God Can Heal All Hurt (Dealing With Church Hurt pt. 2)

 

God Can Heal All Hurt (Dealing With Church Hurt pt. 2)

 

Sunday Morning

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

10/17/21 (3rd Sunday Message)

 

 

 

{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

We talked about something very serious last week.

 

Something that effects so many people.

 

Maybe everyone to some degree.

 

We talked about church hurt.

 

Church Hurt Is Real!

 

Good Definition:

 

Church Hurt:

the harm caused by the church or its members to anyone inside or outside the church.  This harm can be intentional or unintentional.

 

The harm caused by the church or its members.

“Another description is a pain that distances sufferers from their communities and from God.”

 

What Are Some Examples Of Church Hurt?

 

When we tell someone they didn’t get what they wanted because they didn’t have enough faith, or pray hard enough.

 

When the church is too “cliquey.”

 

When the church members make fun of a member’s situation.

 

When the church turns their back on a single mom because she got a divorce from her abusive husband.

 

When the church shames the young woman because she got pregnant.

 

When a Pastor becomes exposed from some secret sin no one knew about.

 

These are all examples of church hurt.

 

We discussed the tactics of the enemy last week:

 

{John 10:10}

{Enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy…}

 

He is doing all he can do disrupt God’s plan.

 

-God’s plan for us.

 

-God’s plan for others.

 

The Thief Comes To Disrupt God’s Plan

 

God’s plan is for us to be here, loving one another and making disciples.

 

The thief wants to disrupt that.

 

He will allow us to be here and cause pain and trauma to others.

 

-“All in the name of the Lord.”

 

From last week:

The Church Is Supposed To Be A Place Of Growth, Safety and Covering!

 

Many churches hurt their witness.

 

They give out Christ…

 

But plenty of hurt as well…

 

Luke 10:30-34

30 In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.

 

The story of the Good Samaritan.

 

The Jewish man was robbed, beaten and left for dead.

 

The Priest and Levite passed by a man needing help.

 

This being the “church.”

 

Maybe they had their reasons.

 

“Maybe if he weren’t walking alone, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” (Victim    blaming)

 

“Maybe if he weren’t dressed like he had money, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”    (Victim blaming)

 

“Maybe if we stay here to help the man, maybe the robbers will get us too!” (More    concern for self)

 

“I don’t have enough money to help the man.” (Don’t check on him?  Don’t call     someone for him?)

 

The Priest and Levite were considered the “church.”

 

What if the man looked up and saw these church folks passing by and not help.

 

What would this man think of the church?

 

ESPECIALLY after he recovered!

 

That’d be cause for some hurt right!?

 

Why didn’t the church help??

 

Perhaps It could be because they didn’t want to get their clothes “dirty.”

 

It went against “religious practices.”

 

But their practices didn’t go with this man’s right to love and help.

 

Too focused on religion!

 

We’ve Got To Stop Practicing Religion And Start Practicing Relationship!

 

Many of us are too focused on the rules and forget the simplest and most basic of what God told us.

 

Matthew 22:36-40

36 Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

These are people who kept the law talking to Christ.

 

All of them were important.

 

All of them were to be kept.

 

Yet they ask Jesus what’s the greatest one?

 

And Jesus answered!

 

There is a greatest commandment!

 

The Greatest Commandments:

1.Love God With Everything!

 

This means with all you have to give it all and to love God over all.

 

But there is a second commandment!

 

It is like the first…

 

IT is important!

 

The Greatest Commandments:

1.Love God With Everything!

2.Love Others As Yourself!

 

The problem many churches have today is say we Love God,

 

But we don’t love one another as ourselves.

 

Our job is to cover.

 

To look out for one another.

 

Too many times we can be focused on the rule book.

 

The Church Is Supposed To Cover - Not Call Out!

 

Who Are We To Call Out Anyone?

 

{John 8:1}

 

Jesus was at the temple courts.

 

A woman was brought to him caught in adultery.

 

The crowd wasnt just filled with random people.

 

Who brought her?

 

The Teachers of the Law

 

 The Pharisees (strict followers of the letter of the law)

 

More “church people.”

 

These people knew the law!

 

Yet they were ready to kill someone because they were caught.

 

The church was ready to kill this woman.

 

Jesus says let the first person who hasn’t done anything throw the first one.

 

No one could do anything because they realized they were no better than this woman.

 

This is one way we hurt so many others.

 

We throw the rule book at them.

 

We make them feel like they are terrible people because of their sin.

 

But Christ is dealing with ALL of us and ALL of our sin.

 

We have to watch for people like that.

 

Be Careful Of The People Who Spend Their Time Looking In Magnifying Glasses, But Never A Mirror!

 

Be careful of the people who will judge everyone else but themselves.

 

That’s Not the Church.

 

None of us are without sin.

 

The Church Is A Group Of Flawed People Trying To Be Better!

 

We have been saved by grace.

 

We are saved because God said we are.

 

So what does cover and protect mean?

 

This does not mean that we encourage sin.

 

This does not mean that we “excuse sin.”

 

This means that there is a way we are to deal with people.

 

As A Church We Are To Talk To People, Not About Them!

 

What happened with the Woman caught in Adultery again?

 

John 8:3

3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say? 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

 

The law keepers (church folks) brought the woman in caught in the sin.

 

-They made her stand before the group.

 

They exposed this woman in front of everyone.

 

Why?

 

“Because she SINNED!”

 

“How dare she go against the law??”

 

What does Jesus do?

 

He was writing some things in the ground.

 

What is he writing?

