Photo Cred: (1) | Updated: 4/18/2026
Sermon Prep
So this was a message I never planned on preaching at all and the only reason I did preach it was because there was a miscommunication of the sermon schedule we had internally among the teachers at Reunion Church. This sometimes happens where because the schedule is usually pretty fixed, we just assume week-to-week that everyone is going to do their part. But in this case I didn’t know that one of the teachers was going to be gone on vacation, so I had done zero prep for a topical teaching until Friday night after we spoke before their trip.
We were in the middle of our 1 Corinthians series, but sometimes to break up a series we will either have a guest teacher or a one-off topical teaching to help the congregation stick with a longer sermon series. In this case, Andrew assumed I knew I was teaching a topical yet we never talked until Friday afternoon so thank God we talked that day. If we didn’t, then we would’ve been in a really bad spot on Sunday if no one had prepared a message.
So when it came time to prep this sermon I only had Friday night and Saturday night to figure it out since I already had weekend commitments. That pressure and most importantly the Holy Spirit himself led me to eventually finding this topic to teach. I wasn’t planning on sharing this particular message, but it was fresh on my mind from a conversation I had with Josh about his son who has autism and how I had autism too. So I took an old blogpost on here called Alvin Plantinga + Autism plus some new material and created this message. Here’s the notes below and the YouTube video:
Sermon Notes
Opening Line
- Story of autism diagnoses and losing the ability to speak at 4 years old for 10 months.
Intro
- But not everyone with ailments, disorders, or physical pain is like me.
- Most people are either born with or become physically disabled and stay that way.
Main Point
- It’s one of life’s most frustrating mysteries as to why some suffer and others don’t.
- With God, natural suffering and pain has a purpose. Without him, it means nothing.
God Be Glorified | John 9:1-7 (NRSVue)
“[1] As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” [3] Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. [4] We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. [5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” [6] When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, [7] saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.”
- Disciples asked a heady question, while Jesus cared for the suffering person (John 9:2).
- He was born blind, so that Jesus would heal him and save his soul (John 9:3).
- Alvin Plantinga argued that like the man born blind, we too have a sensus divinitatis (sense of God) that’s been damaged by sin and humanity’s fall from grace. In this way, everyone is disabled spiritually as we’re disconnected from God and struggle to see him. In desperate need of the Holy Spirit himself to dwell within us to restore that divine sense within our cognitive faculties.
Why It Matters
- Read Psalms 139:13-16 aloud.
“[13] For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. [14] I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. [15] My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. [16] Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.”
- There is intent behind how God chose to invent you. Not a mistake. You matter to God.
- Read Exodus 4:10-12 aloud.
“[10] But Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” [11] Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? [12] Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak.””
- Instead of asking “Why me?” which is self-centered, we need to always ask “What now?” which is God-centered. Your ailment isn’t an attack, but rather a humility opportunity.
Power Text
- Read Romans 9:19-21 aloud.
“[19] You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” [20] But who indeed are you, a human, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” [21] Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?”
- God does what he wants because he is king of all of creation (i.e. Psalm 115:3, 135:5-6).
- We need to humbly submit to God’s way instead of our way, even when we disagree.
Outro
- Read 2 Corinthians 12:6-10 aloud.
“[6] But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, [7] even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. [8] Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, [9] but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. [10] Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.”
- Only by the Holy Spirit dwelling within you can you know why you suffer and its purpose.
- Read Romans 8:9, 15-28 aloud.
“[9] But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him… [15] For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” [16] it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [17] and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. [18] I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. [19] For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, [20] for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope [21] that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. [22] We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, [23] and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. [24] For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? [25] But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. [26] Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. [27] And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. [28] We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
- Some suffer because of God’s grand plan, original sin, or even to learn to trust him.
- Job never knew why he suffered, but Paul did so answers aren’t guaranteed.
- In the end God knows best, therefore in our suffering we can trust and rest in him.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, this is one of my best sermons. It’s ironic because some of my best messages tend to be completely last-minute and not very well prepared for whatever the case may be that Sunday. The reception to the message was very positive during Table Talks afterwards and we had a great conversation which Jonathan led that day.
Honestly, the best part was the following Sunday one of our new worship leaders who I didn’t really know beforehand said this message was for her. Meaning that God orchestrated things so that I would preach a message that she needed to hear that Sunday. Now that just shows how awesome God is that he would use me to do his work in the life of someone else. One of the rare times where God’s work is revealed. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
Footnotes
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