Rebuilding My Life After Disaster
I Cannot Live Without Major Losses
Gerry White

Job 1:18-22

It is a fact of life that we cannot live without loss.
In reality, that we will all face major losses throughout our years.

There will be:

  • 'storms' of stress
  • 'floods' of failure
  • grief
  • tragedy

After a major physical disaster, there are three stages of recovery:

  1. rescuing people (typically several days),
  2. restoring services (typically several weeks),
  3. rebuilding, which can take years

When disastrous losses occur you're tempted to ask "Why?", but such questions are unanswerable - we simply don't know. What you really need is encouragement, not explanation: instead of asking "Why?", you need to ask "What can I do now? What is my next step?"

Job lost children, material possessions, servants

What is the benefit of worshipping God after a major loss?

The benefit of responding in the flesh

  1. Anger
  2. Bitterness

The benefit of worship

  1. Quiet heart
  2. I focus on someone greater than a storm
  3. I gain unconditional love, peace and strength in my heart from God
  4. I feel God's love and presence

1. WORSHIP IS FOCUSING MY ATTENTION ON GOD.

Focusing on yourself is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, and ends up thinking more about self than God.

Romans 8:7 (Msg)

The easiest thing to do in life for us as human beings is to lose our focus.

You have to decide to focus.
You have to choose to focus on whose in charge - God your Father - not what's lost.

2. WORSHIP IS EXPRESSING MY AFFECTION TO GOD.

We love Him, because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19 (KJV)

I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love! I don't want your offerings - I want you to know Me!

Hosea 6:6 (LB)

He is a God who is passionate about His relationship with you.

Exodus 34:14b (NLT)

Job 1:22 Nor charge God with wrong

Job 38:4,5,12,17,19; 40:2

My Commitment:

  1. I will trust God when I have no knowledge of why!
  2. I will worship God and seek His love
  3. I will practice God's five purposes in my life no matter what happens:

Worship - 101 discover my membership
Discipleship - 201 discover my spiritual maturity
Ministry - 301 discover my ministry
Mission - 401 discover my mission