 

No one knows…

 

Some scholars believe he was writing sins of some of the loudest accusers.

 

“You are an adulterer also.”

 

“You don’t keep any of the laws yourself.”

 

“You are a thief.”

 

“You were with her…”

 

Eventually Jesus speaks:

 

John 8:7

 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

 

Jesus stood up and put them all on the spot.

 

Let the first one who is clean throw a stone at her.

 

Stones can be thrown…but only from the people who are truly righteous.

 

Romans 3:10 (there is no one righteous, not one)

 

So he drops this “selah moment” and stops.

 

John 8:9

9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 No one, sir, she said. Then neither do I condemn you, Jesus declared. Go now and leave your life of sin.

 

Jesus wait until the crowd was gone.

 

Jesus dealt with her one on one.

 

Jesus did not attempt to expose her.

 

Jesus did not attempt to shame her.

 

Jesus dealt with her in love.

 

Another example of Jesus dealing with someone:

 

John 4:4-9

4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacobs well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, Will you give me a drink? 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

 

Jesus was on his way to Galilee.

 

He stopped in Samaria.

 

Met a Samaritan woman there.

 

He asked her for a drink.

 

She replies who are you to talk to me?

 

John 4:10-15

10 Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 Sir,” the woman said, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds? 13 Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. 15 The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I wont get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water. 

 

Jews and Samaritans didn’t talk.

 

They’re having a personal conversation.

 

She has now asked for this eternal water Jesus is offering.

 

Verse 16

16 He told her, Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.

 

He asks for her husband.

 

She says she doesn’t have one.

 

Jesus says matter of fact!

 

He knows about her sin.

 

He knows every bad choice she made.

 

He knows every time she made a selfish decision.

 

He knows every time she may have lied, cheated…all of that.

 

He knew this from the beginning.

 

And he deals with her personally.

 

One on one.

 

Not attempting to shame.

 

Not attempting to embarrass.

 

But to deal with it…WITH HER.

 

We spend to much time calling out.

 

We don’t spend enough time calling to the individual.

 

God Has Called Us To Love On Real People With Real Problems!

 

We have to start making sure we cover the right way.

 

For Those Of Us Dealing With Church Hurt:

 

We established how all of us are imperfect people.

 

Yet that doesn’t always make it easy when people hurt us.

 

No matter what type of hurt we have dealt with.

 

God can heal it. 

 

Don’t Let Flawed People Take Your Eyes Off God.  He Can Heal All Things!

 

From last week:

 

Isaiah 57:15 (MSG)

A Message from the high and towering God, who lives in Eternity, whose name is Holy: I live in the high and holy places, but also with the low-spirited, the spirit-crushed, And what I do is put new spirit in them, get them up and on their feet again.

 

How do we begin to deal with our Church Hurt?

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing With Church Hurt:

1.We Have To Admit It To Ourselves

Dealing With Church Hurt:

2.We Have To Pray For Strength To Give It To God

Psalm 30:2 {O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.}

 

Once we have prayed for the strength to give it to God…

 

We have to trust him.

 

He tells us what we should do.

 

We now have to do what the bible says:

 

We have to do a very difficult thing.

 

Dealing With Church Hurt:

3.Go Talk To The Person Who Hurt You

 

There is no substitute for what the Word of God says.

 

Matthew 18:15

15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 

If someone does something to hurt you.

 

Go talk to them.

 

Many times we can work problems out just by talking.

 

SOMETHINGs may be based on a misunderstanding.

 

It’s Not always about being right or wrong.

 

Sometimes it’s just about addressing conflict.

 

Sometimes it’s the way someone said something to us.

 

Something is taken out on us unintentionally.

 

Having conversations can help fix that.

 

IF this is possible, this is how the word says we are to treat it.

 

And the very hardest thing we have to do with our own hurt:

 

Dealing With Church Hurt:

4.Work To Forgive Those Responsible

 

This is one of the hardest things we may have to do.

 

It’s so much easier to not deal with them.

 

But to let it go??

 

This may be next to impossible to do.

 

But the word tells us we have to.

 

Matthew 6:15

15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 

Jesus is reminding us that we are all flawed again.

 

Sin is in the world and we are all full of it.

 

But how can we ask for forgiveness for our sins if we REFUSE to forgive someone for theirs.

 

Forgiveness Isn’t Just For Others, It’s For Us As Well!

 

Ephesians 4:32

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

I know it may seem impossible to just “move on” like things didn’t happen.

 

Many of us might not be able to do it today.

 

But we have help.

 

God Wouldn’t Tell Us To Do It If He Wouldn’t Help Us Through It!

 

Even if we have to work on it daily.

 

Eventually we’ll get there.

 

Because God will help us.

 

 

 

Dealing With Church Hurt:

1.We Have To Admit It To Ourselves

2.We Have To Pray For Strength To Give It To God

 

3.Go Talk To The Person Who Hurt You

 

4.Work To Forgive Those Responsible

 

 

Things to do for this week…

 

Just like last week.

 

This Week:

1.Remember We Are Flawed People

2.There Is Nothing God Can’t Heal

 

 

{Conclusion}

 

Church hurt is real.

 

Too many of God’s people are carrying bruises from long ago.

 

God desires his church to be on one accord.

 

Remember we have to walk together.

 

We are all the same.

If we are dealing with Church Hurt,

 

We serve a God who can love ALL the pain away.

 

How do we recover?

 

How do we heal?

 

How do we forgive?

 

How do we move forward?

 

*If you are needing someone to talk to,

we are here for you.

 

Guiding Light Church Pastoral Care

(205) 838-1386

 

 

 

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