HOPE FOR THE HURTING
We trust today’s message encourages and guides you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: HOPE FOR THE HURTING
Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 4:7-9; 16-18
Summary:
God created man and woman, placing them in a garden where they were free, had intimate fellowship with God, and felt no shame. Then sin entered the picture, with the temptation and disobedience of Adam and Eve resulting in mankind's fall. God has been and is pursuing us, as seen throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. God wants to correct the damage done.
Hurt and emotional pain come from different sources. As human beings, we do a lot to cover up or get rid of our pain. But God is the master and healer of all our pain and wants to be our comfort and strength.
Notes:
· Hurt and emotional pain come from many different sources
Childhood abuse - physical, emotional, mental, and sexual; neglect; domestic violence – past or present; family conflict and/or divorce; addiction of any kind in our family; relationship rejection/abandonment; grief; physical illness
· We do a lot to cover over or get rid of our pain
Denial, minimization, justification, defensiveness, deflection, invalidation, etc.
· BUT… God is the master and healer of all our pain and wants to be our comfort and strength.
Two Very Important Points
1. We were not created for this world. God is pursuing us, as evident from Genesis through Revelation, so that He can correct the damage done—not just for eternity but also right now, in this world. Jesus is here with us.
2. Because we experience a world we were not created for, our spirits are dark apart from God. Our emotions are damaged, and we are not free. Our thoughts are distorted, and our beliefs are erroneous. Our behavior is protective and selfish.
Bottom Line:
We try to run from pain because we have no way to rationally deal with it. Our coping mechanisms become hyperactive, and it stunts our ability to flourish. We are preoccupied with survival. Survival is not God’s best for us. We cover our true selves in order to avoid shame about what we are going through.
BUT GOD!!
Application:
TAKE AWAY #1
God cares and is exceedingly interested in our healing to the point of touching the pain in the depths of our souls. Look at the following scriptural evidence.
Matthew 9:35-36, NIV
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Isaiah 61:1-3, NIV
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”
Luke 4:16-21, NIV
Ecclesiastes 7:1-3, NLT
Psalm 147:3, NIV
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 34:17-19, NIV
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all”
Question: What is God looking to touch and heal within us?
Our spirits – God’s redemptive work, and the ultimate goal is to provide us with life for eternity.
Our damaged emotions -God is always addressing what we feel
Become slow to anger
Do not be afraid or discouraged
Be anxious about nothing
Be kind and compassionateOur errant thoughts
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2)
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things” (Philippians 4:8)
“Fix your thoughts on Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1)
“For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Our thoughts about ourselves and others, this world
Our identity
Our coping behavior – what we do to avoid feeling pain; what we do to cover shame
God can touch us instantly, and healing can also be a process
Exodus 23:27-30, NIV
“I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”
TAKE AWAY #2
God will use us as a church to help in the healing process.
Galatians 6:2-5, NIV
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
The key to being a trauma-informed church and helping others is SAFETY
We shouldn’t try to “fix” someone
We shouldn’t just use snappy spiritual sayings
We shouldn’t minimize someone’s pain
We shouldn’t allow our hidden pain to affect someone else’s story
INSTEAD,
We need to share our stories
We need to pray for one another in these times
We should listen and validate someone’s pain
We need to walk people through their pain.
WE NEED S.A.F.E. CONNECTION
S – Sensitivity
Jesus was compassionate and sensitive to other’s needs and pain. He knew what to do.
A – Attunement
Jesus tuned into people’s needs. He knows how to “read” people well and met each individual need differently.
F – Freedom
People felt free to approach Jesus and to get needs fulfilled. He was not scary, minimizing, or invalidating. People freely approached him because He made it about them.
E – Empathy
Jesus came to this earth to understand where we were and our unique struggles.
S.A.F.E CONNECTION
S – SENSITIVITY
A – ATTUNEMENT
F – FREEDOM
E – EMPATHY
Questions to ask ourselves:
· Are you sensitive to other’s needs?
· Can you show compassion for the hurting around you?
· Can you be tuned into what people are feeling and what they need?
· Can you meet another’s needs uniquely without putting your spin or solutions to it?
· Are you approachable so people feel free to talk to you?
· Can you avoid denial, minimization, and invalidation?
· Can you talk with people not using your agenda but what the Holy Spirit wants to do?
· Do you operate with empathy for others?
We need more people to be comforters in our church because more and more people will come to our church or may already be here.
But God is the ultimate healer – not us! We don’t have to fix it because God is the fixer.
Jack Risner, Convoy of Hope, April 7, 2024
· Out of despair comes healing
· Out of devastation comes wholeness
· Out of isolation comes togetherness
· Out of chaos comes peace
· Out of nothing comes everything
ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT
A Word of Encouragement
2 Corinthians 4:7-9; 16-18
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Discussion:
· What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
· What part of the scripture stuck out to you and why?
· Why is it important to address our emotional pain?
· What is God’s desire for you to heal you?
· How did you evaluate yourself as a S.A.F.E caregiver to those in need?
· What other notes did you highlight or write down that you would like to share?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!
