The Purpose of Pain | Pastor Herbert Cooper

Your problem is not just a problem. It's a test. Your pain is not just pain. It's a test. God is trying to reveal something to you. Correction today prevents collapse tomorrow. We must allow God to expose where we need to grow. When I was a kid growing up in a little small town called Wewoka, Oklahoma, I would hear adults and parents say things that I did not like and I did not understand. They would say these little sayings and my mom and dad would say these things and I had no clue what they were talking about. I didn't understand it and I did not like it. But when I got a little older, when I became an adult, I began to understand what they were saying. All these sayings they had, I began to really comprehend them. Like I would hear parents say things like this, this is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. I was like what you talking about? I would hear them say things like this is for your own good. I'd hear my parents say one day you're gonna thank me. I was like really? I can remember my parents saying we're not trying to control you, we're trying to protect you. I was like going to bed at 8 30 and I'm 13 years old feels like control to me. You know what I'm saying? Like it feels like control. The one I hated the most was I'm doing this because I love you. I'm like love me less. I love your boy less. I don't like this love. And today I want to give you a saying that's no fun to hear. It can also be hard to understand but it's the truth about life and if you will embrace this saying today, if you will really internalize it, it has the power to change your perspective, change your family, change your life, change your future, change your relationship with God. Today are you ready for the saying? Oh that sounds like about three or four of you. I said are you ready for the saying that I want to? Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes. It's not gonna be fun to hear but I gotta give it to you. Pain never stops. I know some of you today you're going through marriage pain. Some of you going through singleness pain. Some of you going through children pain. You're going through relationship pain. Some are going through financial pain. Health pain. Some are facing job pain. And what I have learned about life is that pain never ends. James chapter one and verse number two. If you have your Bibles you can turn there with me. Maybe you have it on your phone. You can look at James chapter number one. I'm going to unpack a few verses for us today. If not the scriptures will be on the screen but James chapter one and verse number two says this. Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds. And in life we face trials of many kinds. Anybody ever feel like me? That word whenever seems like it's every other day and sometimes every day and

sometimes multiple times a day. There's so many kinds of problems in life that lead to so much pain. Life is filled with problems and pain. And when you read the Bible you see that God's people constantly face problems and pain. Scripture is filled with problem after problem and pain after pain. Like I think about Noah. He faced the pain of rejection. People mocked and ridiculed him for building a boat. Then Abraham had the pain of waiting on God. He waited until he was 99 years old for his wife to get pregnant. And Sarah she had the pain of a barren womb. Then I think about Hagar she had the pain of rejection from and abuse from Sarah. And then we look at Esau. He had the pain of betrayal. He lost his birthright and his blessing through his brother's deception. Then I think about Moses. He had leadership pain. The leadership challenge as the Israelites kept complaining and criticizing and rebellion. And then I think about Naomi. She had the pain of a broken and a bitter heart. As her husband and sons died. Elijah had the pain of depression. He struggled with his mental and emotional. Emotional health, I think there's somebody today that can relate to Elijah. I think about Nehemiah, he had the pain of opposition. He was rebuilding the wall for the Lord and he faced opposers, he faced haters, he faced threats. Come on, anybody ever feel like you got some haters in your life? Come on, just wave at your boy right now. Yeah, yeah, just got some, hey. I mean, that was Nehemiah dealing with haters and then I think about Peter, he had the pain of failure and he denied Jesus three times and Paul had the pain of constant hardship as he faced judgment and shipwreck, prison, beatings, floggings, and hunger and I could keep giving you biblical character after biblical character who faced problems and pain. There's so much pain and so many problems in life.

Sometimes I feel like one of my top three jobs as a pastor is dealing with problems and pain. So many problems, so much pain. James was right when he said trials of many kinds. Throughout my life, I have experienced a lot of painful moments. I think about when I was the age of 13 and I faced the pain of being sexually abused by a lady. I've experienced a lot of pain. I think about the pain of growing up in a home where there was addiction and alcohol and gambling and watching my dad abuse my mom and watching my parents end up in divorce. I think about painful moments. I'll never forget when I was a teenager, my dad telling me, you're never gonna do anything with your life. Having a father speak that over his son, how it penetrated my heart, hurt me deeply. The pain of being betrayed by people. The pain of people making up stories about me. The pain of taking the high road when it would feel so much better to sling mud and to get even with people. The pain of being misunderstood. I think about the pain of Tiffany and I pouring our lives into people and then watching some drift away from God and wreck their lives. And then dealing with personal pain.

