God's Plan: Making Sense Out of Suffering

do me a favor wherever you out tell somebody near you I'm glad you made it to church today I think I'm just gonna read two verses verse 31 and 32 New Living Translation Simon Simon Satan is asked to sift each of you like weed but I have pleaded in prayer for you Simon that your faith should not fail so when you have repented and turned to me again strengthen your brothers hmm everybody said God's plan this week for me this past week had an unusual amount of difficulties not for me personally but for people that I was in conversations with the nature of my work I hear a lot of bad news don't always hear good news people don't call me when they get a job they called me when they lose one it's kind of nature they don't call when the marriage is going great they call when it's in trouble so it kind of comes with the territory but this week seemed unusually challenging for so many people so many people are suffering and going through great difficulty difficulty in their personal life difficulty in their relationships difficulty in the health people struggling with loss depression darkness hopelessness and it was just it was just so heavy this week and and and I want to preface what I'm about to say because I don't want to sound condescending at all to anybody who's not a follower of Jesus Christ if you're here and you're watching and you're not a believer in Jesus Christ we welcome you I'm this church for everybody amen this if you want to church for everybody don't come in is we for everybody people don't believe in Jesus people who love them people who hate them people just looking just to see if we fake and all that wherever you are you're welcome but but what makes following Jesus really valuable to me is not just the fact that I have a home in heaven but one of the things that makes following Jesus so special to me is that he can help me make sense out of suffering like like like I can't tell you what what suffering means to people who don't know the Lord but I don't I don't know how that all comes together but but when you have relationship with God there is no pain that he doesn't have a plan for I might not even know the plan but I know he got one like that my pain is always intentional nothing arbitrarily happens in my life I'm confident of that that's that that's that's a difference maker right there that I know that I may not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future right and I may not know how tomorrow is gonna turn out and I may not know how things are gonna work out and I may not have everything I want I may not have everything I desire but I have God and God says that I am everything you need you understand I'm saying and that he causes all things to work together for good so even if it ain't good right now it's gonna end up good cuz he says I'm working it all together for good that everything we suffer and go through that it is intentional in fact I'm excited about the fact that even if it's warfare because sometimes we go through stuff and we cut and it's one thing to go through something and you know you are the cause of it because some stuff we go through we know is my fault yes there's a like I'm telling when you I'm telling people going through stuff when they did what they were supposed to do I'm talking about when you can't even connect the dots between your suffering and your own mistakes like what did I do wrong there people say what did I do to deserve this and why mother and why me and why this and why now and I'm saying God is the relationship with God that we have gives us hope even in our pain that he can make sense out of our suffering it is his plan in fact even if it's warfare what this text that I just read will highlight to us even if it's warfare even if it's something the devil is doing what I have hoping is there's a word right there in verse 31 the Bible says Jesus tells his disciples he says listen Satan has his Simon Simon saying this axe to sift each of you like we name is talking to Simon but he's talking about the whole crew he's saying he wants all of y'all but the thing that blessed me pastor Jeff was that Jesus says Saint asked if he could do it yeah this is just I got you I got you I'm a slow down for you that he asks it if you could do it yes I'm saying the fact that Satan has to ask gives me some hope here the shadows am because he can't do nothing in my life without God's permission that guess what Satan has you on his prayer list he has you on his hit list but the beauty of it is he's got to go through God first but there's nothing happening in my life that it can't even be something dark and demonic happening in my life that must not have first crossed God's death before it comes into my life that's good I don't know how you feel about it but I'm rejoicing over the fact that he's got to give permission let me do it like this let me do it like this so Satan saying saying saying I want you I want you I want her God I want her I want him and I don't just want him for a good reason I want to destroy him I want to sift him like wheat I