More Than You Can Bear Breaking Point

More Than You Can Bear

Breaking Point

“God will not give you more than you can bear.”

We use this phrase to help people when they are hurting to try to comfort

We question God when our pain and suffering spikes off the chart

Most of us when we hear or use this phrase

Already think God has allowed us too much suffering

If we feel like God has left us in the Garden of Gethsemane,

Sweating great drops of blood, we are probably at the point of “grumbling”

We are probably looking for any way of escape

So does God know our breaking point?

What can we expect when we come to our breaking point?

What will we do when we come to our breaking point?

Breaking Point

We use this verse so often…

“He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.”

But we generally quote it like this…

“God will not give you more than you can bear.”

Although there is a difference…

 It is important to understand both statements.

1 Corinthians 10:13 is speaking to the temptations to sin.

The temptations to give in to idolatry,

revelry the eating and drinking indulgence

of undisciplined living, sexual immorality,

worship of things other than God, and grumbling.

See 1 Corinthians 10:6-10    

We all can find things on this list.

The one of “grumbling” is

maybe the most tempting.

As Moses lead the children out of Egypt

and through the wilderness,

 they saw God do some very amazing things.

Yet, when Moses went up the mountain to

be with God, the people began to grumble

and do all the other things in the list of

1 Corinthians 10:6-10.

So when other people of God, other church goers,

 give into the temptations of the world…

 Don’t follow them.

So what about the phrase we so often use?

“God will not give you more than you can bear.”

We use this phrase to help people when

they are hurting as a way of comforting.

We question God when our pain

and suffering spikes off the chart.

Most of us when we hear or use this

phrase already think God has allowed

us too much suffering already.

If we feel like God has left us in the Garden of

Gethsemane, sweating great drops of blood,

 we are probably at the point of “grumbling”.

We are probably looking for any way of escape.

So does God know our breaking point?

Will He show up at 11:59 and bring

a host of angels to deliver us?

Let’s first answer the question…

 Will God leave us?

The answer is NO!!!

God’s promise of never leaving us is

found in the Old and New Testament.

  

Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5…

"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  

6 So we say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?"  

Remember Job in his sever trial, God never

left him even though Job questioned God.

Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

after praying, was lead off as a prisoner

put on trial, then crucified.

Remember Jesus’ words on the cross…

“My God My God why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34

Even Jesus felt forsaken and some

of the people around Him said…

The rest said, "Now leave him alone.

Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

Matthew 27:49

You and I have seen the suffering of other saints,

even their early death, and questioned where is God?

But God was there even after death.

What the body could not bear,

God resurrected and made a new body.

So what if we are facing more

than we think we can bear?

How do we handle those times?

The Apostle Paul faces this

overwhelming place in his life.

As we look at his life, we can it see he went

through things you and I would find unbearable.

But Paul describes only one thing

that he pleaded with God to remove.

We may not be sure of what it is, but we

see he pleaded three times to the Lord

that He might take it away from him.

God did respond and said…

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my

power is made perfect in weakness."

2 Corinthians 12:9

When you and I feel weak and powerless to deal with

life’s hardships it is because we are weak and powerless.

When we come to this time in our lives

we need to recognize His power.

But we also need to recognize God’s

ways are not always our ways.

Sometime we go through the divorce, the foreclose,

the permanent loss of health even death.

Those are all things too hard to

bear, so how do we bear them?...

By God’s Grace.

God’s Grace, His Favor in you and

on you is the comfort you need.

It is the strength you need.

God, many times as we stands as examples of

His glory, shows more glory as we keep the faith.

Not because of what we have or get, but because

of our love for God and His eternal faithfulness.

Hebrews 11 gives us a long list

of those who did not receive the earthly

promise but together with us has a better plan.

These were all commended for their faith,

 yet none of them received what had been promised.

God had planned something better for us so that only

 together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:39-40

There will be times in your life and mine

when we will feel the crushing pain of loss.

The promises of this life will be

eclipsed by the promises of eternal life.

Our faith has to be a trust in God’s eternal

plan not just the temporary hope in this world.

God’s promise to never leave you

is true and His grace is sufficient.

You heard it said, “What don’t kill

you will make you stronger”, it is true.

When you feel like you can bear no more,

 God may not be there to stop the pain…

 But will be there to make you stronger.

Like Paul, he got up three times

because he know God was with him.

Yes, he lived with the thorn in the

flesh but God’s grace was greater.

This world is full of sin that brings suffering

and pain that is passed down through generations.

Although you can make a difference in the world,

the world will not be redeemed, but destroyed.

Don’t let the temptation of grumbling over take you.

Look up for your redemption is soon, maybe

for now it might be a miracle of health,

resources, or relational breakthrough.

But if not, your trust in God, your reliance

on His grace will bring glory to Him.

So be willing to…

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:…

Romans 12:1-3

Our spiritual worship is to offer up everything,

our bodies and all its needs in service to Him.

Before Paul goes on in this chapter he says…

  

  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:…

Paul was the man you and I read about

because of God’s Grace and his words to

us are not without personal experience.

So when you find it hard to bear

the pain and suffering of life…

 Seek first God’s grace.

The fullness of His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:33

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 10:11-13 NIV

11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.