SERMON DATE:  DEC. 14, 2008

LOCATION:           RIDGEVIEW

TITLE:  BRINGING GOOD OUT OF TRAGEDIES

ROMANS 8:28

 

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1. THIS MAN LEFT FOR WORK
1. NORMAL DAY
1. “KISSED HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTERS GOOD BYE IN THE DRIVEWAY AS ALWAYS AND LEFT FOR WORK.

 

1. HAD NO IDEA OF THE DANGER
1. He didn’t see a danger
2. Didn’t know or felt that the danger existed
3. There was nothing that presented itself to make him believe that there was a clear or present danger to either himself or his family.

RECENTLY, WE TALKED ABOUT READINESS OR BEING READY FOR GOD, FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. FOR OUR OWN DEATH.

 

1. GAVE SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF SCRIPTURE
1. Exodus 12:11
1. God told the Jews to be ready, sandals on their feet, belt around their waist.
2. 1 Thess. 5:2 how it will come like a thief in the night, to be awake, sober.

 

BUT DISASTER CAME.

BUT LISTEN TO HIM!

1. had "no hard feelings" for the pilot who ejected from the plane moments before the deadly accident.
2. he wanted to "thank all the people who are praying for me and for my family."
3. "But I believe my wife and two babies and mother-in-law are in heaven with God," he said. "And I know God is taking care of them."

Yoon told reporters he had gotten the news that the pilot involved in the crash had escaped harm.

"Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident," Yoon said. "I know he's one of our treasures, for the country, and I ... don't blame him. I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could."

1. This afternoon, the grief-stricken businessman spoke to reporters near the charred ruins of his home, thanking well-wishers for offering their support and prayers and asking them to do the same for the pilot involved in the accident.

 

SO MANY TIMES, THE LAW SUIT COMES BEFORE SOMEONE IS BURIED.

WHERE WAS THE FORGIVENESS?

WHERE WAS THE GRIEF?

WHERE WAS THE FAITH?

                THE FORGIVENESS WILL BE FOUND IN THE COURTS

                THE GRIEF WILL BE JUSTIFIED BY THE DOLLAR

                THE FAITH IS IN OUR COURT SYSTEM, NOT IN OUR LORD

 

TALK ABOUT MISPLACED FAITH?

 

3 TREES (Illustration of story of the three trees)

                THOUGHT THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WANTED

                                MISPLACED FAITH

 

2 OF THE 3 BELIEVED PRAYERS HAD BEEN ANSWERED

                1 THOUGHT PRAYER HAD GONE UNHEARD, DREAMS OVER

 

NOT WHAT THEY THOUGHT. NOT WHAT THEY EXPECTED

NOT GOD’S PLAN.

 

ILL

RE MR. YOON

HE WALKS THE WALK

CLEARLY HE HAS READ HIS BIBLE, CLEARLY HIS FAITH IS IN CHRIST, NOT IN THE DOLLAR OR IN MAN

 

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

 

I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT DON’T SAY, “FILE SUIT FIRST”! PUT FAITH IN THE DOLLAR!”

 

REMEMBER WHEN THAT MAD MAN SHOT UP THE AMMISH SCHOOL HOUSE?

 

THE FIRST THING THEY DID WAS TO GO TO THIS KILLERS FAMILY TO COMFORT HIS WIFE, TO FORGIVE. THERE WERE NO LAWYERS! NO BOOK DEALS, NO SELF-INDULGENT DESIRES… ONLY THE DESIRE TO FORGIVE!

 

 

FENCE ILL.

(Electric fence, man getting shocked, what would happen if he just let go?)

 

THOSE PEOPLE AND THIS MAN ARE RIGHT WITH GOD. THEY HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST! THE TALK THE TALK AND WALK THE WALK!

 

NOW, ASK YOURSELF… WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE? HOW WOULD YOU HAVE ACTED?  WOULD IT HAVE BEEN A LAWYER OR THE LORD?

2 COR 4:16 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal

 

Mr. Yoon did not lose heart. His wife, 2 daughters and mother in law had perished. He grieved, yet he realizes it is but for a moment, he wasn’t looking at what is seen, but rather that which is not seen. He knew they were in the care of GOD.

 

HE LOOKED TO GOD, NOT TO THE PHONE BOOK FOR AN ATTORNEY.

ROMANS 8:18

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

MR. YOON REALIZES THAT HIS SUFFERING CANT BE COMPARED TO THE GLORY OF GOD NOW BEING SHARED BY HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.

 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

 

2 COR 5 :1-2  1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you .MR YOON IS FOCUSED ON FORGIVING THE PILOT, CALLING HIM A JEWEL OF THIS COUNTY. PRAY FOR HIM, MR. YOON IS WORRIED ABOUT FORGIVENESS FROM HIS WIFE’S FATHER. HOLDING HIMSELF RESPONSIBLE, BLAMING HIMSELF FOR BEING THERE, HAVING HER MOTHER THERE. NOTHING ABOUT BLAMING THE MILITARY, THE GOVERNMENT, THE NAVY, THE MARINES, THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURE, HE BLAMS HIMSELF AND WORRIES ABOUT FORGIVENESS FROM HIS WIFES FATHER!

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

 

Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins

 

1PETER 5:6 HUMBLE YOURSELF

ROMANS 8:28 BRINGING GOOD OUT OF TRAGEDIES.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  

 

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

 

WE CANNOT PLEASE GOD WITHOUT FAITH

1. HEBREWS 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who come to him must believe that he esist and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
2. JOHN 1:2 Those who believed in his name, the gave the right to become children of God.

FAITH IS NECESSARY FOR SALVATION

IT IS TIMES LIKE THIS WHEN WE ASK OURSELVES

“WHERE IS GOD WHEN IT HURTS”?

1. WE ASK FOR THIS ANSWER WHEN FACED WITH PAIN, TRIALS OR ATTACK OR DOUBT
2. WHEN CRUCIFIED JESUS ASKED “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
3. TO ONLOOKERS MAY THINK
1. GOD WILL ABANDON US IN OUR DARKEST HOUR
4. BUT THE Resurrection showed that nothing, not even death can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:37)

 

READ ROMANS 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord

1. Jesus was Glorified (1 peter 1:21 – Mark 16:6 Rom 4:24)

In our worst hours of pain, even if we don’t feel God’s presence, we can believe his promise, he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews  13:5)

 

GOD SOMETIME PERMITS WHAT HE HATES TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT HE LOVES”

 

WE DO NOT LOSE HEART BECAUSE WE LIVE IN FAITH

 LIKE THE TREES, WE DO NOT ALWAYS SEE THE GOOD ENDS TO WHICH GOD IS WORKING. BUT THERE WILL BE A TIME WHEN WE WILL UNDERSTAND.

 

ILL

OF QUILT BACK UGLY FROM PRETTY

                GOD KNOWS BOTH SIDES

                                WE LOOK AT THE BACK, WHILE GOD IS SEEING THE FRONT

 READ

2 COR 12-9-10 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong

 

Conclusion:

Faith belongs with God. Strength Comes from God

Invitation.