When our marriage, my wife and I were in a bad season, or watching one of my children struggle. And as a father on this son's weekend, there's nothing like when our children are hurting and struggling. Pain never stops. The day we stop bleeding is the day we stop breathing. And what I wanna talk to you about today is what do we do with this thing called pain? We can't escape problems and pain. We all deal with problems and pain. How do we respond? What do we do with this thing called pain and problems? And this is what I wanna deal with today. And here's the first thing that you have to understand. And that is pain and the right perspective. Pain and the right perspective. James teaches us one of the most powerful principles when it comes to problems and pain. And that is this. A painful life and a joyful life can coexist. Let's look at it in James chapter one and verse number two. He says, consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. It's possible to have problems and joy at the same time. But I meet a lot of Christians and I hear them say things like, well, I can't have joy right now because I'm facing too many painful problems in my life.

Their perspective is I can't have joy if people are talking bad about me. I can't have joy if people are leaving my life. I can't have joy if my dreams are not happening fast enough. I can't have joy if I'm dealing with the sickness in my body or in one of my family members' bodies. I can't have joy if money is tight. I can't have joy if life feels like a struggle. And I've come to tell somebody today that James says that that doesn't have to be our perspective. James says we don't have to be a victim to our problems and our pain. What's happening around you does not have to dictate what's happening in you. You can have joy in the middle of the pain. The world didn't give it to you and the world can't take it away. People didn't give it to you and people can't take it away. Money didn't give it to you and money can't take it away. Your joy comes from Jesus. Your joy comes from the presence of the Lord. One of the most joyful people I know is one of the pastors on our staff. His name is Scotty Gibbons. He is a brilliant, godly leader. He's on our preaching team as well and preaches God's word. You would never know it when you met Scotty, but he's had four or five back surgeries. He still lives with a broken back every day. I watch him preach with a broken back.

He suffers with migraines. Sometimes the migraine and the back problems are so bad he has to sit on a stool to preach God's word. And in the midst of all of the pain, he's raising a beautiful family with six children. Come on, how many of you know if you got one child, you got problems? You got six children? Come on, you got a problem every other minute. Who knows what I'm talking about? Come on, parents. I mean, and I watch him love his wife. I watch him parent his children. I watch him pastor and preach and he does it with such joy. He works with such joy. He's a parent that does it with such joy. He lives this verse out that a painful life and a joyful life can coexist even with a broken back and migraines. The right perspective on pain is to understand you can have pain and still have joy. Let me give you another right perspective on pain and that is pain is a test. James chapter one, that next verse says verse three, because you know that the testing, come on everybody, shout testing. Know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Problems and pain are a test. Some of you will remember watching television from 1978 through 1996.

And you'd be watching your favorite sports team play or you'd be watching your favorite television program. And the television station would be interrupted and they would say, this is a test. This station is conducting a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test. And then you would hear this noise. Brr. Brr. And then when the noise ended, it would say, this is a test of the emergency broadcast system. If this had been an emergency, this station would have told you where to tune in for news and official information. This concludes this test of the emergency broadcast system. I was like, why did you do that? And so I did a little research on why they did those tests. And I found out they had to ensure the system was functional and reliable for national level emergencies, such as natural disasters or attacks on the nation. So regular tests allowed authorities to check the system's operational readiness, identify technical problems, and confirm that the government can effectively alert the entire country when necessary. History Makers Church, God allows tests in our life to check our readiness. He uses tests to reveal problems that are inside of us that will keep us from our destiny.

