IS THAT IN THE BIBLE?
Did you know that sometimes, even those that have come to church most of their lives, we think the Bible says things that it really does not say? Now, I believe every word in the Bible is true and inspired by the Holy Spirit, and my hope is that you do too. AMEN????? But sometimes, we think the Bible says things it really does not say. Can I give some examples?
What about this one?
“Jimmy, the Bible says He will help those that help themselves.”
The Bible does not say that. As a matter of fact, it originated in Greek mythology and is actually in two of Aesop’s Fables. As a matter of fact, God helps those that cannot help themselves. Do you know how I know this is true? How are you saved? Can you help yourself to salvation? No, you cannot. God provided the means of salvation by his grace because we could not help ourselves.
What about this one?
“Jimmy, God will not ask you to do the impossible.” Now, I want you to know that is pretty stupid to think that is in the Bible. Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth.” That’s a lot to ask of a man that had been dead for 4 days. God will ask you to do the impossible, but He will always give you the wherewithal to accomplish what He wants you to do.
Sometimes, we just think the Bible says things that it just does not say, and one of the things we think it says that it does not say is really a big deal. It is a statement that all of you have heard or have said. The vast majority of people think the Bible says it, but it does not, and it is important. Because so many people believe it and so many people have heard it, it is the reason so many Christians live defeated lives. Are you ready for it? Here it is:
“God won’t put more on you than you can bear.”
“Jimmy, I have heard that my whole life. My grandma taught me that while she was dipping snuff and rocking in her rocking chair on the front porch.” With all due respect to grandma, the Bible does not say it. God will put more on you than you can bear. Most Christians believe the Bible says God won’t put more on you than you can bear because of 1 Corinthians 10 : 13.
13 There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
You see that verse is talking about temptation. Temptation is an enticement to do evil, and you can never say that you could not help it when you sin because that verse clearly states that the Lord will provide a way to escape the temptation, but dear friend, temptation and trouble are two different things. I am not talking about temptation. I am talking about trouble. I would like to share three things with you about trouble.
( 1 ) THE REALITY OF TROUBLE
God’s people are not exempt from trouble. We are not exempt from bad things.
JOB 14 : 1
1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.
Can you think of another way to get here other than being born of a woman? Because that’s how we come into the world, it is just a matter of time before we experience trouble. Someone said this concerning trouble for the Christian:
“Concerning trouble: You are just now going into it, or you are just now getting out of it, or you are right in the middle of it.”
Trouble is very real for Christian people. Notice what Paul says.
2 Corinthians 1 : 8-9
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
Usually, Paul would write in the Bible what his trouble was, but not this time. He does not tell us what his trouble was in Asia, and you can read the NT the rest of your life, but you will never find what his trouble was. He told us in Acts 14 : 19 that in Lystra they dragged him out of the city and stoned him and left him for dead. He tells us that on 5 occasions that he was whipped with the scourge with 39 lashes. That is awful, yet Paul described that trouble, but whatever happened in Asia, he could not bear to write about it.
God’s people are not exempt from trouble.
( 2 ) THE INTENSITY OF TROUBLE
We come to a little interesting phrase in 2 Corinthians 1 : 8.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure,
The NT language is a picture language. It teaches us truth by letting us see pictures in our mind. Being burdened beyond measure is a picture of a little donkey. As you know, God made donkeys to be beasts of burden. In that day, they were used for many different tasks, but chief among them was transporting goods back and forth. Now, evidently, a little donkey would stand in one place while someone kept piling on the weight.
The little donkey would not buck as he was being loaded. The little donkey would not bray as he was being loaded. The little donkey would just sit there doing what God created him to do, but eventually, after having so much weight piled on it, the little donkey’s legs would begin to splinter, and they would begin to crumble, and then he would fall to the ground because he had been crushed by the weight of the load.
That’s what it means to be burdened beyond measure. Paul is saying that the trouble that came to them in Asia was so intense that it CRUSHED them. Have you ever felt like you were being crushed? And then Paul adds another interesting little phrase in 2 Corinthians 1 : 8.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
You know how we are. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” “Just keep on keeping on” “Just suck it up and keep on trucking.” Do you know what Paul was saying when he said above strength? Paul was saying that he and the members of his party had sucked it up all they could, and the truck was not moving. They had nothing else. It was above their strength. The trouble that came to them absolutely robbed them of their strength. Have you ever been there?
They had nothing left. Paul and his company were totally spent. Their energy and strength were gone, and then, he adds another interesting phrase.
2 Corinthians 1 : 8.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
The word despair means to lose hope. Paul was saying that the trouble that came to them had crushed them. The trouble had robbed them of all their strength. The trouble had taken away their hope.