want to sifter like wheat and God says good that's a good plan that's what I need to happen because I got a purpose in the sifting see I got a purpose in the sifting you have to understand what sifting is I don't know don't worry about my points I'm gonna say a ball but they gonna come up in order so so so yeah understand we're sifting and sifting sipping something like wheat the receiver wheat sifting is a process the way we deceptive wheat grows on trees there's a wheat branch at first and then that wheat branch goes through a process before you come before it become something edible before you eat wheat bread or have a wheat biscuit it goes through a process it's just a wheat ranch and that we branch goes with something called a sieve a sieve goes through a process of shredding the branches so that the chaff falls off with the real wheat stays the unnecessary chaff is discarded the real precious wheat remains sometimes is used a winning fork and a fork is done that's separated sometimes you'll see people taking wheat branches and beating them and they beat it until the wheat falls off and the chaff just blows away it's a separating it's so so so so a part of sieving is a beating process and then after it's beaten you have to take the wheat through a process in the oven where it's heated so there's a beating then there's a heating you understand the same but before but the ultimate goal is that there would be some eating of the week but there cannot be any eating until there's some heating and some beating that's the process so here's what God says I'm a French thank you through a beating you understand that's sifting and then you gotta go through some heating you gonna go through some fiery trials but the ultimate goal is I'm gonna use you to feed somebody so they can eat out of your life that's where you can strengthen your brothers you can strip this somebody you didn't know that there was a purpose for your struggle the ultimate purpose where your struggle is so that God can break you down so that you're okay okay the whole context of this whole situation is happening in something called upper room then upper room and they're having the last supper that's what it's called the Last Supper The Last Supper is Jesus laying around a table with his disciples and they're there eating bread and they're drinking wine wine comes from grapes that are crushed crushed grapes produces wine and they took bread they dipped it in the wine and they broke it and passed it out the grapes must be crushed the bread must be broken before it is passed around the table the grapes must be crushed because you can't drink grapes it'll choke you the bread must be pad broken before it's passed out the reason why God can't use you is because he hadn't crushed you yet and he hasn't broken you because he can't pass you out because it's too much of you so when the devil says I want a sifter I want to sift him God says I'm glad you do because here's the thing God will let Satan do anything in your life that ain't gonna alternately bring God glory God says I can use Satan's hatred to accomplish my loving purpose and plan in your life so say says what's this one since his malice says I want a system like we I want to separate that's what sifting is it's separating it's picking us apart and what Satan is because he's the accuser this what he wants to do this is what he wants to do he says he says I want to separate I wanna anybody came out of job he says Satan's ultimate goal is is to prove to God that we ain't about what we say we're about which seems ultimate whenever Satan attacks you you have to understand that there's a lot more at stake than your house your marriage your children your health what's at stake is your testimony and we're Satan is saying when it came to God about jovi says I'll tell you what if you take all that he'll curse you to your face watch this watch this he's coming out to Peter this time he says let me get ahold of Simon Simon and I guess what he'll curse about you he'll curse people out saying he doesn't know you the goal is always to reveal that we're not really authentic so Satan to say this he said he said God I'll tell you what she's loving you and praise you now but watch how she acts if she loses her job mm-hmm because she really praise you because you got a hedge around watch how he acts watch how it acts if his wife don't treat him with respect watch how they act if the money gets funny everybody praising and worshipping now but watch how they act if I take something from them that's valuable too and here's what Jesus says because Satan has a petition but Jesus has a prayer request right in verse 32 so here's Satan's petition he said Jesus said Satan is asking he's asking he's asking for you and he wants all y'all but I'm telling you Simon particularly because you'd want you the biggest target and I'm praying for you specifically verse 32 I'm print you got the biggest mouth which makes you the biggest target so I'm praying for you specifically but what are you praying Jesus I'm pray you would think he would pray that Satan wouldn't do