So God allows tests so we can change, we can grow, we can mature. God uses pain as his gym and testing as our trainer. He wants to grow us, he wants to mature us. Your problem is not just a problem, it's a test. Your pain, I'm giving you the right perspective today. Your pain is not just pain, it's a test. And every test has a question waiting to be answered when we were in school and some of you are still in school. The test would come in the form of a question. And if you answered the questions correctly, you passed the grade and you got to go from sixth grade to seventh grade. But if you answered the questions incorrectly, you failed the class, the school held you back and you had to take sixth grade again. The school was not trying to be mean to you, they just knew you still needed to grow. And every test has a question that is waiting to be answered. And you have to understand God. Gives test not to punish you not to hurt you but to reveal to you where you are so that you Can grow just look at your neighbor and say he's not preaching to me today But I hope you're getting something out of this go ahead. Let him know yeah Here's what I want to ask you here's I want to ask you how are you doing on the test? That God is allowing in your life When things don't go your way, how's your attitude is it positive or negative your attitude is a test How are you? responding to pressure

It's a test. How are you handling chancellor challenging situations challenging conversations? It's a test It's revealing where you are. Can people count on you to do what you say you're going to do Can they count on you even when times are difficult and hard? It's a it's a test Do you follow through on what's asked of you or do you find yourself always making excuses? It's a test when life is hard. Do you take ownership of your life or do you find yourself playing the blame game? It's a test. How do you respond when somebody hurts you? Betrays you reject you it's a test. Are you approaching difficult days with faith or with doubt? It's a test. How are you handling God's delays in your life? Do you trust God when he doesn't answer your prayers as quickly as you want him to? Trials test whether you trust God's character or just his calendar. It's a test How are you handling? that difficult boss at work How many of you think about this? How you handling that co-worker who gets on your last nerve? I mean last nerve it's a Test your problem is not just a problem. It's a test. Your pain is not just pain It's a test. God is trying to reveal something to you Corruption today prevents collapse tomorrow We must allow God to expose where we need to grow. I Tell myself frequently Herbert Lee Cooper jr. Anybody else call yourself by your whole name. Sometimes they don't leave the past out here but like come on now I Talk to myself sometimes I do I say Herbert Lee Cooper jr You better remember what you're going through is a test This person is a test that situation is a test that trial is a test that pain You're going through right now Herbert. It is a test. This is a test This is only a test of the emergency God broadcast system This is only a test Herbert Cooper respond correctly to the test Why?

Because pain always produces something in you And have the right perspective on pain It produces something in you James chapter 1 verse 3 says because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance 100% of the time problems and pain Produce something in us The question is what are you allowing? problems and pain to produce inside of you When we respond incorrectly It produces impatience frustration Anger when we respond incorrectly to problems and pain it produces bitterness a victim mentality sinful behavior worry fretting complaining But when we respond correctly to pain it produces scripture says this Perseverance it produces this steadfastness this faithfulness on the inside of us We must be patient and allow pain to produce something good Inside of us. Here's what I've learned about life If you rush what God is refining in you you will forfeit what God is forming for you So when you face problems when you face pain don't get into this mode where you just go why me why me why me? Why me? No, not that's not the right question. Don't ask why me don't live there start asking God What are you trying to develop in me? I know you're trying to produce something good in my life I Want to give you a revelation that changed my life Over the years. Here's what happened to me I've changed my relationship with pain.

I used to have a bad relationship with pain. I used to despise painful seasons. I hated it. Mad, angry. You know what I've learned over the years? I've learned that pain is a test. And if I respond correctly to pain, pain is actually my friend because it produces something good in my life. So now when I feel squeezed, it's not the devil defeating me, it's God trying to develop me. And this is a word for somebody right now. This is a word. Some of you need to change your relationship with pain. You got a bad relationship with pain. You keep hating it and you despise it. You don't like it. You're just mad all the time, cursing God, angry, pain, problem. And you got a wrong perspective. And then you say, well, God, do something big through me. And God says, I will do something big through you when you let me do something big in you. I'm trying to develop. I'm trying to mature. I'm trying to grow you. You have to change your relationship with pain because when God allows heat in your life, it's not to burn you down,

it's to burn everything away that's holding you back from your destiny. The pain you're experiencing, the problems you're experiencing right now, they have one purpose. God is wanting to do something good in your life, but you must allow pain to develop you. Hey, sons, daughters, don't waste painful seasons. I see so many people who waste painful seasons. They curse it, they hate it, they try to run from it. Don't, don't waste it. God's trying to do something good in you. He's trying to produce something inside of you. Don't get bitter. Get better through the pain and the problems you're navigating. Number five is this, number five, number five, number five. Pain is the vehicle that takes you to your next level. Some of you are not experiencing what God has next for your life because you keep failing the test. Understand this, pain precedes promotion. Pain precedes promotion. The pastor said it one more time. Pain precedes promotion. Promotion in your marriage, promotion in your dating, promotion in your relationships, promotion in your career, promotion in your finances, promotion in your ministry. Pain precedes promotion. Here's how James says it, James chapter one,

