“Where is God in Our Darkest Hour?”
John 11
Sermon Series: “Getting Acquainted With Jesus”
Introduction: We often have doubt and despair because God does not fit our expectations of Him. That statement does not mean there is a problem with God but a problem with our expectations of Him. We see this in the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus was a close friend with Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. Lazarus got sick, and the sisters sent word to Jesus of His condition. It seems to me that they expected him to come immediately and take care of the situation by healing Lazarus. However, Jesus waited four days before He came, and Lazarus had already died anyway. When Jesus did show up, Martha met him and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” I think she is asking, “Where were you, Jesus? Why didn’t you show up and take care of Lazarus?” In other words, she was disappointed because Jesus did not meet her expectation. However, we should note that Jesus had something planned that even exceeded her expectations.
I believe that we have the same trouble. We are go through some type of trial that makes life look very dark. We cry out to God and expect Him to give us some relief, but it does not always come as quickly as we expect. Therefore, it is easy for us to think things like:
-If God cared, He would get me out of this mess.
-If God were real, He would answer my prayers.
-If I were important to God, He would take care of me like He does other people.
-If God were loving and all-powerful, He wouldn’t let people suffer like they do.
-If I had (you can fill in the blank with any of these) enough faith, walked closely enough with God, were a better person, or were more obedient; then God would come through for me and take care of me.
We often feel this way, but it is a lie from Satan and not the truth of God. Here is the truth:
Theme: Even in our darkest hours when it seems like God has abandoned us, God is still totally in control.
Since God has not abandoned us and is in control, it means:
1. He has a plan for our trials. This may not encourage you because it means that we will have trials and it means that God may not fix them, but it encourages me because it means that God is in control and my trials are not random, meaningless events. It also means that He is even in control even of the timing of trials. God’s plan is revealed through His Word (v. 4) so it is imperative that we hang on to His Word during our trials.
2. He has a purpose for our trials. Like I said, they are not random events, but they are planned or allowed with a purpose:
The glory of God (v. 4, 40).
Our good (v. 23) [James 1:3-8].
The building of our faith (v. 15, 40, 42). It is crucial for us to remember that God can only be pleased through faith.
3. He is passionately concerned for us during our trials. It is amazing that Jesus loved them as friends and wept over Lazarus (v. 35). This shows the true humanity of Christ. In fact, Jesus is the only perfectly and completely human person who ever lived because He is the only perfect person. It is even more amazing though that He loves us as friends today just like He did them. Jesus is with us and passionately concerned about us during all of our trials (Hebrews 13:5, 4:14-16).
4. He has the power to overcome our trials. Jesus did this in this case by raising Lazarus from the dead, but we must remember that He does not always deliver us on the earth. However, the great hope and comfort of heaven is that we will eventually be delivered from every trial and problem into the glorious joy of the presence of God (Psalm 16:11). I can’t give you the answer for everything you experience, but I can give you the ultimate answer for everything.
