does happen to us
II. Scripture Lesson -- The Heart of a Father
-- look with me again at verse 40
40. Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.
41. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42. because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
-- in these verses, Luke introduces us to Jairus, a synagogue ruler in this town -- the head of the Jewish elders -- the keeper of the law
-- but, more importantly, Jairus is a father who is worried about his dying daughter -- Jairus is so worried that he breaks from religious and social conventions and seeks out this healer Jesus, who the church leaders have already begun to brand a heretic -- in other words, Jairus was willing to do anything for his daughter's sake -- even risk his own standing in the church
-- where do you turn when sorrows break out in your life? -- where do you go for answers? -- Mac went to a shack in the wilderness seeking his answers -- Jairus went to God -- what do you do?
-- skip down to verse 49
49. While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher any more."
-- don't miss what has been going on here -- in the church, we tend to break this passage from Luke down into two parts -- the story of Jairus and his daughter -- and the story of the woman with the issue of blood
-- but don't miss that the story of the woman is embedded within the story of Jairus -- it is a parentheses -- a pause in the action -- for us -- but for Jairus, it was a nightmare
-- here his daughter is dying -- he has humbled himself and turned to the only person he thinks might be able to help -- even though it might cost him all financially and politically and religiously
-- and as Jesus agrees to help and starts towards Jairus' house, Jesus stops -- He takes time to seek out this woman and to talk with her about the healing that has happened -- what do you think Jairus was feeling as Jesus lingered with this woman, knowing that his daughter was on death's door -- knowing that every moment counted -- that every moment could be her last?
-- picture it like this -- suppose someone you loved had an accident and was bleeding and dying -- you ran to find help and a paramedic was right there and both of you started running to help your loved one -- but, on the way, the paramedic stops and puts a band-aid on somebody who has a problem that's not life-threatening -- maybe they've lived with it for years -- but he's stopped to help them while all the time your loved one is dying -- that is what was going on with Jairus at this moment
-- it seems like Jesus has forgotten all about him -- His focus is on this woman -- and Jairus is just standing there -- anxious and worried and ready for Jesus to get moving again
-- and while he's waiting, some friends come up to him and give him the news that he never wanted to hear -- his daughter is dead -- "It's over," they said, "Just come on home and leave the teacher alone"
-- Jairus and Jesus didn't make it on time -- this woman with the issue of blood had taken his daughter's healing -- she had taken his miracle -- and immediately Jairus is crushed by grief and sorrow
-- verse 50
50. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed."
-- Jesus heard what Jairus' friends said -- and he responded to the sorrow in Jairus' heart -- "Just believe -- just have faith -- just trust in me -- and she will be healed"
-- in the midst of the sorrows of life, this is sometimes all that we can do -- just believe -- just trust -- just have faith -- maybe we've prayed for a healing that didn't come -- maybe we prayed for help that never arrived -- maybe we've waited for God and He never did anything
-- but He hasn't stopped loving us -- He hasn't stopped being with us -- and He tells us -- "Just believe -- just trust -- just have faith -- and I will respond"
-- verse 51
51. When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother.
52. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep."
53. They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
- when Jesus finally got to Jairus' house, he only allowed Peter and James and John and the girl's parents to enter with Him -- why? -- Luke tells us the place was filled with mourners who were wailing and grieving at the loss of Jairus' daughter -- why were they excluded? -- why couldn't they come in?
-- because they didn't have faith -- they didn't believe -- they didn't trust -- "It's too late," they said, "Your daughter is dead -- there's nothing God can do for you now"
-- but the child's parents believed -- they hoped -- they trusted -- Jesus had said He would do something -- and so they went with Him in hopeful anticipation
