WHEN LIFE GOES DARK
JAMES MERRITT
2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7
FEBRUARY 4, 2007
INTRODUCTION
1. IT IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS, FOR ME, FROZEN IN TIME THAT I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET. MY MOTHER, MY WIFE, MY BROTHER AND MY DAD AND I WERE SITTING IN THE OFFICE OF ONE OF THE FINEST LUNG SPECIALISTS IN THE UNITED STATES. HE HAD DONE A THOROUGH EXAMINATION ON MY DAD AND CAME IN AND IN A MATTER OF FACT VOICE SAID, "YOU HAVE CANCER OF THE LUNG THAT IS INOPERABLE AND IT IS TERMINAL." AS SOON AS HE SAID THAT IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE REACHED UP AND TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS IN MY LIFE.
2. THERE IS SOMETHING I HAVE LEARNED, AS I HAVE DONE MINISTRY FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THAT IS IF YOU TALK TO ANYBODY LONG ENOUGH - EVERYBODY HAS HAD HEARTACHE. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH AND CAREFULLY ENOUGH YOU WILL SEE ALMOST ON EVERY ROW OF EVERY CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY, BROKEN HEARTS, BROKEN HOPES AND BROKEN HOMES. LIFE CAN BE KIND OF LIKE THE LYRICS TO THE SONG MADE FAMOUS BY ROD STEWART. IT GOES LIKE THIS:
IT'S A HEARTACHE
NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE
HITS YOU WHEN IT'S TOO LATE
HITS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN.
THAT IS A SONG ABOUT LOVE, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE A SONG ABOUT LIFE.
3. THERE ARE A LOT OF YOU OUT THERE LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW THAT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. LIFE HAS DELIVERED A BODY BLOW TO YOUR SOLAR PLEXUS AND SUCKED THE AIR RIGHT OUT OF YOU AND YOU NEVER EVEN SAW THE PUNCH COMING. MAYBE IT WAS THE LOSS OF A CHILD OR THE LOSS OF A MARRIAGE OR THE LOSS OF A JOB OR THE LOSS OF YOUR HEALTH. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE STUCK IN THE MUD OF MISERY.
4. SO DID A MAN IN THE BIBLE NAMED PAUL. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS IN THESE VERSES AND NOTICE THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS THAT ARE USED.
"WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTION SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY AFFLICTION WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD. FOR JUST AS THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST ARE OURS IN ABUNDANCE, SO ALSO OUR COMFORT IS ABUNDANT THROUGH CHRIST. ...
JAMES MERRITT
2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7
FEBRUARY 4, 2007
INTRODUCTION
1. IT IS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS, FOR ME, FROZEN IN TIME THAT I WILL NEVER EVER FORGET. MY MOTHER, MY WIFE, MY BROTHER AND MY DAD AND I WERE SITTING IN THE OFFICE OF ONE OF THE FINEST LUNG SPECIALISTS IN THE UNITED STATES. HE HAD DONE A THOROUGH EXAMINATION ON MY DAD AND CAME IN AND IN A MATTER OF FACT VOICE SAID, "YOU HAVE CANCER OF THE LUNG THAT IS INOPERABLE AND IT IS TERMINAL." AS SOON AS HE SAID THAT IT WAS AS IF SOMEONE REACHED UP AND TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS IN MY LIFE.
2. THERE IS SOMETHING I HAVE LEARNED, AS I HAVE DONE MINISTRY FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THAT IS IF YOU TALK TO ANYBODY LONG ENOUGH - EVERYBODY HAS HAD HEARTACHE. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY ENOUGH AND CAREFULLY ENOUGH YOU WILL SEE ALMOST ON EVERY ROW OF EVERY CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY, BROKEN HEARTS, BROKEN HOPES AND BROKEN HOMES. LIFE CAN BE KIND OF LIKE THE LYRICS TO THE SONG MADE FAMOUS BY ROD STEWART. IT GOES LIKE THIS:
IT'S A HEARTACHE
NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE
HITS YOU WHEN IT'S TOO LATE
HITS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN.
THAT IS A SONG ABOUT LOVE, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE A SONG ABOUT LIFE.
3. THERE ARE A LOT OF YOU OUT THERE LISTENING TO ME RIGHT NOW THAT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. LIFE HAS DELIVERED A BODY BLOW TO YOUR SOLAR PLEXUS AND SUCKED THE AIR RIGHT OUT OF YOU AND YOU NEVER EVEN SAW THE PUNCH COMING. MAYBE IT WAS THE LOSS OF A CHILD OR THE LOSS OF A MARRIAGE OR THE LOSS OF A JOB OR THE LOSS OF YOUR HEALTH. YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS TO BE STUCK IN THE MUD OF MISERY.
4. SO DID A MAN IN THE BIBLE NAMED PAUL. I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS IN THESE VERSES AND NOTICE THE PERSONAL PRONOUNS THAT ARE USED.
"WHO COMFORTS US IN ALL OUR AFFLICTION SO THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COMFORT THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY AFFLICTION WITH THE COMFORT WITH WHICH WE OURSELVES ARE COMFORTED BY GOD. FOR JUST AS THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST ARE OURS IN ABUNDANCE, SO ALSO OUR COMFORT IS ABUNDANT THROUGH CHRIST. ...
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