Feeling What God Feels

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Feeling  What  God  Feels   Francis  Anfuso   December  13-­‐14,  2014       Jeremiah  9:1,  The  Message   “I  wish  my  head  were  a  well  of  water  and  my  eyes  fountains  of  tears  so  I  could  weep  day  and  night  for   casualties  among  my  dear,  dear  people.”     George  Whitefield   George  Whitefield  commonly  finished  up  his  message  by  crying,  "Come  to  Jesus!"  with  his  hands  uplifted   and  his  eyes  streaming  with  tears.     Pastor  Bob  Hasty   “This  is  an  ‘I  Don’t  Want  To  Wait  On  God,  Or  Anyone,  For  Anything  Generation!’”     SONG:  Does  Jesus  Care  When  My  Heart  Is  Pained?   “Does  Jesus  care  when  my  heart  is  pained  too  deeply  for  mirth  and  song;     As  the  burdens  press,  and  the  cares  distress,  and  the  way  grows  weary  and  long?   O  yes,  He  cares—I  know  He  cares!  His  heart  is  touched  with  my  grief;     When  the  days  are  weary,  the  long  nights  dreary,  I  know  my  Savior  cares.  He  cares."     Joni  Eareckson  Tada,  "When  God  Weeps:  Why  Our  Sufferings  Matter  to  the  Almighty"   "By  itself  suffering  does  no  good.  But  when  we  see  it  as  the  thing  between  God  and  us,  it  has  meaning.   Wedged  in  the  crux—the  cross—suffering  becomes  a  transaction.  The  cross  is  a  place  of  transaction.  It  is   the  place  where  power  happens  between  God  and  us."     “NUMB”  the  Book  (KLOVE  FEATURE)   “Why  are  so  many  people  numb  today?  Numb  to  life,  numb  to  God,  numb  to  one  another?  The  word   numb  literally  means,  “taken  or  seized  as  by  cold  or  grief.”  It’s  been  defined  as  “deprived  of  the  power  to   feel  or  move  normally  through  cold  or  shock;  emotionally  unresponsive;  indifferent;  paralyzed.”  Living  a   numb  existence  leaves  us  desensitized,  powerless,  unresponsive,  and  unable  to  feel  fully  alive.  Sadly,   numb  defines  many  in  our  generation!”     Emotional  Over-­‐Reaction  or  Under-­‐Reaction?   You  can  TEAR-­‐UP  during  an  ASPCA  “Battered  Dog”  Commercial,  or  BE  SO  EMOTIONAL  RUNG  OUT   you’re  LISTLESS  during  a  “Wounded  Warrior”  Commercial,  where  heroes  have  lost  limbs  in  order  for  us   to  raise  our  children  in  safety  and  insure  our  freedom  to  worship  God  even  today.     “NUMB”  the  Book  (KLOVE  FEATURE)   Much  of  the  numbness  that  people  experience  today  comes  from  a  conscience  that  has  ceased  to  feel.   In  the  New  Testament,  Paul  warned  against  this  type  of  dead,  hardened  conscience,  which  has  been   seared  and  become  callous.  (1Timothy  4:1–2,  ESV)     “NUMB”  the  Book  (KLOVE  FEATURE)  

It’s  even  more  frightening  when  the  deadness  is  not  caused  by  delusion,  but  by  a  deliberate   commitment  to  resist  the  will  of  God.  In  life,  if  we  wait  to  get  caught,  instead  of  turning  ourselves  in,  our   conscience  will  become  corrupted  and  polluted.  Scripture  confirms  this.     Titus  1:15,  ESV     “Everything  is  pure  to  those  whose  hearts  are  pure.  But  nothing  is  pure  to  those  who  are  corrupt  and   unbelieving,  because  their  minds  and  consciences  are  corrupted.”     Romans  12:15,  ESV   “Rejoice  with  those  who  rejoice,  weep  with  those  who  weep.”     The  same  painful  childhood  memories  that  used  to  make  me  writhe  in  pain,  now  give  me  the  passion  to   nurture  and  care  for  others.  Painful  doors  from  our  past  must  be  cried  open!  God  is  raising  a  family  of   caring  sons  and  daughters  out  of  the  charred  ashes  of  the  unwanted,  unloved,  and  uncared  for.     “NUMB”  the  Book  (KLOVE  FEATURE)   Are  you  putting  up  with  something  that’s  less  than  God’s  best  for  your  life?  All  of  us  at  times  are.  We   can’t  just  swat  mosquitoes.  Sometimes,  we  have  to  drain  the  swamp.    We  can’t  experience  true   convergence  in  our  lives  if  we  continually  give  into  convenience.  Convergence  is  the  harmony  between   our  spirit,  soul  and  body.  It  can  happen  only  when  we  refuse  the  easy  way  and  follow  the  road  God   chooses.       “NUMB”  the  Book  (KLOVE  FEATURE)   It  will  always  cost  something  to  not  give  into  convenience,  but  if  it’s  God’s  will,  it’s  always  worth  it.  We   can’t  blame  the  next  generation  when  frankly  the  numb  apple  hasn’t  fallen  far  from  the  numb  tree!   “Jesus,  awaken  me  to  this  convergent  moment.  Drain  every  swamp  in  my  life,  so  I  can  live  the  priceless   life  you’ve  given  me.”     Hebrews  2:18,  NLT   "  Since  he  himself  (Jesus)  has  gone  through  suffering  and  testing,  he  is  able  to  help  us  when  we  are  being   tested."     Notes:   ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________     ______________________________________________________________________________