OUR GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY
Mike Cunningham
November 2, 2014

Although I would have enjoyed the fun of writing a follow up story to last weeks, I believe that God wanted me to preach the following sermon today. I’ve been hoping and praying that He will use it as a means of providing comfort, encouragement and hope to each of you folks, and especially to my daughter-in-law Veronica during her current divinely ordained ordeal.

This young mother of seven school-age children is scheduled for spinal fusion surgery this Wednesday November 5th to remove a large tumor that’s in her spinal canal. The surgeons will have to remove one disc and a Facet Joint will have to be broken off resulting in a lot of pain. The doctors say the operation will take about six hours and they expect her to be hospitalized for a week. Lord willing, her recovery should be in six months.

Of course, Veronica is very concerned. Who wouldn’t be! Speaking as her pastor I want to remind her to cast all of her anxiety on God because He cares for her. She should also be on the lookout for the Devil who is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, (1 Peter 5: 7-8). He will see to it that she will be tempted to become overly concerned, so much so, that she will worry instead of trusting God.

This is what Veronica and all Christians are up against as we make our way through this sinful world. I’ve asked God to make this message a blessing to her and to you folks who are reading it just as He has made it to me while I was crafting it.

I’m sure Veronica and many other Christians are wondering why our all-loving, almighty Creator would allow her to experience such emotional and physical pain. I certainly don’t have all the answers. Nobody does! Allow me to share a few heart-warming accounts from Dr. James C. Dobson’s insightful book, “When God Doesn’t Make Sense.” Writing about a woman named Shirley, Dobson tells us that:

Shirley did not grow up in a Christian home and her experiences were very different from mine. Her father was an alcoholic who abused his family and spoke of God only when cursing. Shirley’s mother, while not a Christian was a wonderful woman who loved her two children. She recognized her need for assistance in raising her kids and began sending them to a neighborhood evangelical church when they were very young. There, Shirley learned about Jesus-and she learned to pray.

This little girl, trapped in poverty and the heartache of alcoholism, began talking to the Lord about her family. Especially after her parents were divorced, she asked Him to grant her two requests. First, she prayed for a Christian stepfather who would love and provide for them. Second, Shirley knew she wanted to have a godly home and family some day. She began asking the Lord for a Christian husband when the time came to marry. It touches my heart today to think about that child, alone on her knees in her bedroom, talking to God about her need. I was out there somewhere oblivious of her existence, but the Lord had me in a long-term training program. By the time I met this pretty young lady in college, I did not have to be pushed.

That story beautifully illustrates the efficacy of prayer. The great God of the universe, with all His majesty and power, was not too busy to hear the small voice of a child in need. He not only brought the two of us together, He sent a fine, never-married man to be her stepfather. Both her parents are Christians today and are serving the Lord in their community.

When Shirley and I met and fell in love we each brought a strong faith to the relationship. From those early days, we determined that Jesus Christ would have the preeminent place in our lives. I remember the two of us sitting in my junky old Mercury before we were married and expressing a prayer of dedication for our future home. We asked the Lord to direct our paths, and especially, to put His blessing on any children He might loan to us. Then I pledged to Shirley that I would spend the rest of my life trying to provide the king of happiness and security she had missed as a child. This was the foundation on which our little family was built.

Now, after nearly five decades together, we have seen God’s consistent response to our prayers. I don’t know where we would be without this source of strength and sustenance. In fact, the most significant development of our marriage has been the growth and maturation of Shirley’s prayer life. She has become what is sometimes been called a “prayer warrior,” maintaining a constant communion with the Lord. It is fitting, given this spiritual fervor, that she has been appointed chair of the National Day of Prayer.

Now let me wade into deeper water. Although hundreds of Scriptures tell us that God hears and answers prayer, it is important to acknowledge what most of us have already observed-that He does not do everything we ask in a manner that we would desire. Years may pass before we see the fulfillment of His purposes. There are other occasions when He says “no,” or “wait.” And let’s be honest, there are times when He says nothing at all. As we have indicated, many believers become confused and wounded in those instances, and their faith begins to wobble. (1)

Lets revisit Jesus and the disciples in….an episode on the sea. According to Mark (6:45-50), He had instructed them to get in their boat and go ahead of Him to the city of Bethesda. Then He went to a mountainside to pray. Apparently, Jesus could see the entire lake from where He sat, and He observed that His disciples were “straining at the oars,” because the wind was against them.” The biblical account tells us that, “About the fourth watch of the night He went out to them, walking on the lake” (V. 48). From the early evening to the fourth watch is a seven-hour passage of time. For seven hours, Jesus watched the disciples do battle with a severe headwind before He came to assist them. Yet they were in His vision and under His care throughout the night. Obviously, He permitted them to experience their need before coming to their rescue.

Sometimes, He also lets you and me “struggle with “the oars” until we recognize our dependence on Him. In so doing, He gives our faith an opportunity to grow and mature. But one thing is certain; we are always in His vision. When His purposes and the time is right, He will calm the stormy sea and lead us to safety on the distant shore. (2)

Let’s summarize. We now know that faith must be tough, but why? Is there a logical reason why the Lord asks us to strengthen our resolve and meet our difficulties head-on? I believe it is because of the close interrelationship between mind, body and spirit mentioned earlier. We cannot be spiritually stable and emotionally unstable at the same time. We are in a spiritual war with a deadly foe tracking us every hour of the day. We need to be in the best shape possible to cope with the darts and arrows he hurls our way. Flabby, overindulged, pampered Christians just don’t have the stamina for thus battle. Thus, the Lord puts us on a spiritual treadmill every now and then to keep us in good fighting condition. It’s the “adversity principal” and, all of us are affected by it, one way or the other. (3)

Years ago, we received a phone call from a Mr. Greg Krebs. He wanted to get a message through to me, and this is what he told our telephone representative. Mr. Krebs and his wife had a 21-year-old son named Chris, whom they had been advised to abort when still in the womb. They chose to give him life, and he was born with cerebral palsy. He is also profoundly retarded. His parents do not regret their decision to bring him into the world, because they believe that all life is precious. They are thankful for this son who has touched their lives in warm and wonderful ways.