that next verse, verse four. Let, I'm a preacher like your pastors. They're both very gifted, anointed preachers. I could just preach one word. I could just stay right here on that one word. Let, mm, I feel that thing. Let, I said you better, you better let. Well, where's my organ? Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. You see, when you respond correctly to pain, it builds you, it develops you, it matures you so that you're not lacking anything you need for your next season of life. Pain is the vehicle that gets you from where you are to where God wants you to be. Every painful test is God's way of saying, I'm preparing you for what I've prepared for you. Sometimes unanswered prayers are not God's punishment, they're his preparation. He's getting you ready for something. God's painful not yet, but it protects you from not ever. So God is trying to mature you. He's trying to get you ready for what he has next, but you must embrace the pain and pass the test. James teaches us that maturity comes when perseverance finishes its work. You gotta let perseverance finish its work in your life because if you shortcut the process,

you short circuit the promise because half finished faith never reaches full potential. Oh God, let perseverance finish its work. Perseverance must finish its work so that you're complete. You're not lacking anything. You cannot become who God wants you to be while staying who you are. So you have to let pain grow you. You gotta let it push you out your comfort zone. You gotta let it develop you. You gotta let it mature you. James says, let perseverance finish, finish, finish, finish its work. That means don't quit. Let it finish, don't quit. Don't give up because it's painful. Don't give up because it's hard. Don't give up because it's heavy. And sometimes the pain feels unbearable. You feel like, I can't take any more. I can't take any more. I've been there on multiple occasions. Well, I thought, I can't take any more. The pain I went through from being sexually abused at the age of 13 for months by a slated. I spiraled into addiction. It almost destroyed me. It almost destroyed me. I'm so glad I didn't give up. I ended up giving my life to Jesus Christ.

He set me free. He healed my heart. And now he's using my story of freedom to set others free. I'm glad I didn't give up. I think about the pain and the weight of life. Life can be heavy. I think about the pain of when Tiffany and I, my wife were in a bad season. We never used the word divorce, but I know we thought maybe she gonna kill me. That's how we gonna get out of this thing. It's painful. Pain of one of our children struggling. Pain of ministry, people and problems. And there was one season that my wife and I, she knows exactly what I'm talking about. Well, we thought, can we take any more of this? We actually had a conversation about quitting. We wouldn't be passionate at church for 24 years now, but we almost quit. Because of pain, because of problems. But I'm so glad we did not quit. Today, we're living the dream. We're impacting lives because we did not quit. I got a word for somebody today. Don't you quit. I know it's hard. Let me give you my life verse. My life verse is Galatians chapter six and verse number nine. Don't you grow weary in well-doing

because in due season, at the proper time, you will reap a harvest if you do not give up. I've come to tell somebody, I know it's painful. Don't you give up. I know you're going through problems. Don't you give up. I know it's heavy. Don't you give up. God's developing something inside of you. There's a new season he's got for you. Don't you give up in the most painful time. God's got something else for you. I think about Joseph. Joseph, his brothers, the Bible says, they hated him and they sold him into slavery. And the Bible says once he ended up in Potiphar's house, he got falsely accused of rape. And then they threw Joseph in the prison. Joseph sat in the prison for years before he ever sat in the palace. But Joseph responded right to the pain and God developed something inside of Joseph and got him ready to get promoted, to be second in charge of Egypt because he did not give up in the middle of the pain. I think about Job. If you're not familiar with the story, Job lost everything. He lost his health. He lost his kids, all of them died in one moment. He lost all of his income, all of his livelihood.

He's broke, his wife, his friends, cursing God, cursing him. Why are you still serving God? Look at you, you lost everything. And in Job's lowest moment in life, in Job chapter 13 and verse number 15, Job said, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. Will I trust him? And somebody today has to say, oh, though he slay me. I throw up both hands and say, I trust you, sir. Though he slay me, I trust you. Oh, this marriage is crazy, but I trust you. These kids about to make me lose my mind, but I trust you. This depression is about to take me out, but I trust you. You ought to throw those hands up and just say, I trust you, I trust you. I trust you, I trust you, I trust you, I trust you, I trust you. I trust you with rap promise. Come on, throw them up. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you. You got something for me. I trust you with the pain. Come on, throw them up. Lift those voices up. I trust you. I trust you.

