ALWAYS More Than We Can Handle

1)    What is our view of “more” than we can handle?

a)     Handle a difficult event without even a small negative emotional reaction or without a mental breakdown?  

i)       We have perfect peace with perfect trust. We seldom walk/live in perfect trust so we won’t always walk in perfect peace. Isa 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ii)      Peace in the midst of war Psalm 27:3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.

iii)    Peace in the midst of discouragement  Psalm 42:5  Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,  for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God

iv)    Stephen’s peace while being stoned. Acts 7:59-60  While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep

b)     Handle physically without serious injury or death? We all die. There’s not only no promise of health but rather examples of lack of it. Death is more than we can handle physically. The disciples had victory in suffering

i)       Phil 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

ii)      2 Cor 1:8-10 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 

iii)    2 Cor 4:7-9 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.

2)    Our position and perspective

a)     We are God’s creation  

i)       Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;  

ii)      Rom 9:18-23 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--

b)     We are God’s children. A father has his children’s best in mind. God is all loving and all powerful. 

i)       2 Cor 6:8 “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 

ii)      Rom. 8:15-16 “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.”

c)     God’s plan for us is good Rom 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 1 Pet 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

d)     God’s love surpasses our worst hardships Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

e)     What more can God give us to prove He will give us what is good. Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

f)       Our Salvation impossible without God Matt 19:25-26  When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"  Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

g)    Man is unable to affect us without God’s permission. Heb 13:6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

h)     Satan is the prince of this world but doesn’t have free reign. Rom 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

i)       Paul’s viewpoint Phil 4:12-13  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

3)     Suffering may be taken as discipline. God wants our best for eternity which many times conflicts with earthly “best.” 

a)     Heb 12:7-12 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

b)     James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

c)     James 5:10-11 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

d)     Deut 8:16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you

4)     Survival is by God’s power.

a)     Col 1:17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

b)     James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

c)     1 Pet 1:24 For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 

5)     Successes are by God’s power. The attainment of wealth which in essence includes all we succeed at is not something we have power to accomplish. Deut 8:17-18. You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.