“God has used him as he is,” Mr. Krebs said. Then he described something that happened when Chris was just seven years old. He said, “My wife worked in a hospital at the time, and I had taken Chris with me to pick her up. She was late getting off, so Chris and I waited for her in one of the family rooms. There was another man there who was not well dressed and, in fact, was a little smelly. I went to the nurses’ station to ask how much longer my wife would be, and when I returned, I saw Chris sitting by the man. The man was sobbing, and I wondered what Chris had done to offend him. I began to apologize.

“I’m sorry if my son offended you,” I said.

The man replied, “Offended me? Your son is the only person who has hugged me in the last 20 years!”

I realized at that moment Chris had a more Christ-like love for this man than I did. (4)

I think often of a young man in his early teens that Dr. Tony Campolo described in one of his messages. This boy was named Jerry, and he had been afflicted from birth with cerebral palsy. Jerry walked and talked with great difficulty, yet he came to a Christian summer camp where Dr. Campolo was the principal speaker. It was apparent from the first day that Jerry would be rejected by the other junior high school kids who immediately sat upon establishing a hierarchy of social power. An “in group” emerged, as it always does, composed mostly of the good-looking guys and the cute girls. They were far too sophisticated and selfish to mess around with a cripple-a looser like Jerry. They were also rude to the other outcasts-the kids who had been hurt and those who lacked confidence. They didn’t stand a chance.

All week Dr. Campolo watched Jerry struggle to find his place. It was brutal to witness. The popular kids mocked the way he walked and talked. They would imitate his labored speech, saying “Whhaaaaaaat…tiimmmme…issssss…ccrrraaaaaafffttttss…cclllaaaasssss?” Then they would all laugh hysterically as though Jerry were deaf. At other times, they avoided him like a plague. Dr. Campolo said he has never hated anyone in his life, but he came close to it in that instance-seeing what those insensitive and cruel teenagers were doing to the spirit of one who had already suffered more that his share.

A service was held on the final morning of the camp, during which all the students were invited to give their testimonies about what Jesus Christ meant to them. One by one, the superstars came to the microphone-the athletes, the cheerleaders, and the popular kids. They delivered their canned little speeches, but there was no power in their witness. Their words were empty.

Then, as Dr. Campolo sat on the platform, he was startled to see Jerry making his way down the isle from the back of the auditorium. The other students saw him too, and they began to whisper and point. Then a ripple of laughter passed over the crowd. Ever so slowly, Jerry came to the platform and then carefully and painfully climbed the three stairs at the side. He stood for a moment looking at his peers, and then said with great effort, “I…looooovvvve…Jeeeeesssssuuuusss…aaannnnddddddd…Jeeeeeeesssuuussss…looooovvvvvvesssssss…mmeeeeeeeeeeeeee.” Then Jerry turned to make his long journey back to his seat.

Campolo said Jerry’s simple testimony went through that crowd of teenagers like a bolt of lightning. His expression of love for God, despite the physical disability and the ridicule he had taken, exposed the sin and selfishness in their lives. They began streaming into the isles and down to a place of prayer at the front. The Lord had used the least capable spokesman among all those teenagers to accomplish His purposes. Why? Because Jerry was tough enough to be His vessel.

Just how tough is your faith? How secure is mine? Will we permit the Lord to use our weakness, our disability, our disappointment, our inadequacy, to accomplish His purposes? Will you and I, like Jerry, worship and serve this Master even in suffering? Does our “expectation” as followers of Jesus leave room for frustration and imperfection? Doers the Word have anything to say to us here about how we live our lives and what causes us to complain? It certainly does!

My favorite Scripture specifically addresses this issue of toughness, and we will conclude with its powerful insight. The passage is found in a letter to the Philippians, which was written by the Apostle Paul from Rome, where he was confined and may eventually have been executed for sharing his faith in Jesus Christ. Paul had every right to be distraught at that stage of his life. What had happened to him was not fair! There had been times recently when he had been publicly whipped; he had gone without adequate food and clothing; he was once stoned and left for dead. He could have complained bitterly that the Lord had called him to a difficult task and then virtually abandoned him. The “awesome why” could certainly have been on his lips. But that was not what Paul was thinking.

He wrote to the believers at Philippi”

Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Then Paul addressed the matter of expectations directly:

Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV)
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Paul’s secret of contentment emerges from a universal principal of human nature. It is to trust God regardless of the circumstances and not to expect too much perfection in this life. A better day is coming for those whose source of contentment is the personhood of Christ Jesus! (4)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this sermon, I’ve been hoping and praying that God will use it as a means of providing comfort, encouragement and hope to each of you folks, and especially to my daughter-in-law Veronica during her current divinely ordained ordeal. I’ve asked Him to make it a blessing to her as well as to you folks who are reading it just as much as He has made it to me while I was crafting it.

And Veronica, you have nothing to worry about because “OUR GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY.” I love you very much Veronica and so does my son Mike and your children Amanda, Jacob, Cheyenne, Nicki, Vanessa, Michael and Jazzy and the rest of your loved ones too. Dad.

Lord willing, next week….

When God Doesn’t Make Sense, by DR. James C. Dobson, copyright 1993, 2012, 2013
Ibid. Pg. 160-161
Ibid. Pg. 138-139
Ibid. Pg. 173-177