it you would think he would pray Satan get your hands off that's mine right there that's my child you can't touch it that's what we pray give back Satan I rebuke you I bind you I plead the blood we through all that stuff cuz we don't want no satanic activity in our life but here's what Jesus says when Satan's coming out to you that's a good thing here's what I'm praying for that your faith won't fail I'm praying that you don't walk away from me I'm praying watch in the Greek language it means to a posture sighs I'm praying that you don't a Buster sighs I'm praying that you don't go apostate I'm praying that you don't walk away from the faith I've seen it elder Simmons I've seen it in my life I've seen people go through stuff so rough they walked away from God they walked away from their faith they walked away from the church God they took the hot aisle or go take my mother I ain't gonna take my mother she was good to the church she was a Tyler she was favored why give big momma cancer and people will walk away from the church because God didn't do what they wanted him to do I've seen people hurt by the church walk away from the faith how you gonna walk away from the God this church is just a building how you gonna walk away from people when it was God this people he said that's the devil's trick to make you walk away from the faith so here to prayer requests over your life Satan is praying over you pyaari wat da spellin PR e y ng is that high spelling he's praying and Jesus's PRA wa ing he's praying for you the devil is preying on you and here you are in the middle of two prayers one person praying over you and one person praying to get you the devil is praying to sift you like wheat God letting it happen and Jesus is just praying for your faith and you're in the middle of this conflict and all you saying was God what about my house they try and take my house and Jesus said I'm concerned about your faith you say God what about my marriage and she said I'm concerned about your faith with God what about my job and my business and my money jesus said I'm only praying about your faith I can replace that job I can replace that money I can restore your marriage I can restore your house what matters to me is that you don't leave me no go out Slayer yet will you trust me don't leave me don't leave me don't leave me don't leave me watch this y'all watch this watch this watch this he says he says I'm praying Simon I'm praying for you that your faith fail and then that's it that's that's the prayer of Jesus but listen to this isn't this what you what you have to feed when you're in them when you're in a spiritual warfare which ant defeat is your faith anybody that's under spiritual attack what you're supposed to be feeding is your faith not your feelings you can feed your feelings and all this terrible oldest bad odor so muster odors are you getting in touch your feelings and your going to the therapist and you're going because all that's wonderful but what you need faith is your faith cuz that's what the devil's trying to take he's trying to destroy your hope for a future of a god who's good no matter what you're going through you have to feed your faith you got a worship through that stuff you got to get into the word you be sending scriptures to everybody else you better start reading yourself now [Applause] you come up on stage lead worship for other people in singing worship songs of you now you got to sing them songs see yourself right through here I'm preaching to y'all sometimes I got a push to myself cuz it ain't about y'all now if I'm in a war I gotta preach the word to myself I wish I had some people here that knew how to fight with the Word of God and put your faith on notice that I'm gonna stand in faith sees your face what are you feeding your faith in this battle worshiping and journaling and praying and studying this is how it all unfolds and watch what Jesus says in this verse what Jesus says he says I'm praying that your faith doesn't fail so here's God's playing y'all here's God planned he's God's plan in the midst of it all so when you have repented and turn to me strengthen your brothers that's his plan watch this and it's also a prediction Peter you gonna have to repent cuz watch this every time your faith is tested in warfare you're gonna mess up it's a promise you're gonna mess up I can promise you go ahead to repent okay yeah here's how Peter reacted and Peter said Lord you pray for them thanks verse Peter said Lord I'm ready to go to prison with you and even to die with you you need to pray for them I'm good I don't care what Satan is trying to do I don't really you know I appreciate your friends that I don't need them I'm ready now listen how selfish and prideful he is Jesus just said the devil's coming after all y'all you would think if he had any compassion he says where we gonna be all right we're gonna be our daily fellows we're gonna be honest he says I don't know about him I'm ready that's a revelation right there that he needs to be beaten and he needs to be heated because he can't be he can't stripping his brothers