How to Live Through a Bad Day - Sermon Series

3/21/2010 How to Live Through a Bad Day – Part 7 Be Free

“Father into your hands I commit my spirit” - Luke 23:44-46 - Jesus quoted Psalm 31:5

To conclude a bad day, there has to come a point where I trust Jesus

Finally, surrender your day to God, and let it go - Surrender

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you - 1 Peter 5:7

Experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful - pray and surrender - Philippians 4:6-7

Greek word for “worry” = “to choke” / “divided”

• Worry is unreasonable
• Easy to get “trapped”
• Is not life more important than food? Matthew 6:25
• Worry is unnatural
• Only creature that worries - human
• Worry is unhelpful
• Even if you worry, nothing is going to change
• Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matt 6:27
• Worry will make you sick
• Peace of God will make you live - opposite of worry
• Worry is unnecessary

Psalm 31:4-5 - “free me” from the trap that is set for me - into your hands I commit my spirit

Solution - to be free

1. Get to know God
2. Put God First in every area of your life - focus on God’s agenda - his kingdom and his righteousness
3. Live one day at a time - this day is last - but look eternal

Devil believes in God

Belief is not enough - it is making every moment of your life, committed to God

3/7/2010 How to Live Through a Bad Day – Part 5 Be Transparent

John 19:28-29 - “I thirst” + “I am thirsty” - wine vinegar - no one is fully in control

Be human enough to acknowledge your need

Son of God called for help

[[[

JOKE:

Revelations 3:20  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

Genesis 3:10 - He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

]]]

• Fear of public exposure (from the enemy) * If we walk in the light, we have fellowship *** 1 John 1:7-8 -

• Desire for approval * Fear of rejection * Hollywood figured it out -
• Fear of being hurt again - superficiality -

* Be Transparent *

Church metaphors

1. We ALL need support - one of the three pig with solid brick house (all pigs in this one at the end)
1. Holy temple of the Lord - this is House of Prayer
2. We ALL need to Grow - you will reach a plateau which can be broken when you work with others - church is a “body” of Christ - body grows together
3. We ALL need Protection - must talk about personal self to others
4. We ALL need to be LOVED -

Family of GOD

2/28/2010 How to Live Through a Bad Day – Part 4 Be Assured

Our bad day becomes everybody else’s bad day - contagious - infectious

Hebrews 12:2 -

Matthew 27: 1st hour = 6am / 6th hour = noon / ninth hour = 3pm - My God, why have you forsaken me - ever Jesus asked “why”

Jesus probably knew the answer ***

“Why” do bad things happen to the good people, etc

“Why” becomes an obstacle to your faith - can’t get over that stump -

• Realize that until you get to heaven, there are some things you will never understand
• Glass darkly
• God is on a different playing field

“Kid getting a shot” analogy - shoving a needle in your body is good for you - does not make sense to kid

Truth is - Jesus knew - there are times God works and it does not make any sense

Answer may not come now, and the answer may not satisfy you - but one day, you will come to an understanding - don’t let that day be the judgment day

There is an entire book - bible - dedicated to this topic

Lord gives and Lord takes away - blessed be the name of the Lord

Man-made intellectualism, etc - satan - will work to destroy our faith in God working in our Life

Job 38 - God answers Job out of thunderous storm - who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge * “Brace yourself like a man”  -  Job answered, “I am unworthy”

Job’s realization

1. Think “eternal” - think of Heaven - Death is road to awe - Job 42:1 - I know that you can do all things
2. Let GO - Job 42:3 - “too wonderful”
3. Get Close - Job 42:5 - “but now my eyes have seen you” - I listened but still was distant - but NOW, I’ve seen you face to face - those who know him trust in him -

“Be Assured” - Hebrews 10:22 - “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” - “Blessed Assurance”

1. God is there - Psalm 139:7-8 - God is There - God is everywhere - Hebrews 4:13 - God knows
2. God is never late - I don’t have to be smart - I’d rather go to heaven stupid - God seems late, but God is master of midnight rescues - Acts 16:25-26
3. God knows best - Hebrews 11:39-40 - God had planned something better - Isaiah 55:8-9
4. God cares - James 5:11 - that’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail”

2/21/2010 How to Live Through a Bad Day – Part 3 Be Aware

Seven Statements used by Jesus when he hung on the cross

Hebrew 12:2 - “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it.”

