Reformation of a Messenger Boy » Suffering

Quote of the Week (Part 2) – Mark Driscoll on Matt Chandler’s Brain Cancer

Andrew J. Nicewander — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:15:46 +0000

The human experience commonly shared is suffering … If he [Matt Chandler] suffers well, that might be the most important sermon he’s ever preached.

– Mark Driscoll, on Matt Chandler’s Brain Cancer

Sermon Poetry – “Christ’s Chalice”

Andrew J. Nicewander — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:48 +0000

Sermon Poetry, 8 November 2009
Sermon Text – John 18:1-13
Preacher – Pastor Mike Tardive

Kind Jesus, Your people are suffering life
With sadness and sickness and poverty strong
They’re crying with voices of weakness and sorrow
With quavering lips they are singing their song

You’ve given us cups with a drink hard to swallow
We haven’t the strength to survive Sovereign Will
We’re crying with voices of frailty and mourning
Come calm with Your mercy and make our hearts still

We suffer as people who worship our Savior
We follow our Jesus, our Suffering Lord
He drank from His chalice, prepared by the Father
Fulfilling the Scriptures, God’s beautiful Word

Our Father is Sovereign, with Providence Holy
His will is accomplished, no matter how sad
So as Jesus swallowed, our sins were forgiven
We’re bathed in His blood, and our mourning is glad

We’re washed in His mercy, we’re cleansed by His blood
Through death are we living, through blood made alive
In Him is salvation, we’ve access to Yahweh
Once sinners of darkness, now Children of Light

Quote of the Week – Patton on Going Right When God’s Going Left

Andrew J. Nicewander — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:00:18 +0000

“In the end, I have learned that the anchor to my faith is the resurrection of Christ. Christ is not Lord because he rescues people from cancer, saves the depressed, or brings dogs back to life. He is Lord because Christ is risen. It is that simple. I will have many other anchors and so will you. But none of them compares to the anchor that is the resurrection of Christ. Hold on to those other anchors loosely, knowing that God is involved and can be praised in all things, but not necessarily in our interpretation of all things.”

- Michael Patton

Sermon Poetry – “Once Sinner, Now Saved”

Andrew J. Nicewander — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:26:20 +0000

Preacher – Jarrett Downs
Sermon Title – “The Deeds and Hopes of Persevering Saints”
Sermon Text – “Revelation 3:7-13

Jesus, I’m selfish with Your Word
I’m selfish with Your Truth
I think I can hoard Your Love
I’m loving myself, not loving my neighbor
Ignoring Your Power to Move
Forgive my arrogance
Please save me from my sinfulness:
Ignoring the broken and meek
I want to share you with liberality
When bruised, to love my enemies
Lord Christ, when I’m before You, I’m broken and weak

Jesus, I’m hated in this world
They laugh at my weakness
Deriding the son that You Love
Lord Christ by Your Grace, I’m loving my neighbor
Expecting Your power to move
Forgive them their arrogance
Save them from their sinfulness:
Ignoring the broken and meek
Please help me share You with liberality
When killed, to love my enemies
Lord Christ when I’m before You, I’m broken and weak

Jesus, I’m worshipping You
Relying on Your promises
Staying faithful as best I can
Lord Christ by Your Grace, Your Words I will follow
Upheld by Your tender hands
Preserve me to persevere
To stay faithful to the end
Although I am broken and weak
Please strengthen me to worship You
To hold onto Your Word of Truth
Lord Christ I am before You, I’m broken and meek

Jesus, I’m waiting for the end
When I’ll Your glory see
With quickened and eternal eyes
Lord Christ, by Your grace, my race will be finished
And then I will enter Your rest
My eyes are wet with gratitude
To Christ who saved me to new life
My brokenness is fully healed
A laurel crown around my head
A whitened robe around my frame
Lord Christ I am before You, once sinner now saved

The Unknown Made Known

Andrew J. Nicewander — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:30:49 +0000

When waves come crashing, smashing down onto the sandy shore
When winds come ripping, slashing in and blow a little more
When homes are thrown and torn in two and some are left to stand
When lives are changed for good or ill, we know we’re in God’s Hands

When little boys get very sick, so that they might soon die
When parents see their children ill, and watch their young ones cry
When tests are done, and bad news comes, with surgeries galore
When hope seems lost, and death seems near, we know we serve our Lord

When dearest friends go through life’s throws and find it hard to stand
When Christian sons and daughters true are weak in God’s strong Hand
When our good God does see it fit to give and take away
The solemn cry “Blessed be His Name” is what our hearts must say

When life goes up and then comes down, when side by side it flies
When all the future once so sure just seems to up and die
When we don’t know what life next holds, when nothing is real sure
When we despair and question God, we see the One Who’s Pure

When God’s Good Will just seems so vague, and it is hard to trust
When we lose faith and hope seems lost, into His arms we’re thrust
For God protects and holds His own, the Children of the Lamb
The Unknown has now been made Known, because God is I AM

We do not need to know what comes today or in the morn
We trust in Christ who loves His sheep, He has His Grace well shown
We do not need to fret the things that in this life seem hard
For all are in our God’s Strong Hands, His Grace He does impart