because he don't care about his brothers see God already knows the reason why he needs us to go through a process because there's stuff about us that ain't right so God says I love you Peter and I want to use you but there's already something wrong with you and you don't even know yet but even after I told you what's about to go down here you come out your mouth saying I'm ready he says his God's plan I want to use you after you repent after you turn again to strengthen your brothers that's my goal and Peter says I don't need any prayer I ain't worried about the devil I'm already ready I'm already confident I got this one of the signs one of the things that God does and reveals to us by the way by the way by the way Jesus came back to Peter and says you ain't gonna make it through the night next verse genuine amen you don't keep that promise for the 24 hours and 20 less the 21 you gonna break that promise but what's this we said okay um he says he says he says you you already bout to go down the tubes I can prophesy to you that you're about to blow it and they're signs they're already signs in place that you're about to blow it but God's plan is this God wants to move us from a place of brokenness to a place of usefulness so that we can minister to others and Peter's pride is a revelation that he needs to be broken I need to take you that I need Satan to take you through the sifting process so that you can care enough about other people in fact in fact Peter here's how here's how you know Peters about to go down he's going down when Jesus got arrested in verse 54 whilst you're Peter starts doing the same one that said I'm ready to go to jail with you and I in verse 54 the Bible says they arrested Jesus and led him to the high priests home and Peter followed at a distance where did he follow let me come back to that for a second see when Peter when Peter in verse 33 said I'm ready that's called confidence in context when dopes were no soldiers there the high priests weren't there what nobody beaten Jesus wonder by yanking his beard out we're not window flogging whip out there when nobody is getting snatched up and hung on the cross he was cool there was upstairs in somebody's house having a friendly dinner it's easy to be confident with a nun popping off but as soon as the stuff got to popping off the Bible says Peters still following Jesus but watch this he's following at a distance I'll guarantee you I'm telling you you're on your way to a fall where you're not as tight with Jesus as you once were you're following at a distance you used to wake up worshiping him saying I love you Jesus I worship and adore you I start my day with you thank you Lord for giving me another chance but lately you've been worshiping you've been following at a distance but it's not just following this is look at the next verse verse should be fine he's also fellowshipping with darkness he's following at a distance he's fellowshiping with darkness gracias the guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard you only light a fire for two reasons is either coal or dark it was both this critical yard and sat around it and guess what Peter joined them man nanny's fellowship with Doug this is the enemy these are the people about to kill Jesus and now Peter is warming his hands at the fire with him you'd be surprised at the places you used to say you wouldn't go the people you said you wouldn't hang out with now you're not only following at a distance but your fellowship with darkness who am I talking to in here you on your way down you on your way down and you're arrogant and you're proud and you don't think you need something God is going to show you that's why you're going down that's why when they started asking Peter ain't you one of Jesus disciples he start saying I don't know she's our mom I have no idea what you're talking about they gave him three chances to identify himself with the same Jesus that he said I'm willing to die for and three times he says I don't need no she's up my in fact in Matthew chapter 26 verse 74 madly 2674 the NIV says he started swearing and cursing he beginning to go down cursed and he swore to them I don't know I swear to God I don't know Jesus that's gangster right there how can we get here you just say let me tell you something you know why I wrote this down there's one on the way to church the reason why God's not always interested in getting us out of stuff is because he's trying to get stuff out of us if I get you out of that I can't get that out of you see see we want to get out I know I know whoever I'm preaching to you in a war right now in spirits who is dark and it's deep and you went out how many feel me right there but the reason why you can't get out of that is because if you get out of that he can't get that out of you and a lot of times it's pride self-centeredness not being other sinners not caring about what's going on with other people so Jesus says I'm taking but when he says Peter you ain't gon make it through the night a lot of people think they know that's just man that's cold he just said Peter yeah he'll