Third thing Jesus said on the cross:

Three Mary and John “disciple whom he loved” - “here is your son” and “here is your mother” - Mary lived with John afterwards - John 19:25-27

• Be sure to take care of those closest to you. People hide and wear masks for the sake of pleasantries. We need to know and be aware.
• James 4:1 - fights and quarrels come from desires that battle within you first

Stages of Conflict

1. Withdrawal
2. Escalation
3. Belittling - we put people down because we are already so low and little - we want to make people feel worse than we do so I can feel better
1. They’re really stupid, they your relatives - yea they’re my in-laws
2. How can you be so beautiful and stupid at the same time - I’m beautiful so you are attracted to me and I’m stupid so I’m attracted to you
4. False belief

Be Aware - be sensitive to the Holy Spirit

Romans 15:5 - may God who gives endurance and encouragement give you spirit of unity

Things to be aware

1. Be aware of God’s view of people - God loves everyone
2. Be aware of the power of your own words - Prov 18:21 - power of life and death
3. Be aware of what you did / done - we judge ourselves based on our intention, and we judge others based on their actions
4. Be aware of what you “should” do - 1 Peter 3:8-9 - harmony, sympathetic, love, compassionate and humble - do not repay evil with evil, but with blessing
5. Be aware of what God will do - 1 Peter 5:5-6 - God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble - humble yourselves

Jesus humbled himself *

How to live through a Bad Day Part 2 - “Be Compassionate”

Luke 23:43 - “Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

• Help others who are experiencing your same struggle

As a pastor - I’m in the same hospital that you are in, I just got here a little earlier than you - still receiving care and healing

People don’t want answers - people are looking for people who understand *

Isaiah 58:10 - when you help someone else, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday

Authenticity and genuine compassion

Ministering to someone else

Principles

1. They need support - “I’m standing with you” - they want to feel secure (security)
2. They need stability - rock, solid, consistent foundation
3. They need significance - there is “champion” inside of you - there is something “special” in you - your life matters - I don’t care what other people say, God will create “good” out of you - you just confirmed to me, God really loves me
4. They need salvation - just point them to Jesus
1. Pray
2. Word (Verse)
3. Encourage

I’m trying to help you help somebody *

Colossians 3:12 - as God’s chosen people, clothe yourself with compassion

1. Receive God’s forgiveness and love yourself - now - you cannot give what you do not have - Luke 7:47 “he who has been forgiven little loves little” - not formal, it is relational * - Psalm 103:2-4
2. Comfort them out of your own experiences - receiving institution v receiving God - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “God comforts us, so that we can comfort those in trouble” -
3. Focus them on the hope of eternity - don’t offer people better now, focus them on a better place - Earth is not going to work out for us - this life is a myth - end of life is new beginning - death is the road to awe (asabovesobelow) - Jesus said I am going to prepare a place for you -

How to live through a Bad Day Part 1 - “Be forgiving”

Hebrews 12:2 - fix our eyes on Jesus author and perfecter of Faith, who for joy set before him endured the Christ

study how he did it

Jesus said #1 -

Luke 23:34 - forgive them, for they know not what they do

• forgive everyone who is trying to ruin your life

Forgiveness is not minimizing the seriousness of the offense, instant reformation of trust, resuming relationship without changes, etc

for the joy set before him…

1 Peter 2:23 - Jesus left his case in the hands of God

Romans 12 - leave room for God’s hands, wrath

Four principles

1. We need to forgive because I need forgiveness - Lord’s prayer
2. Must forgive without condition
3. Forgive them in advance (trade secret) people are people, fallen - not to be reactive, but proactive - everyday I forgive so many people, because I hate so many people -
4. Forgive them because they are victims too (love people, hate the devil) - hurting people, hurt other people