I trust you. I got it. I trust you. I trust you. I trust you. Stay standing, stay standing. The bible says, because Job trusted God. In the middle of his pain, God developed something in him and got him ready for double the blessing. And the bible says in Job 42 verse 12, the Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the former part. And I've come to tell somebody, don't you let go of God. Don't you stop trusting God because he's going to bless the latter part of your life more than the former. He's going to bless your marriage. He's going to bless your relationships. He's going to bless your family. He's going to bless your children. Don't you give up in the pain. He's going to bless your career. He's going to bless your finances. He's going to bless your future. Don't you give up in the middle of the pain. He's going to bless our church. There is more. There is more. There is more. God's getting you ready for double. God's is getting you ready for double. Trust him. Trust him.

Trust him. Trust him. Trust him. Trust him. Trust him with the praise. Trust him. Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Oh, my God. Father, I pray right now. There's deep ministry happening. Somebody's getting their breakthrough. Somebody's getting their freedom. Somebody's getting their strength back. In the name of Jesus. I'm talking to some people right now. You came here today. You're ready to give up. You were gonna give up on that marriage. You're gonna give up on that child. You're just gonna go quit your job. Quit. You're just ready to give up. I'm talking to somebody dealing with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation. You're thinking about giving up on life.

Taking your life. I'm talking to somebody today. You're ready to give up. And God has me here to prophesy over you. Don't you give up and don't you quit. Your best days are ahead of you. He's gonna take the pain and he's gonna use it for your glory and for his glory. He's gonna get a story out of the mess that you've been through. If I'm talking to you, you've been ready to give up. Just eyes closed. Just throw your hands up. I want to pray over you right now. Pastor, I've been ready about to give up. I came to this place about to give up. Oh, God, I pray for your people right now. There's strength coming back right now. Give hope right now. In the middle of the struggle, in the middle of the pain, in the middle of the trauma, I thank you right now. You're pouring in strength. You're pouring in wisdom. You're pouring in hope. Come on, somebody get their fight back. Come on, you're getting your fight back. You're getting your fight back. You're getting vision back. Your best days are ahead of you. I know you've been divorced. I know they left you.

But there's strength coming back. There's strength coming back. There's strength coming back. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, there's strength coming back. There's strength coming back. There's strength coming back. You can make it. You can make it. Hey! Hey! Lord, I thank you for victory in this place. I think that we're overcomers by the blood of the lamb and by the word of our testimony and we testify today We trust God we trust God we testify today. We trust God Right now his eyes are closed There's somebody here that doesn't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior You've never given Jesus Christ your heart You've never given him your life Today's your day To say yes to Jesus To have your sins forgiven to be made right with God to become a son or a daughter of God I'm talking to somebody that used to serve God you used to live for God, but pain and problems Pushed you away from Jesus And today's your day to say Jesus in spite of the pain of the problems I'm coming home and I rededicate my life to you and I trust you in the middle of the pain If that's you as I count to three you want to give your life to Jesus for the first time Oh, you want to rededicate your life to the Lord? Just shoot your head up high one, two, three, just lift it high right now

I see your hand see your head there see your head there see your head there. Come on Just shoot it up high see your head there. That's it. Come on shoot it up high. That's it. That's it. That's it Come on pray this prayer with me. Come on church. Everybody pray this prayer out loud. Pray it out loud Just say Heavenly Father I turn from my sin And I turn my life to Jesus I confess that Jesus Christ Is Lord of my life And I will serve Jesus The rest of my life In Jesus name I pray Amen And Amen Heaven is celebrating and we are celebrating with you and we want to walk this journey together So if you prayed that prayer or you just want to know more about Jesus follow the prompts that are on the screen right now We are so proud of you And honestly God's vision for you is to see you live that better story epic and eternal We say like this to see you Holy healthy happy and bring in heaven to earth and if you're watching and you want to help others find Jesus like that You can partner with us and together we can make that epic difference Hey giving details are coming up on the screen and we just say God's blessed you You can be a blessing to other people as well And hey If you're here in the South Florida area would love to see you in person Check out the description below for times and the location where you can come to a service. We would love to see you soon This is history makers chat where friends truly become family. See you soon You