-- verse 54
54. But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!"
55. Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
56. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
-- in one moment, the faith of Jairus became sight -- the wailing turned to laughter -- the sorrow turned to joy -- Jesus reached down and touched Jairus' daughter -- her spirit returned -- and she came back to life
III. Subtracting Our Sorrows
-- God never promised that we wouldn't have trouble and heartache in this life -- He never told us that life was a bed of roses for a Christian -- in fact, He told us to expect trouble -- to expect storms and valleys -- to expect times of grief and sorrow and loss
-- but He did make a great promise to us -- He told us that He would never leave us or forsake us -- that He would be with us in the midst of our trials and temptations -- our troubles and our sorrows -- and that He would subtract our sorrows -- if we just believed and trusted and had faith
-- in Revelation 21:4 we read the great promise of God that will be realized in the new earth -- "He will wipe every tear from their eyes -- There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away"
-- right now, we are living in the "old order of things" -- we still experience death -- we still mourn and cry -- we still feel pain -- but God is with us in the midst of death and mourning -- crying and pain -- and He subtracts our sorrows and restores our hope and joy -- just as He did for Jairus -- Just as He did for Mac in the story of the "The Shack"
-- that doesn't mean that our lost family members will come back to life here -- it doesn't mean that our sick loved ones will be immediately healed -- it doesn't mean we won't experience grief and sorrow and loss
-- but it does mean that God will be with us through it -- He will bear us up -- He will lift up our head and let us see past the storm to the sunshine beyond the clouds -- He will give us hope in our distress -- joy in our sorrow
-- just take a moment and think about how He has already done this -- the Bible tells us in Ephesians 2 that we were dead in our transgressions and sins -- condemned to an eternity in Hell with no hope of salvation -- overwhelmed and overcome by our sorrow and our guilt
-- but Jesus took our sin and our sorrow to the cross -- He became sin for us -- He became the man of sorrows -- so that He might subtract sin and sorrow from our life with His own body and blood
-- Ephesians 2:4-5 says that because of His great love for us -- God -- who is rich in mercy -- made us alive with Christ even while we were dead in our transgressions -- God's love subtracted our sins and our sorrows -- and replaced them with hope and with joy
-- through faith, God's love pours into us and gives us hope in situations that Jairus' -- situations that look hopeless -- that look impossible -- He reminds us of our future -- He reminds us of the end of the story -- and He helps us to press on through the pains and suffering and sorrows of life
IV. Closing
-- yesterday at Promise Keepers I sat next to an elderly man from South Carolina -- as we sang the great hymn, "It Is Well," tears came to his eyes -- he told me that he was going blind -- that he had lost all vision in his right eye and that his left eye was almost useless because of macular degeneration
-- for most of us, this would be a time of great sadness and sorrow -- but still he sang, "It is well with my soul" -- he said, "For 70 years I praised God with my sight -- now I get to praise Him in my darkness"
-- he didn't need eyes to praise God -- he only needed faith -- God had subtracted his sorrows and replaced it with eternal hope and joy
-- in the same way, Jairus and his wife went from sadness to gladness -- from sorrow to joy -- because they just believed -- just trusted -- just had faith in Jesus
-- even when it seemed like all hope was lost -- even when the world said it was over -- even when their friends told them to give up -- they just believed, and Jesus subtracted their sorrows
-- I want to close by sharing with you the story of Horatio Spafford and the story behind our closing hymn -- you may have heard this before, but if so, please listen like it's the first time
-- in 1873, Horatio Spafford -- a prominent American businessman who worked with D.L. Moody in his evangelistic campaigns -- waved good-bye to his wife and four daughters as they boarded a ship for Europe -- Spafford had to attend to some business at home and then he was to join them in Europe for a short vacation
-- their ship collided with another ship and sank within 20 minutes -- though Horatio's wife Anna survived by clinging to wreckage, his four daughters perished at sea
-- Horatio received a horrible telegram from his wife with these words, "Saved alone"
-- he immediately boarded a ship for Europe to be with his wife, following the same route that his family's ship had taken -- he asked to be notified when they reached the place where his daughters had died
-- when the captain came and got him and said, "This is the spot" -- Horatio stood on the deck of that ship and watched the waves on the ocean -- he went downstairs to his cabin, and immediately penned the words to this hymn:
"When peace, like a river, attendeth my way -- when sorrows like sea billows roll -- whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say -- It is well, it is well, with my soul"
-- God did not restore the lives of Horatio's daughters -- but He did heal Horatio's soul -- He subtracted his sorrow and gave him peace and hope -- and He can do the same for you
-- as this last hymn is played, I want to invite you to respond to God's promise this morning -- maybe you've been living with troubles and sorrows in your life -- maybe you've been dealing with them alone -- maybe you're still living with the sorrow of sin because you've never accepted Christ as your Savior
-- God hasn't us that He is going to take away all of our troubles and problems -- but He has promised to take away our sin and our sorrow -- and He wants to do that for you right now, if you'll let Him
-- as this last hymn is played and the altar is opened -- won't you respond to God's word and God's promise and let Him subtract your sorrows?
-- let us pray
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