Why doesn’t God help us when we are hurting?

Sermon Notes: Why doesn’t God help us when we are hurting? John 11.

What do you do in the times of trouble, when you call out to God and it seems like you get no answers?

Lazarus and his two sisters, who really need His love, who need His care, who need His healing, who need His help at this time, are just left so hurt when He doesn’t turn up. And when Lazarus’ condition gets worse his sisters send a message to Jesus, verse 3, ‘Lord, the one you love is sick.’ But still no answers come!

1: When God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want, or when we want, how do we react?

Jesus doesn’t come when they call, He does come when it’s too late, when Lazarus has died, when the funeral is over and Lazarus is buried. But with God it is never too late, with God there still is hope, verse 39-40.

It’s true to say we do not always understand God’s ways, and we cannot manipulate Jesus into our ways. There may be reasons why God does not answer our prayers as we would like God to answer. But one thing is sure and one thing is certain and that is, it is not because He doesn’t love us, that He didn’t answer those prayers in the way and in the time we asked.

Could God have not done something to help in your time of trouble? Because that’s certainly the questions that Martha and Mary are struggling with, verse 21, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ Do you sense the disappointment in the sister’s statement? Do you sense the gentle rebuke in their voices?

Are you struggling with feelings of hurt, anger and disappointment, because you feel that Jesus hasn’t helped you in your time of trouble?

2: Through Jesus and because of Jesus, and by the death and resurrection of Jesus, we no longer need fear death.

Jesus hates death, it is the opposite of all that He is and all that He stands for as the Living – Life Giving God that He is! Verses 33, ‘when Jesus saw her weeping, he was deeply moved, deeply troubled in spirit.’ There is an irrepressible anger in the heart of God towards death and the hurt and the pain that it brings into the hearts of people like you and me.

But here the HOPE! Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives and believe in me will never die.

Do you really believe this? Do you really believe it as you think about your own life?

3: What stones, what obstacles stand in the way of Jesus doing a new and more powerful work in our lives as individuals and as a church family?

Martha and Mary, the people of the town could never ever in a hundred years, anticipated what Jesus is about to do next, verse 39, ‘Take away the stone.’ That’s something that Jesus is not going to do, but someone else has to remove the stone. And Martha says what we say when Jesus points something out, ‘but Lord!’

Verse 40, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ if only you would take that step of faith and take away that stone, you would see me at work in your life, in your situation, in a more powerful way than you’ve ever experienced.

Jesus speaks into the darkness of that tomb and calls out: ‘Lazarus come out!’

The challenge question: what stones do you need to take away from the entrance of your life?