make it through the night but if you listen to it in the context of verse 32 you look at verse 34 in the context of verse 32 when he says you ain't gonna make it through the night but he says but I'm but when you repent when you come back I want you to strengthen your brothers what Jesus saying is is that even though I know you about to blow it real bad I still want to use you here's what I want to encourage everybody's going through spiritual warfare right now you're going through suffering and difficulty God has a plan for your pain and the plan for your pain is to break you down to transform your life to Humble you so that people will be blessed by your story and your journey that's his plan and check this out you gonna have to repent because that's the kind of test that will make you act out of character make you start cussing make you start acting like you're not even saved see how many I got some petering you see see you don't cuss all the time it's just during those times you know I got a character you're at you acting evil you're unforgiving you're being petty tip 4 - who am I talking to here all of us got some little perk about us that God reveals when the walk is hell when the wolf fares on and he says after you repent watch this I'm gonna use you in the same area that you failed because I couldn't use you before cuz remember when I told you Satan was coming Simon you said I'm ready you didn't care about your crew but when I take you through this watch what happened watch what happen after he started cussing people out when you get down to Matthew 2 in Luke 22 verse 61 Luke 22 verse 61 says this I don't know if we got it but it says at that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter suddenly the Lord's words flash through Peters mind before the rooster crows tomorrow morning you will deny three times that you even know me why should what happens verse 62 and Peter left the courtyard weeping bitterly now he's ready when he was an opera me was standing boldly I'm ready if you ask me I'm ready what you need when he left the courtyard he was weeping bitterly sometimes God will let you fall so hard that everything about you is crashed and crushed now out of the ashes of your life he can serve you designing about us that's the process you're in sin saying so now now here's Jesus's proposition I wanna I want to close with this coz coz notice notice notice this verse 31 of Luke 22 says Jesus comes they say Simon Simon Satan is an assistance if you all y'all like weak but Simon I'm praying for you specifically everybody say Simon Simon Simon Satan is wants all of y'all once if y'all see all y'all like we but I'm praying for you Simon particularly verse 33 Peter says Lord I'm ready to die for you Simon Simon Satan is coming out to you he wants if you all y'all like we I'm praying for you specifically Simon Peter steps up and says I'm ready to die and go to prison Jesus speaks to Peter in the next verse and it says Peter you ain't gonna make it through the night let me tell you something before the rooster crows tomorrow morning you were to die three times you even know me hmm Simon I'm praying for you Simon is about to get bad Peter says I'm ready Jesus be to Peter and says you ain't go maybe tonight let me break something down to you it's the same person what do we have here scriptural schizophrenia who is who we have multiple personal life personality disorder here Jesus is talking to Simon pray over Simon Peter speaks up same dude and Jesus starts speaking to him Oh God he will speak to whoever stands up in you there's always Lord at one of you that shows up and every situation anyway ok let me do it like this in John chapter 21 in John chapter 21 the Bible says after Jesus rose from the dead Jesus comes back and has his first real one-on-one encounter repeater this first time he's at the Sea of Galilee Peter is out fishing Jesus standing on the shore of the sea and he says something to Peter but he doesn't say it to Peter watch what he says in verse 15 of John 21 he says Simon son of John I know your daddy is to do you love me more than these yes Lord Peter replied that's not Jesus calling Peter that's not Peter calling himself Peter that is the writer call us up I wish we could just in red so you can see who's talking but Jesus says ACK Simon Peter that's what the authors calling him Simon son of Jonah do you love me more than these yes Lord Peter reply you know I love you then he says they feed my lambs next verse Jesus says in verse 16 Simon son of John do you love me yes Lord Peter said you know I love you jesus said take care of my sheep ask him one more time in verse 17 Simon son of John do you love me Peter was hurt the Jesus asks the question a third time he says Lord you know everything you know that I love you jesus said then feed my sheep Simon son of John do you love me yes Lord you know I love you female lambs Simon I'm John do you love me yes Lord you know I love you more I feed my sheep Simon son of John do you love me more than these yes Lord you know I know I love you feed my lambs Simon feed my lambs