When the Apostle Paul said he lost all hope that was important. It was important because when you read the NT, Paul is the APOSTLE OF HOPE. Paul, in his writings, said more about hope than Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John combined. Paul wrote more about hope than Peter did. Paul said more about hope than Jesus Christ did. The Apostle of Hope said the trouble that came crushed them, took away all their strength, and robbed them of all hope. Paul said it despaired them even to death. Have you ever been there?
Sometimes, trouble can come into your Christian life, and it can absolutely beat you down, and your heart is crushed, and you have lost all hope. You are in total despair. You have tried everything, and it has been for nothing. Have you been there?
Sometimes, you will go to church just trying to find someone to love you. Someone to encourage you, and you share a little about your heartache and undoubtedly by their words, actions, or lack of attentiveness someone will say:
“YOU KNOW THE BIBLE SAYS GOD WON’T PUT MORE ON YOU THAN YOU CAN BEAR.”
You leave church feeling worse than you did when you came feeling like a loser. If God won’t put more on me than I can bear, I must be the worst Christian that has ever lived because I cannot bear it. Have you been there? YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT A LIE, and you do not have to believe that lie again.
God will put more on us than we can bear.
(3) THE PURPOSE OF TROUBLE
Why does God let bad things happen to his people? Why does God allow trouble into our lives?
It’s not hard to understand why bad things happen to bad people. It’s not hard to understand why bad things happen to drunks, addicts, thieves, murderers, and child molesters, but many Christians wonder why bad things happen to God’s people.
2 Corinthians 1 : 9.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
Paul is saying in verse 9 that it was as if God had passed a death sentence on them, but dear friend, look what he says. We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves. They could not trust themselves. This trouble was so bad that it not only felt as if they had been given a death sentence, but they could trust themselves to get out of it.
Does that sound like you? Are you in a situation where you feel there is absolutely nothing you can do? Dear friend, it is so easy to trust in ourselves. “Jimmy, you mean the Apostle Paul, the great and faithful Apostle Paul, had a problem trusting in himself? That’s exactly what he said.
He said God let that come into their lives, and it crushed them, and it took their hope away so they would stop trusting themselves. Dear friend, are you ready to stop trusting yourself? Do you realize that sometimes we need to get to the end of our ropes? Because it shows us that we need to stop trusting ourselves. God is waiting for you at the end of your rope. He has been there the entire time. He is there waiting. Do you know what? He has been there waiting for you for a long time. As long as we trust ourselves, we believe we can fix it. God says try, but I am waiting for you. When you come to the end of your rope, and you are just crushed, and you are just devastated. All strength gone. All hope lost. When you feel like you have been given a death sentence. You are right where God was waiting for you to get.
Paul said we had this sentence of death so that we would not trust ourselves. Instead, Paul says this.
2 Corinthians 1 : 9
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
Dear friend, we are saved by a God that can raise the dead. Do I need to say that again? He can raise the dead. And if He can raise the dead, he can raise you from the depths of your despair too. You see. It’s not about me. It’s not about you. It’s about ALMIGHTY GOD!!!!
God will put more on you than you can bear, but He won’t put more on you than He can bear. He will crush you, but dear friend, the truth is that He puts that on you so that you will reach out to Him, and dear friend, the long arm of God can reach a long way. As long as you trust in yourself the pressure gets bigger, deeper, and stronger until you are crushed. But when you turn to God and say, “God it is just too big for me. I cannot handle it anymore. Lord, I cannot fix this. Lord, I am just going to turn it over to you.”
That’s when HE goes to work. The Lord can free you from all your burdens. Read that statement again. The Lord can free you from all your burdens. Just bring them to the Lord, and leave them, and I mean leave them, with Him.
“Jimmy, if I bring my burdens to the Lord, will all my problems will be solved?
NO!!!!! It just means they will not be your problems anymore. They will belong to God. You have not been able to do anything with them anyway. Why not give God a chance? Today can be a great day in your life if you bring your burden to the Lord.
If you are in a situation or have an issue that you would like our church to pray with you concerning that situation or issue, just email me at jclendenin37@yahoo.com, or you can leave a comment on this blog.
Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? Before God can help you with anything, you must first trust Him with your soul. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sins and was resurrected on the third day. You must confess your sins to Him and turn from those sins, and make Him Lord of your life, and when you do that, you have access to the world’s great problem solver.
If you have any questions about salvation, you can reach me by email at the email address above, or you can leave a comment on the blog asking how to get saved, and I will be glad to share with you the Scriptures that explain salvation.
Beech Grove would also like to invite any children that would like to attend to our Vacation Bible School on June 2nd and 3rd. The time will be from 6 PM to 8 PM, and there will be a family day on June 4th from 11 AM to 1 PM. All children are invited. Our church address is found at beechgrovebruceville.org