INTRODUCTION OF TEXT
1. When your life falls apart who do you contact?
2. When your life doesn't make sense who do you contact?
3. When you feel utterly alone who do you contact?
4. How do you deal with betrayal, grief, sorrow, loneliness, physical disease?
5. How do you deal with a loved one's unbelief and confusion?
6. The writer of Psalm 102 was in dire straits. Some think the author was Daniel, Jeremiah or Nehemiah.
7. Please Listen to a person in pain.
INTRODUCTION OF BODY
1. Movies and songs often reveal the tenor of our society.
2. Movies and songs often reveal the values of our society.
3. Movies and songs often reveal who their god is.
4. Most of us over 30-35 years old saw the movie Castaway starring Tom Hanks.
5. Tom Hanks character was in a airplane crash over the ocean and eventually was swept ashore on a isolated island.
6. Tom's body went through a major transformation.
7. His loneliness lead him to create a character named Wilson from a Volleyball.
8. He also constantly looked at the pocket watch that had his finance's picture in one side.
9. Eventually Wilson became his god or at least his so-called best friend.
10. Tom Hanks was abandoned, tormented, and terribly skinny on the desert island.
11. Psalm 102 is not a movie, but a real life story of a Psalmist who in a deep pit.
12. Tom Hanks cried for help and so did the Psalmist.
WHEN WE CRY FOR HELP WE SHOULD...
I. DUMP OUR ENTIRE BUCKET OF AFFLICTIONS IN GOD'S LAP.
EXPLANATION
A. What did the Psalmist Dump in God's Lap?
1. He Dumped his poor emotional and physical health.
a. The Psalmist grieved about his life moving swiftly into obscurity.
b. The Psalmist reveals that he has lost a great deal of weight.
-He forgets to eat.
-His bones cling to his skin.
-He experiences great loneliness. (Like a lonely and restless Pelican and Sparrow)
2. He Dumped His Enemies.
a. His enemies approach him with constant disapproval.
-They scoff at him.
-They swear an oath against him. (Threaten to Kill him)
b. He allows his enemies to lead him to mourn constantly.
- marks of mourning are: eat ashes like bread, and constant weeping.
3. He Dumped His Attitude and Feelings toward God.
-He believes his Afflictions are some kind of Punishment from God.
-He believes God is treating him like a wrestler treats another wrestler.
-He is overwhelmed with a sense of Divine Rejection.
-He is withering away like grass.
-He is Vanishing into Darkness.
-He is a dejected person.
B. When we Trust our Afflictions with God they No Longer ....
1. Control us.
2. Condemn us.
3. Cover our Hearts.
4. Keep us in the Past.
5. Lead us to Discouragement, but to a dynamic way of living.
6. Keep us down, but lead us to Rise from the ashes and scars.
7. Lead us to Make excuses, but we start finding Solutions.
8. Close the World to us, but the entire World is open to us.
9. Lead us to look for the Finish line, but Eternity with God.
10. Lead us to Hopelessness, but True Hope in God and God alone.
C. When God Takes our Afflictions...
1. He starts developing our Divine Purpose.
2. He takes away the Chains.
3. He prepares us for the Next Crisis-We are stronger.
4. He moves us from Reverse to Drive or Forward.
5. He Beef's up our heart.
6. He gives us a New Spine.
7. Hope Revives within us.
APPLICATION
1. Have you know deep and intense affliction?
2. Are you presently experiencing deep and intense affliction?
3. Are you in a deep and dark hole where the idea of light is just a wish?