Simon do you love me feed my lambs in Matthew chapter 16 excuse me I'm just we just in the Bible watch this Matthew chapter 16 Jesus walks into a place called Caesarea Philippi in verse 13 he raises a question when he sees all these idols everywhere and he sees idols of everything but himself he asks the question he says he can't read he said yes like who do people say that the son of man is verse 14 well they said with lies some say you're John the Baptist some say Elijah and others say that you're Jeremiah or one of the other prophets then Jesus brought it closer he says well who do you say I am watch this verse 16 Simon Peter answered this is not Jesus calling them that that's the author con man he says you are the Messiah the Son of the Living God watch what Jesus says you are blessed Simon son of John because the father in heaven has revealed this to you you did not learn this of any human being watch what he says next now I say to you that you are Peter which means Rock and upon this rock I'll build my church and the powers of Hell will not conquer it hmm help me Lord Simon you didn't get that from man you got that from heaven you're blessed Peter build my church Simon Simon do you love me feed my lambs Simon do you love me tend my sheep Simon do you love me feed my lambs Peter you ain't gonna make it through the night Peter the gates of Hell will not prevail against Peter build my church I'm standing the question why is he tough on Peter and tender with Simon Simon Simon who do y'all say I'm sorry to says you'll just sell you the christ the son of the Living God Simon son of John that came from heaven Peter fill my church the case of there you have to understand that there's always more than one of you Peter is tough he's tenacious he's reckless and his thoughtless he's courageous Simon is tender he's timid and he's a target Jesus revealed in himself I'm the Lion of Judah but I'm the Lamb of God there's a tender part of you that God needs to serve people so he said Simon feed my sheep Simon tend my lambs Peter build my church the gates of hell we're not God needs that tough part of you to fight against the enemy and to stand up against the forces of darkness but he needs that tender part of you to take care of people because if you're tough you will never serve if you're tough you will never extend your hand when you're too tough you'll say I'm ready I'm ready but you don't care about other people so God's gotta take tough Peter through the fire and through a beating so that he comes out tender so that you can serve people and I'm telling you I don't know what you are right now but God will make you whatever you need to be to be what he needs you to do in this life for other people if you're too tough he gonna tenderize you if you too tender he gonna toughen you up because there's a Simon and a Peter in all of us so whenever you're suffering just surrender you are perfect in all your ways we just say he's perfect in all his ways when he's adding blessings he's perfect and what he takes us through you're perfect in your process you're perfect in your perfecting us so when you're suffering know that your faith must be faith and know that the end result of your sufferings gonna be ministry to others and know this you gonna have to repent cuz I don't care how surprised you are you gonna act out of character I bet you will I bet you will I bet you are you can say you're gonna do something you regret you gonna go somewhere you don't we go you you're gonna you're gonna you're gonna follow at a distance you're gonna fellowship with darkness Who am I talking to in this place today don't do all that and anything I'm still waiting cuz I'm gonna use you what's this what's this Satan wants to use you God wants to use you you ain't saying the difference same wants to use you God wants to use you there's a fight over your life and if you walk away from God who's using the fight to make you stronger and deeper and better Satan wins I ain't saying be bad and say Satan bring it on I ain't stupid I ain't ain't asking for I ain't asking for warfare you don't really have to ask for it but surrender and submit to it cuz there's a plan even in your suffering let's pray father thank you for your word thank you for allowing us to look at other people's lives and see ourselves thank you that you love us through it all thank you that you're perfect in all of your ways all of your ways that you do everything well and that this too shall pass yeah and that you're gonna work this together for your good and your glory somehow you gonna get the glory may we never walk away from you no matter what we lose no matter what we suffer maybe hold on to you in Jesus name Amen

Channel: Keith Battle

Views: 8,970

Rating: 4.9288888 out of 5

Keywords: God's Plan, Making Sense Out of Suffering, sermon, Luke, Bible, teaching, motivation, suffering, inspiration, church, christ, christian church, Jesus, God, Zion Church, Pastor Battle, Pastor Keith Battle, Keith Battle, drake

Id: 9zmiXBLJX88

Length: 34min 32sec (2072 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 13 2018