So when we want to doubt and fret about all things unknown
We must remember that we serve the God Who’s on His Throne
He Rules and Reigns, and knows all things, for He’s our Sovereign Lord
We know the Unknown is made Known, His Grace is on us poured

Sermon Poetry – “Show Me Your Love”

Andrew J. Nicewander — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:47:10 +0000

Preacher: Jarrett Downs
Title: “The Church in Smyrna: Suffering Like a Believer”
Text: Revelation 2:8-11

Jesus I am hurting, I am slandered
I am beaten and bruised and close to death
Jesus I’m hated, they shun me
They see me as a nasty threat
They lie about my actions
They throw me into prisons
They hate my frame as they hate your name
Jesus show Your child Your Love

Jesus, why must I go through suffering
Why must life be so painful
Jesus, it’s hard, I’m ever hated
Give me strength to be faithful
I’ve lost all that I once held dear
My body quakes, I’m full of tears
They bruise my face, reject your Grace
Jesus show Your child Your Love

Child, come remember my suffering
Come take Your Cross and follow
Child, I know it’s hard, they hated me too
But see me now on my throne
I’m the first and last, Your life’s in my hands
I love you dear, come trust in Your Lamb
You’re rich, not poor, what do you live for?
Child I died to show You Love

Jesus, please forgive Your child frail
I’m weak and need Your Love
Jesus, although they hate me, in You I’m loved
Oh King, who rules from above
Although I die, in You I live
Your Grace to me you freely give
I’m loved in You, what can man do?
Jesus I die safe in Your Love
Jesus I die safe in Your Love

God’s Strange Mercies

Andrew J. Nicewander — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:25:45 +0000

The mercy of Jesus, mysterious thing The love of our Savior makes us want to sing His praises loud, He is God He brings to His children the trials of life He teaches us patience, our Lord loves His Bride And cares for her, He is God
Chorus:
Our God loves us, and cares for us And though we might suffer through much He’s faithful in His grace He loves us, He teaches us patience His mercy flows over anew Come comfort yourself dearest brethren Our Jesus reigns ever in Heaven And He shows us His strange mercies Our Savior came down to live here as a man He humbled Himself as a part of God’s plan He lived for us, He is God Why did Jesus die to give us all new lives The Groom chose to suffer in love for His Bride He died for us, He is God
Chorus

His people for ages have suffered and died They’re martyred for Jesus, they’ve bled and they’ve cried They die for Christ, He is God We have tribulations as we’re sanctified We suffer for Jesus, we who are His Bride We live for Him, He is God And though we have trials, our God holds us still We worship our Father, submit to His Will Our Sovereign King is our God
Chorus

You Must Suffer

Andrew J. Nicewander — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:18:18 +0000

John Piper – You Must Suffer from I’ll Be Honest on Vimeo. John Piper – You Must Suffer desiringgod.org

Clinging to Grace

Andrew J. Nicewander — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:16:14 +0000

When life’s strongest waves beat down on my shores And when I am drowning as floods overflow And when it seems like I’m sep’rate from God It’s then the Lord His great mercy shows Chorus: I’m clinging to Grace, as Jesus holds me My God and My Savior, my All-Loving King Because of His mercy, my heart’s been set free His praises forever, forever I’ll sing When I am ignored, rejected and scorned My friends disappear, and leave me alone When life is so cold, and lonely and dark My God by His Grace loves me from His Throne Chorus When fire from hell nips close at my heels When I can’t see love, and wish I could die With confidence gone, despair closes in It’s then that I’m shown my Savior most High Chorus Oh come soon the day when Heaven I’ll see I’ll bask in His love, the warmth of His Grace My eyes will behold the Savior of Love Most precious of sights, my Jesus’ Fair Face Chorus

God Bless Your Wounded Saints

Andrew J. Nicewander — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:39:07 +0000

Why don’t we think of saints across the nations wide Why don’t we pray for their strength to stand, and in our Lord confide Why don’t we think of friends who for the Gospel die Why don’t we pray for the saints of God and to our Savior Cry Oh Jesus give them strength, to battle for Your Truth My Savior give them the strength to stand, to stand up tall for You Oh Yahweh give them hope, that they might not forget Your Grace and loved poured out full for them, that saved them from the Pit Your people suffer pain, they are hated by the World Help them to see that your love abounds, help them to grasp your Sword They are tortured, raped, and burned; they are martyred for Your Name Help us to trust in our Savior True, for when we face the same We know that in your Word, You promised suffering And from Your Word we know this Sure Truth, that You reign as the King When we are hated by the World and Satan’s Crew The World does not hate your children small, oh Lord their hate’s for You Oh give your people strength, when persecution comes If for our pain You are praised Most High, we suffer in Your Love To suffer for your Praise, we count it Joy Supreme We are but servants of God Most High, our loving Lord and King Lord give your people Hope, your persecuted Own That they’ll look unto your Son our Lord, who ruleth from The Throne Help them to understand, their time on earth is small Cause them to see the pearly Gate, the Golden Roads and Halls